Dishwasher Drain and Basket Strainer, Same Trip
A garbage disposal install often comes with a dishwasher drain line that needs to be tied in properly. If your dishwasher hose is old, cracked, or just hanging loose, that gets looked at while I am under the sink. The knockout on the disposal needs to be punched clean and the hose clamped tight. A sloppy tie in leads to drain water backing up into the dishwasher, and nobody wants that smell. One trip, one set of eyes, and it gets done right.
The basket strainer on the other side of the sink tends to leak after a few years of hot water and soap. The putty dries out, the gasket gets stiff, and water drips into the cabinet every time you fill the basin. If I am already pulling the disposal side apart, checking the strainer is a small thing that saves a big headache later. I will tell you if it is seeping and what it takes to seal it up. No pressure, just a straight look.
These are not upsells. They are the things any plumber with his head under your sink should notice and mention. A disposal swap is straightforward, but the plumbing around it tells a story. Loose connections, slow drips, a trap that was never quite right. I point it out because I am there and because you called someone who actually looks. The posted labor for the disposal does not change. Other fixes are separate and you decide.
Related Jobs You Might Tack On
A lot of folks figure if the plumber is already under the sink, they might as well knock out the faucet that has been dripping for six months. A kitchen or bath faucet install is $175 labor. That includes replacing the angle stops if they are seized, which they often are in older homes. I do not charge extra to deal with a stuck valve that will not shut off. It is part of the job and it is in the posted number.
If the sink itself is scratched, stained, or just dated, a new drop-in or undermount sink install is $300 labor. That covers pulling the old basin, setting the new one, and hooking up the trap and supply lines. Combine it with a disposal install and the trip charge stays the same. You pay one drive fee and the labor for each job you add. The cart on the homepage lets you build that list and see the running total before you book.
A dishwasher hookup is also $175 labor. That means the supply line, the drain connection, and the air gap if your code requires it. If you are swapping a disposal and the dishwasher drain ties into it, the two jobs overlap. I am already right there. The labor numbers stack cleanly and the drive fee is a one time thing. You can add jobs on the homepage, watch the total update, and pay the drive deposit to lock in the visit.
- Kitchen or bath faucet install, $175 labor, includes replacing seized angle stops.
- Sink install, drop-in or undermount, $300 labor, includes trap and supply hookup.
- Dishwasher hookup, $175 labor, supply, drain, and air gap where required.
- Sink, tub, or laundry drain clearing, $150 labor, standard snaking through accessible access.
How the Cart and the Deposit Work
On the homepage there is a price board and a cart. You pick the jobs you need, add them to the cart, and the running total updates right there. The labor for each job is posted. The drive miles are calculated from your address or ZIP. You see the whole picture before you ever pick up the phone. Nothing is hidden because nothing needs to be hidden. It is just math and honest numbers.
To reserve the visit, you pay the drive fee as a deposit. That deposit comes off the final bill when the work is done. It is not an extra charge on top of the labor. It is the same drive dollars you already saw on the gauge, just put down to hold the time slot. If the round trip is 40 miles and the drive is $40, you pay $40 to book and that $40 is subtracted from what you owe after the install.
This system keeps things simple and fair for both sides. You are not getting a vague window and a mystery bill. I am not driving out to look at a job that someone cancels last minute. The deposit means you are serious and I am committed. The posted labor means you know the score. The parts at cost mean you are not bankrolling a hidden margin. It is the way plumbing ought to work, stripped down and straight.
Bring Your Own Unit or Take It at Cost
Some people want a specific disposal model. Maybe you talked to a friend, or just like a certain brand. That is fine. Go buy it and have the box sitting on the counter when I show up. The labor is still $175. I will unbox it, read the instructions if it is a model I do not see every day, and install it to the manufacturer spec. You do not pay a penalty for supplying your own parts.
If you would rather not deal with the hardware store run, I will bring the unit. I pick it up from the supply house and hand you the receipt. You pay exactly what I paid. No rounding up, no delivery fee, no percentage. A disposal is a simple machine and the cost is what it is. You get a good unit without the markup that most plumbing shops bury in the final price.
The manufacturer stands behind the disposal itself. My workmanship is on me. If something leaks or rattles because of how it was installed, I come back and make it right. The labor price you paid is the labor price you get support on. Parts are parts, labor is labor, and the line between them is never blurred.
What to Expect When I Show Up
I roll up in a service van with the tools and parts for the job you booked. You already know the drive miles and the labor total because you saw it on the homepage and paid the drive deposit. I get under the sink, confirm what we are working with, and get started. If something looks different than expected, I stop and talk to you about it. No surprises, no invoice shock at the end.
The old disposal comes out first. The drain pipe gets checked for sludge and buildup while it is open. The new unit gets wired, mounted, and locked into the sink flange. The dishwasher drain gets punched and connected if that is part of the setup. Water goes on, disposal gets tested, and every joint gets a dry paper towel check for drips. Clean work, no mess left behind.
At the end you get a bill that shows the posted labor, the drive charge with the deposit already subtracted, and the cost of any parts you asked me to supply. Three lines, maybe four. No service fee, no fuel surcharge, no environmental fee, no nonsense. Just the numbers you already knew plus whatever parts you chose. Pay and get back to your kitchen. That is the whole job.