Cheating plumbers

Plumber responded to sewer line backup.

Job required about 20 minutes of concrete chipping--for which plumber charged $998. That's not my idea of a fair charge.

Plumber also declared that our sewer line to the street needed immediate, emergency replacement--something that might cost $10,000 to $20,000 or more. He said we needed to rush to sign a contract on this new job with him because our line was going to back up after a few toilet flushes and showers. That was, as far as I can tell, a false claim.

I got a second opinion from a second plumber, who said (a) we didn't need a new sewer line, and (b) the first plumber from Winters hadn't finished cleaning out the line.

Our total bill from Winters was $1,525--and I had to pay the second plumber another $700 to do what the first had apparently not accomplished.