Construction service plumbing fee
November 21, 2009 | 25,00 EUR | answered by Michael Vogt
Dear Sir or Madam,
I had my kitchen faucet replaced this week. Today I received the bill. It amounts to 196.95 euros, for labor only, no material costs.
The journeyman and assistant came twice, because the first time I had bought the wrong faucet, which was my mistake. Total working hours were 2 x 1.75 hours.
I find the amount on the bill extremely high, I would have expected around 70-80 euros. Am I mistaken in this assumption and how should I proceed now?
I would appreciate any helpful advice.
Best regards
Dear advice seeker,
Your question may I answer as follows, based on the facts you have described and taking into account your input:
Based on your description of the situation, I assume that the invoice you received is accurate in terms of the amount of time worked, i.e. the two craftsmen were indeed working for you for 2 x 1.75 hours.
Therefore, it will be crucial to determine what compensation was agreed upon for the renewal of the sink faucet when the contract was signed.
If no explicit agreement was made, then § 632 para. 2 BGB applies, which I can briefly quote for your reference:
"§ 632
Compensation
(1) Compensation is deemed to be implied if, given the circumstances, it can be expected that the work will only be done for a fee.
(2) If the amount of the compensation is not determined, and there is a price list, the customary fee shall be deemed agreed. In the absence of a price list, the usual fee shall be deemed agreed.
(3) An estimate of costs is generally not to be compensated."
Therefore, you owe the customary compensation for the service provided.
It should be noted that in Germany, the average cost of a craftsman hour is around 40 - 50 EUR.
In your case, two craftsmen worked for a total of 3.5 hours for you, resulting in an hourly rate of EUR 28.14 per craftsman.
If the work was carried out properly and the amount of time is correct, unfortunately I do not see any grounds for successfully reducing the invoice.
I hope that my answer has provided you with an initial overview of the legal situation.
Please be aware that this answer, based on your information, is only a first legal assessment of the situation. It cannot replace a comprehensive evaluation. Adding or omitting relevant information may lead to a completely different legal assessment.
You are welcome to contact me through the follow-up option on this platform or via my email address for further questions.
For legal representation beyond this initial consultation, my law firm is also available to assist you.
I wish you a pleasant weekend and remain
Yours sincerely,
Attorney Michael Vogt
