Frequently Asked Questions

Information about charge out rates, warrantee, booking appointments and other questions. Please feel free to call our offices for more answers.

Q:My first hour labor charge was more than the 2ed and 3rd hour rate, why?
A: Our first our charge covers the travel time to your home. This applies to "in the city" calls only. Out of town charges are both ways to and from the city. In most cases this ends up to be one hour travel depending on where you live.

Q: I received a door knob flyer, what good is it?
A: This means we were in your area servicing one or more of your neighbours plumbing or heating systems. Attached to the door knob flyer is a magnet that will give you an automatic discount on any labor charges when you call us.

Q: Do you offer a warrantee on your products? what about labor?
A:Yes, we will replace any part we install for no extra charge as long as we supplied the parts, and no-one other than our service personal has "fiddled" or "worked" on the product after job completion. All Mr Tap customers get an automatic 30 day parts and labor warrantee from the date of install . After that, the product manufactures have their own warrantee that may cover the cost of labor should something happen. If not, we charge you for our time spent repairing less parts. Please remember, Mr Tap offers no warrantee (parts or labor) on any repair work where-by the parts required were supplied by anyone other than our firm. Meaning, if you purchase a product from a hardware store, and we install it, we offer no warrantee what-so-ever. Please remember that if you try to repair the defective part yourself, all warrantees become void.

Q: Do you charge flat rate pricing on your services?
A: Yes and no, we have flat rate pricing for some services such as toilet repairs, furnace repairs, humidifier services. We charge by the hour for other services that do not fall into the flat rate pricing guidelines.

Q: What are your hourly rates for plumbing?

A: Regular Hours Are - Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:30 pm

*First hour labour charges are $165.50 during regular hours.

*Charges for each half hour after the first hour are $55.50 per.

**Charges for out of city limits service calls are $75.00 per 1/2 hour (min two hours not including travel). Minimum charges for travel are one hour. Out of town charges are both ways to and from the city. In most cases this ends up to be one or more hours travel charges depending on where you live.

*Overtime charges *may apply to service calls on weekends, and after 5:00pm.

"Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing. "
-- Albert Einstein

Q: Drain cleaning charges are;

A: Main drains and other large drains 375.00 first hour and 175.00 per hour after that. Damage to cables are extra. Unusual situations may cost more. Ask any questions to the service man upon arrival.
Kitchen sink, bath tubs and other small drains are 250.00 first hour and 112.50 per hour after that.
Overtime charges apply to service calls on weekends, and after 5:pm.
*magnet holders get special rates and discounts

Q: If I book an appointment, how soon can you arrive @ my home or business?
A: Once you have placed an appointment, we can generally serve you with one to two days lead time. If your situation is an emergency, we can drop everything and attend to your problems however, we do charge a small fee for emergency services.

Q: My plumber had rubber gloves on the whole time he worked in my home, what's he scared of?
A: We wear rubber gloves to help keep our hands clean. If we have to move about the home, we can take them off to help keep the "dirty prints" off the walls and doors. There are also issues with the materials plumbers are forced to handle. Some of which are very toxic to humans.

Q: Do I have to pay the plumber before he has completed the job?
A: In most cases no, you wont have to pay until the job is complete. However, if the job is large, there may be progress payments required. Ask the plumber if you have concerns of this nature.

Q: Do plumbers have any special training?
A: Yes. anyone who works on your plumbing, drainage and gas appliances must be an apprentice or journeyman plumber. Businesses in Calgary must comply with city licenses requirements.

Q: Are city inspections required on a new bathroom rough-in?
A: Yes, you should insist your plumbing company pull the permit on new plumbing installs. Doing so will ensure code compliance.

Q: Are the parts you sell out of the van the same price as the hardware stores?
A: No. When stocking parts needed for repairs in your home, we encounter cost. Cost from the type of vehicle we have to use to carry all the weight, cost to hold onto the repair parts until they sell, cost to track the inventory and restock as needed. Our "discount" that you would expect we get as a company is often not enough to cover these cost. In fact, quite often, you can buy plumbing parts in the hardware stores cheaper than our plumbing wholesalers are selling to us for. A big advantage when buying from us is we include a warranty on the parts should they be defective for 30 days & up to one year in some cases. So in short, you can expect to pay more for the same part you can get in the hardware store, however, you can also expect benefits from us you do not get in hardware stores. Please note, one year warrantees must be in writing, no verbal agreements will be honored.

Q: Will you install the parts if I was to supply them?
A: Yes and no. We retain the right not to install anything that isn't plumber approved. If the quality is inferior to what we feel comfortable with, we will recommend that you get a better product, or use one of our fine products. If you run out to get the parts while we are in the home, we still charge for the labor to be there. We do not warranty anything we don't sell. So if its defective, you are still on the hook for the labor to remove the part and replace it with one that works.