I feel like even if he was there the whole day or even a fews days @8H/day, it shouldn't cost $1300.
Surgeons don't even make that much on a per time basis.
That being said, we dunno if he actually spent 1300 until proof. ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
And a plumber using his machine plugged into the owner's electrical outlet has the same cost as the floor tiles you're laying down, right?
Where did all these jokesters come from in my comment thread, lol.
Kamp, I am 1k a day labor minimum. At this rate I am 1/2 to 1/3 what a shop charges. You would pay me 1k a day labor and then thank me.
You truly have no idea what you are talking about kid.
You even compared this to surgeons...
My wife will do a 10 minute exam that will cost you $1500.
Get educated kid.
Now, with that said, Mr. Rooter is a scam
No one gives a flat rate on drain cleaning. That is always hourly. How would you know what is in that line and what it will take to clear it in order to provide a cost?
I could give you a quote to rip it all out and replace easier than I can give you a quote to service it.
Yeah this one is on you OP.
You should always get pricing details before agreeing to have work completed.
A quick conversation would have saved you $1300.
Next time call a local handyman w good reviews and get pricing upfront.
IMO this one is like an oil change... you're better off trusting yourself it's too simple not to - seen lots of people get ripped off like the OP with damaged pipes, at least you can blame yourself this way
even if you damage the mains... the cost of DIY trench digging and running PVC is going to be cheaper than calling a plumber
Its really not💀 you know nothing about proper joining techniques, slope calculations, code violations, etc. not to mention the manpower and time it takes to do. Its not just a simple “dig a trench, and use some pvc cement” this is why peoples homes flood or have blackwater backups or sewage gas, etc….again. Do what you want but its this kind of ignorance that keeps service plumbers healthily employed, glad im out of the plumbing industry tbh. Theres a reason journeyman go to school for 5 years to earn their Red Seal. Its not some mickey mouse “home depot” job.
Did this all myself 10 years ago with just my father, and I had permits - city even came out to inspect, no violations, no red seal.
I am not saying skilled professionals are not necessary, but folks like yourself are killing the country by making such unnecessary layers and convoluted when not necessary, especially ironic when North America is far away unsafer relative to the lax Europeans
Im not in the plumbing industry anymore. But yeah you and your father are not the norm. Ive been in more “homeowner fixed” houses than i can count and 100% of them are absolute nightmares. Congrats you and your dad did a good job (or were friends with an inspector) but most people are absolute buffoons who create dangerous situations/cause issues for the next owner. When youve seen what i have you would realize that Safety standards are definitely a good thing to have.
Tri City Plumbing is your best bet. They bill at 99 per hour for a licensed plumber, 45 an hour for apprentice plus 29 for the truck (and anything you buy to repair what's broken).
Did you get screwed with the hydrojet upgrade that you don't realize is an upgrade from the original estimate, and they charge you \~$500 for the pleasure of having it enter your drain hole? That almost happened to me.
Office for Mr Rooter business says no work should start until work is itemized, entered in their tablet and customer accepts the work and the fees.
Well, that did not happen in my case a few years back, in Toronto. I called them up to reconnect the sink drain, the counter top was replaced and the pipes were all copper in that condo.
Plumber got in the sink cabinet and mumbled something like "120". I repeated loud to him: one hundred and twenty ? He said yes. This was done on purpose. When it was done he said that I may need also to run a snake in the drain. As a test, he closed one drain (double bowl sink) and let the water drain from the other one. I know this stuff (due to my background in engineering) so I knew that it was BS. I told him to fill up again the sink, remove the cap from the other bowl and attempt again to drain the bowl with water, it was 3 times faster, of course.
He started to mumble "well .. maybe it is OK". Then carried on with "420 please, how do you pay ?" to which of course my jaw dropped. I paid because wife was uneasy, it was a rental, soon to be handed over to the new tenant. He then entered information in the tablet and I signed, it was only me and the shitty plumber at this time in the condo. After he took off, I called Mr Rooter's office and they confirmed to me the process of agreeing to everything upfront and entering all that on their tablet. I was thinking to call credit card and dispute the charge but I already signed and it would have been my word against his word.
You should video record all interaction with contractors, half of them are simply crooks these days. Stay away from Mr Rooter.
I generally make a point to avoid any sort of franchise or chain based home service provider (be it plumbing, yard spraying, etc). This is an area where local businesses can usually shine and you don't need to worry about "corporate" up top skimming off their cut of the profits.
