What we do, and what it costs

Ranges, not quotes. The range covers the ordinary version of the job and the awkward version of the same job. What decides where you land is listed with each one. If something turns up that puts the price outside the range, you hear it before we do the work, not after.

• Drain clearing

  $185 to $375Usually 2 hours on site

  Kitchen, bath, laundry or the main line. Cable or jet depending on what is down there, and a camera down the line when it has backed up more than once.

  What moves the price: Where the blockage sits. A branch line off a kitchen sink is the bottom of the range. A main line with no accessible cleanout is the top.

• Water heater replacement, tank

  $1,650 to $2,900Usually 4 hours on site

  A 40 or 50 gallon tank swapped out, the old unit hauled away, and the connections brought up to current code before we leave.

  What moves the price: Tank size, venting, and how much of the existing install has to be corrected. Tight closets and attic installs cost more because the labour is real.

• Tankless water heater install

  $3,800 to $6,500Usually 6 hours on site

  Gas or electric tankless, including the gas line sizing and the venting run that most retrofits turn out to need.

  What moves the price: Whether the existing gas line can carry the unit and how far the vent has to travel. A straight run through an exterior wall is cheap. A three storey vent is not.

• Toilet replacement

  $425 to $780Usually 2 hours on site

  Old fixture out, flange reset if it needs it, new wax and supply line, old toilet hauled away.

  What moves the price: The fixture you pick and the state of the flange underneath. A rotted subfloor is the one that moves it most.

• Leak diagnosis and repair

  $250 to $900Usually 2 hours on site

  Finding it first. Under a slab, inside a wall, behind a fixture, or in a line you cannot see. Then opening only what has to be opened.

  What moves the price: How much has to come apart to reach the pipe. A visible supply line under a sink is a short visit. A slab leak is not.

• Sump pump replacement

  $850 to $1,800Usually 2 hours on site

  Replacement pump, check valve and float switch, tested on a full basin before we call it done.

  What moves the price: Pump capacity and whether the discharge line needs redoing. Undersized discharge is why a lot of pumps get replaced twice.

• Whole house repipe, PEX

  $6,500 to $14,000Usually 8 hours on site

  The whole house in PEX, usually pulling out galvanized that has closed up to the diameter of a straw.

  What moves the price: Square footage, number of bathrooms, and access. A single storey house on a crawlspace is straightforward. Two storeys on a slab is the top of the range.