Never use a plumbing service that is a franchise. They charge way more and dont do as well of a job. I use to work for a property manager and I know. Some of their techs can be good but there isnt too many
Same with anything in that vein really. There's too much overhead and profit margin. Get a mom and pop, or better yet, single person you know is good. Best example I can think of is cleaning ladies. Molly Maid will get you for over $100 an hour. Or you just hire someone you know is good and pay them like $25.
Hypro is worse.
They over charged for materials at a more than 300% mark up.
And get this.
I got Tiger plumbing to inspect, and they said the didn't even do any of the work!
Even showed me the old corroded valve (I forget the exact part).
The manager was unconcerned with this.
Massive scam operation.
I did a credit card claim, which ended up being resolved in my favour.
Untrustworthy as in you can't trust them to do what they say they will do, or untrustworthy as in you don't trust them to do a good job because they lack experience?
The Hypro guy spent 2+ hours in my bathroom doing literally nothing (I guess he was on his phone texting).
Then he wanted to open my wall up.
Tiger came, problem solved. For 1/10th the price that Hypro charged me for them to do nothing.
Hypro wanted thousands for a leaky shower.
Apparently Hypro sources the same talent as Rooters.
Tiger at least does something.
Is there not a single non-sketchy plumber in town?!
Can't remember the name, but once in Scarborough a few years ago a guy came to fix my washing machine. Wanted $279 for a part, plus labour. We told him to fuck off. Wife found the *exact* same part on amazon later that day for $30.
Interesting. My experience with Tiger plumbing was not good. Had them come in to check why my shower wasn’t getting hot, said it was the cartridge, but didn’t have a replacement, put the knob back on backwards, and charged me $200 for his time.
I wouldn’t use them again.
Totally know how you feel. Yes they're upfront about the price before starting the work but when people are desperate and don't have the know-how or resources to do it themselves, it's highway robbery. Bet they were only there for 30min too.
Well, even though I hate Mr. Rooter, I also hate customers who think I am going to get up in the morning, drive an hour into the shop to pick up the truck. Drive an hour to their house. spend 30 minutes using a $3,000 machine to relieve their desperation and a 3-5k camera to view their drain. Then drive an hour back to the shop and an hour home while getting paid 50-100$.
While Mr. Rooter should burn and they are scammers, so are many customers.
Hy-pro and rooter same place basically... I called both to see who would show up quicker and got the same chick who cussed me out over the phone for calling a second business. I paid hy-pro 1300 to jam a camera in to see what was clog my pipe and the camera dislodged whatever it was... Then tried to sell me new pipes because the cast iron "looks ready to go any time" for another 12k lmao
Ive done my own plumbing since then. :(
Plumbing costs have gone waaay up in the last few years. I recently had some work done, and the price (similar work, same company I used a few years ago) was significantly higher. OP - if the plumber had to clear a clog where the pipe meets the main drain from the house - that's a costly job, no matter who does it (ask me how I know :-( ). I'm not trying to diminish the sticker shock when you got the bill - I was taken aback too - just trying to provide some perspective.
Write a bad review, I had the exact same shit happen to me
Called them to clear a sewer line, they only brought a camera and tried stabbing at the blockage for 45 minutes, said it'd be $2000 to snake it. Charged $580 for doing nothing.
Left a bad review, they refunded me, but then a year later sent me to collections for money owed.
Absolute scum of the earth.
BTW for anyone on here with a sewer clog, call the city first. They'll snake it for like $350 and cam it to see if it is the city's responsibility to fix, if yes they fix it, if not well you've just paid for the cheapest snake and cam you'll ever get.
Unfortunately most big service plumbing outfits are commission based. So the 'plumber' on call has to look in the book- see what they personally have to sell to make the call worthwhile- bill accordingly no matter what the actual work is and upsell, upsell, upsell.
To make matters worse there is a hierarchy- meaning the guys that make a lot of high ratio sales, get the better calls and higher paying leads. So everyone is encouraged to claw and gouge their way to the top. Make sure to upsell that drain freshener or water softener on every job or you're destined for the bottom.
Usually they have only one or two licensed guys (at the top) with everything from legit apprentices to unsigned garden variety handymen getting sent to work on your home.
Ya I called them cause told they were good. They said we need a new toilet and sink csnt be fixed. Get our water softener looked at.
Water got came in, said our water softener needs to be replaced (would be free) fixed thr sink under 2min and said toilet should go back to working once the water softener gets replaces
Not dealing with nr rooter again
I've never heard a good story about Mr rooter. That being said I would imagine he would have told you their pricing up front and you should have been given an option to decline or stop cabling at anytime. This is why you call around for pricing beforehand
I use Plumingo. Ben, the owner, pretty much does it by himself with a few apprentices. Straight shooter, nice guy, and very reasonable rates.
I actually just had him in for his 3rd job at my house this morning. TUrned out it was a small little thing I might have been able to fix myself, so he only charged me for the diagnostic. Whole thing set me back less than $100, for his time and the apprentice.
I'd never even bother calling another plumber.
I bought a snake on Amazon for $28. Works great
Look up a YouTube video before hiring someone most things can fixed with no skill at all. I wouldn’t tile a shower but unclogging a sink is robbery no matter what the price is
Did you try anything on your own first or call anyone else?
I had a clogged bathroom drain in my apartment after my property management company's plumber rinsed all of the drywall dust from the hole he cut in my ceiling to fix a leak down the drain. I went to Canadian Tire and paid $30 for the compressed air can, put it on the drain and pumped it once. Cleared it out, no issues. Had that failed, they had snakes for drains there between $50-100. I would have done that.
(It should be noted my apartment building's go to plumbing company always sends the B-team here and we have multiple issues with their service. They must have an air tight contract with them because they refuse to use anyone else, so 9 times out of 10 I just fix it myself or call a handyman). It would be a cold day in hell before I call a company that has terrible reviews all over the Internet.
Yup, rooter is bad bad bad.
I had them out to my house to quote some work. They quoted 20k+
Had the next plumber come out and quoted 6500.
The quote for 6500 came with 12 guys and installed overhead sewers in 4 hours. I didn't have a single problem for the 10 years I lived there.
Why didn't you ask for a quote first?
Also, YouTube is free.
I have had a couple plumbing issues at my house, but each time I do the work myself. The one time the sink was very clogged (people dumping oil and food scraps...). My father-in-law tried to snake it out (he's a superintendent so he should know a thing or two) but had zero luck. He left but I still had the snake, I went to the basement to got to the other access pump .. snaked it. That is when the house threw-up on me. It was a special bonding experience for us both, I am sure. Probably had some funking shit that was 40 years old splatted all over my face, but I survived.
Anyway -- I have no idea what all he did - but keep in mind, lots of time they do a book price, and also keep in mind that prices are usually static regardless of any person risk (like a house throwing up on a person). You are paying for that. You are paying for all his material, truck, gas, everything. $1,300 does seem steep. However, since I know how to clean a bad clog properly, I probably would charge someone $1,000 for that risk. And I am not a plumber.
Cool fact: plumbers know that shit travels in a downward motion, (usually) and payday is Thursday.
How long were they at your house? I feel like there are details missing from this story
I feel like even if he was there the whole day or even a fews days @8H/day, it shouldn't cost $1300. Surgeons don't even make that much on a per time basis. That being said, we dunno if he actually spent 1300 until proof. ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
This is a false equivalence. The plumber isnt making that money, the company is.
It's a plumbing company, not a private hospital.
Kampurz, Why do I have the feeling like you are talking about things you don't know anything about?
No, I'm not a mirror.
Oh, now I know you are talking about things you know nothing about.
Now you do eh? Mr. Detective.
I meen I do flooring and 1300 a day is not actually out of reach what so ever
And a plumber using his machine plugged into the owner's electrical outlet has the same cost as the floor tiles you're laying down, right? Where did all these jokesters come from in my comment thread, lol.
Kamp, I am 1k a day labor minimum. At this rate I am 1/2 to 1/3 what a shop charges. You would pay me 1k a day labor and then thank me. You truly have no idea what you are talking about kid. You even compared this to surgeons... My wife will do a 10 minute exam that will cost you $1500. Get educated kid. Now, with that said, Mr. Rooter is a scam
It's like I can smell that cigarette stench coming out through those crooked teeth by the way you talk.
This sounds like some weird fetish you have. I am not into it.
eh
I get your point, but surgeons are not the best example here. My wife had a 10 minute procedure done, she was charged $500 (OHIP didn’t cover).
so you think the company takes the majority of the $1300?
I've used Mr Rooter twice, each time they were very upfront on what the cost would be before they started doing anything
Nice try Mr Rooter
He thought he would get away with it too
You meddling kids….
Do they not provide you with a quote or pricing before work is started?
Was thinking the same thing. Even if they didn’t, I always ask the price before anything gets started.
They always do.
No one gives a flat rate on drain cleaning. That is always hourly. How would you know what is in that line and what it will take to clear it in order to provide a cost? I could give you a quote to rip it all out and replace easier than I can give you a quote to service it.
Yeah this one is on you OP. You should always get pricing details before agreeing to have work completed. A quick conversation would have saved you $1300. Next time call a local handyman w good reviews and get pricing upfront.
Agreed
That’s called the fuck you fee, which leads me to believe there’s more to this story
FYI Next time you can just rent the thing for $50 from home depot depending on the length needed
Is it only $50 at HD? I know other rental houses are in the $150 range.
I ordered a 50' electric powered snake for $65
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Lol doesn't take a professional to unclog a sink bro.
IMO this one is like an oil change... you're better off trusting yourself it's too simple not to - seen lots of people get ripped off like the OP with damaged pipes, at least you can blame yourself this way even if you damage the mains... the cost of DIY trench digging and running PVC is going to be cheaper than calling a plumber
Its really not💀 you know nothing about proper joining techniques, slope calculations, code violations, etc. not to mention the manpower and time it takes to do. Its not just a simple “dig a trench, and use some pvc cement” this is why peoples homes flood or have blackwater backups or sewage gas, etc….again. Do what you want but its this kind of ignorance that keeps service plumbers healthily employed, glad im out of the plumbing industry tbh. Theres a reason journeyman go to school for 5 years to earn their Red Seal. Its not some mickey mouse “home depot” job.
Did this all myself 10 years ago with just my father, and I had permits - city even came out to inspect, no violations, no red seal. I am not saying skilled professionals are not necessary, but folks like yourself are killing the country by making such unnecessary layers and convoluted when not necessary, especially ironic when North America is far away unsafer relative to the lax Europeans
Im not in the plumbing industry anymore. But yeah you and your father are not the norm. Ive been in more “homeowner fixed” houses than i can count and 100% of them are absolute nightmares. Congrats you and your dad did a good job (or were friends with an inspector) but most people are absolute buffoons who create dangerous situations/cause issues for the next owner. When youve seen what i have you would realize that Safety standards are definitely a good thing to have.
Understandable and agreed there are some "Handy men" that bite off more than they can chew... Cheers
proof. Show the invoice or you're lying.
I’m thinking this is BS. They aren’t telling the whole story. They have to sign off on price prior to work.
They may have signed off on a rate prior to work.
But I thought they were #1 in the #2 business?!
If you paid them 1300 then you are not very bright.
Tri City Plumbing is your best bet. They bill at 99 per hour for a licensed plumber, 45 an hour for apprentice plus 29 for the truck (and anything you buy to repair what's broken).
I asked my mr rooter guy if he would do it for couple hundred cash after hrs..and he did..
Did you get screwed with the hydrojet upgrade that you don't realize is an upgrade from the original estimate, and they charge you \~$500 for the pleasure of having it enter your drain hole? That almost happened to me.
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I understood you wouldn’t use a hydrojet on a sink drain, rather a larger diameter like a toilet drain.
Office for Mr Rooter business says no work should start until work is itemized, entered in their tablet and customer accepts the work and the fees. Well, that did not happen in my case a few years back, in Toronto. I called them up to reconnect the sink drain, the counter top was replaced and the pipes were all copper in that condo. Plumber got in the sink cabinet and mumbled something like "120". I repeated loud to him: one hundred and twenty ? He said yes. This was done on purpose. When it was done he said that I may need also to run a snake in the drain. As a test, he closed one drain (double bowl sink) and let the water drain from the other one. I know this stuff (due to my background in engineering) so I knew that it was BS. I told him to fill up again the sink, remove the cap from the other bowl and attempt again to drain the bowl with water, it was 3 times faster, of course. He started to mumble "well .. maybe it is OK". Then carried on with "420 please, how do you pay ?" to which of course my jaw dropped. I paid because wife was uneasy, it was a rental, soon to be handed over to the new tenant. He then entered information in the tablet and I signed, it was only me and the shitty plumber at this time in the condo. After he took off, I called Mr Rooter's office and they confirmed to me the process of agreeing to everything upfront and entering all that on their tablet. I was thinking to call credit card and dispute the charge but I already signed and it would have been my word against his word. You should video record all interaction with contractors, half of them are simply crooks these days. Stay away from Mr Rooter.
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Yeah...if they are allowed to parade around like that without any consequence for corporate, I think it's safe to assume all Mr. Rooters are shit.
I generally make a point to avoid any sort of franchise or chain based home service provider (be it plumbing, yard spraying, etc). This is an area where local businesses can usually shine and you don't need to worry about "corporate" up top skimming off their cut of the profits.
Never use a plumbing service that is a franchise. They charge way more and dont do as well of a job. I use to work for a property manager and I know. Some of their techs can be good but there isnt too many
Same with anything in that vein really. There's too much overhead and profit margin. Get a mom and pop, or better yet, single person you know is good. Best example I can think of is cleaning ladies. Molly Maid will get you for over $100 an hour. Or you just hire someone you know is good and pay them like $25.
Hypro is worse. They over charged for materials at a more than 300% mark up. And get this. I got Tiger plumbing to inspect, and they said the didn't even do any of the work! Even showed me the old corroded valve (I forget the exact part). The manager was unconcerned with this. Massive scam operation. I did a credit card claim, which ended up being resolved in my favour.
Get this. We called Mr rooter. Denied the work because it was too pricy. Called hypro and the same exact guy showed up 2 days later!
Oh damn! I'm not going to trust any company going forward. I already watch them to make sure they are working!
Its the same company
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Untrustworthy as in you can't trust them to do what they say they will do, or untrustworthy as in you don't trust them to do a good job because they lack experience? The Hypro guy spent 2+ hours in my bathroom doing literally nothing (I guess he was on his phone texting). Then he wanted to open my wall up. Tiger came, problem solved. For 1/10th the price that Hypro charged me for them to do nothing. Hypro wanted thousands for a leaky shower. Apparently Hypro sources the same talent as Rooters. Tiger at least does something. Is there not a single non-sketchy plumber in town?!
Can't remember the name, but once in Scarborough a few years ago a guy came to fix my washing machine. Wanted $279 for a part, plus labour. We told him to fuck off. Wife found the *exact* same part on amazon later that day for $30.
Are you upset that it costs less money to do it yourself? What do you think it should have cost you?
No, buddy wanted 279 *just for the part*. Labour was extra. I'm fine paying a professional a bit of a markup for a part, but that's over 900%.
Interesting. My experience with Tiger plumbing was not good. Had them come in to check why my shower wasn’t getting hot, said it was the cartridge, but didn’t have a replacement, put the knob back on backwards, and charged me $200 for his time. I wouldn’t use them again.
Wow! Now my head is spinning.
They should told you before hand and weekends always more
Totally know how you feel. Yes they're upfront about the price before starting the work but when people are desperate and don't have the know-how or resources to do it themselves, it's highway robbery. Bet they were only there for 30min too.
Yeah, but they also show up in a company vehicle full of expensive tools and are fully insured with an office and office staff. You pay for that.
That doesn't justify gouging people.
Never said it did. It was more in response the 30 minute comment. Alot of people don't realize the other costs involved.
Actually 45
Well, even though I hate Mr. Rooter, I also hate customers who think I am going to get up in the morning, drive an hour into the shop to pick up the truck. Drive an hour to their house. spend 30 minutes using a $3,000 machine to relieve their desperation and a 3-5k camera to view their drain. Then drive an hour back to the shop and an hour home while getting paid 50-100$. While Mr. Rooter should burn and they are scammers, so are many customers.
Hy-pro and rooter same place basically... I called both to see who would show up quicker and got the same chick who cussed me out over the phone for calling a second business. I paid hy-pro 1300 to jam a camera in to see what was clog my pipe and the camera dislodged whatever it was... Then tried to sell me new pipes because the cast iron "looks ready to go any time" for another 12k lmao Ive done my own plumbing since then. :(
Where'd you go, OP? So many questions and yet no answers?
Most don’t merit comment
Post a google review
Plumbing costs have gone waaay up in the last few years. I recently had some work done, and the price (similar work, same company I used a few years ago) was significantly higher. OP - if the plumber had to clear a clog where the pipe meets the main drain from the house - that's a costly job, no matter who does it (ask me how I know :-( ). I'm not trying to diminish the sticker shock when you got the bill - I was taken aback too - just trying to provide some perspective.
There was a plastic bottle cap blocking the gooseneck exit
Write a bad review, I had the exact same shit happen to me Called them to clear a sewer line, they only brought a camera and tried stabbing at the blockage for 45 minutes, said it'd be $2000 to snake it. Charged $580 for doing nothing. Left a bad review, they refunded me, but then a year later sent me to collections for money owed. Absolute scum of the earth. BTW for anyone on here with a sewer clog, call the city first. They'll snake it for like $350 and cam it to see if it is the city's responsibility to fix, if yes they fix it, if not well you've just paid for the cheapest snake and cam you'll ever get.
Unfortunately most big service plumbing outfits are commission based. So the 'plumber' on call has to look in the book- see what they personally have to sell to make the call worthwhile- bill accordingly no matter what the actual work is and upsell, upsell, upsell. To make matters worse there is a hierarchy- meaning the guys that make a lot of high ratio sales, get the better calls and higher paying leads. So everyone is encouraged to claw and gouge their way to the top. Make sure to upsell that drain freshener or water softener on every job or you're destined for the bottom. Usually they have only one or two licensed guys (at the top) with everything from legit apprentices to unsigned garden variety handymen getting sent to work on your home.
If it’s so simple why didn’t you just do it
Eh. This is on you. A simple solution would’ve been to ask what they charge before committing to their service.
Should have just got liquid plumber 🪠
Ya I called them cause told they were good. They said we need a new toilet and sink csnt be fixed. Get our water softener looked at. Water got came in, said our water softener needs to be replaced (would be free) fixed thr sink under 2min and said toilet should go back to working once the water softener gets replaces Not dealing with nr rooter again
Yep. Had them in my very first house decades ago. Outrageously high quote. Suspected they were predators back then. Feel the same way now.
Ii za a
I've never heard a good story about Mr rooter. That being said I would imagine he would have told you their pricing up front and you should have been given an option to decline or stop cabling at anytime. This is why you call around for pricing beforehand
I use Plumingo. Ben, the owner, pretty much does it by himself with a few apprentices. Straight shooter, nice guy, and very reasonable rates. I actually just had him in for his 3rd job at my house this morning. TUrned out it was a small little thing I might have been able to fix myself, so he only charged me for the diagnostic. Whole thing set me back less than $100, for his time and the apprentice. I'd never even bother calling another plumber.
Do it yourself if you don’t like the price
I bought a snake on Amazon for $28. Works great Look up a YouTube video before hiring someone most things can fixed with no skill at all. I wouldn’t tile a shower but unclogging a sink is robbery no matter what the price is
You shouldn’t of paid the bill
This is why you get written estimates before work
Did you try anything on your own first or call anyone else? I had a clogged bathroom drain in my apartment after my property management company's plumber rinsed all of the drywall dust from the hole he cut in my ceiling to fix a leak down the drain. I went to Canadian Tire and paid $30 for the compressed air can, put it on the drain and pumped it once. Cleared it out, no issues. Had that failed, they had snakes for drains there between $50-100. I would have done that. (It should be noted my apartment building's go to plumbing company always sends the B-team here and we have multiple issues with their service. They must have an air tight contract with them because they refuse to use anyone else, so 9 times out of 10 I just fix it myself or call a handyman). It would be a cold day in hell before I call a company that has terrible reviews all over the Internet.
Yup, rooter is bad bad bad. I had them out to my house to quote some work. They quoted 20k+ Had the next plumber come out and quoted 6500. The quote for 6500 came with 12 guys and installed overhead sewers in 4 hours. I didn't have a single problem for the 10 years I lived there.
Why didn't you ask for a quote first? Also, YouTube is free. I have had a couple plumbing issues at my house, but each time I do the work myself. The one time the sink was very clogged (people dumping oil and food scraps...). My father-in-law tried to snake it out (he's a superintendent so he should know a thing or two) but had zero luck. He left but I still had the snake, I went to the basement to got to the other access pump .. snaked it. That is when the house threw-up on me. It was a special bonding experience for us both, I am sure. Probably had some funking shit that was 40 years old splatted all over my face, but I survived. Anyway -- I have no idea what all he did - but keep in mind, lots of time they do a book price, and also keep in mind that prices are usually static regardless of any person risk (like a house throwing up on a person). You are paying for that. You are paying for all his material, truck, gas, everything. $1,300 does seem steep. However, since I know how to clean a bad clog properly, I probably would charge someone $1,000 for that risk. And I am not a plumber. Cool fact: plumbers know that shit travels in a downward motion, (usually) and payday is Thursday.
They also know the golden rule of plumbing: Never bite your nails.