(Landlord Question) This cost for bringing a water heater up to code seem right?

When I first started out with my Appliance Repair company I did work for these people. I can say that the pay is bad that most who do take AHS jobs constantly look for an upsell.

You are being charged too much for this. Can you post the numbers (serial and model) and I can give you the age. AHS is a problem, but the real problem is the only people who take their calls are new companies hurting for work, very large companies who couldn't give two shits or scumbag parts changing monkeys.

You would be MUCH better off buying the unit and just having a company you contract install. Unless you are really bad out of code. (depends on where you live)
Parts only $750 is crazy. If it's just a stand, copper pipe and wiring.
Should be like $50 for the whip for wiring (maybe as high as $75) say high end stand $150, and pipe maybe $100.

I would like to see their breakdown. you can ask for a price breakdown.

A new 'scam' in the industry is to give a predetermined all inclusive price. This allows us to make a higher profit, the problem is you don't get an itemized inventory of what was purchased. I like listing every item, I think that's how it should be done.

It sounds to me that they ARE charging you for the heater (partially at least) and the labor, and in two months when they get paid by AHS they will get reimbursed for the labor and the heater.

My mom just got a water heater replaced from a handy man that charges $25 hr. He did it for $75, that includes going pick up the water heater and delivering it to her house. I'd say $750 is way over-priced.

I ended up getting a second quote, and I'm glad I did. He told me that I could get a $350 rebate through Alagasco and that he thought the upgrades for code compliance would only cost $250.

The heater, his labor, and the code compliance parts totaled $750.

Minus the rebate is $400.

I chose the cash-out option with AHS. I'm not sure how much they will offer but even if it's just $100, that will still be a savings of $450.

Glad I got the second opinion.

My sister had AHS contract on her house. Her A/C system has failed 7 times in the last two years. It takes, minimum, 6 days for a repairman to show up, who then does the absolute cheapest BS blank-rigged fix to get it running for a month or two, then it craps out, rinse and repeat.

AHS is only going to pay pennies to the repair company, so they are going to do the repair as cheaply as possible. They will also take full-paying customers first.

I paid $750 for a brand new hw heater a few years back. They also moved it from a closet to the attic and the old hw heater was like 30-40 yrs old.

I'd get another quote and quit AHS.

Best of luck to you in your situation. Sounds like your second opinion plus cash out is the best option.

For everyone's mutual benefit, don't buy home warranties. It is a very expensive price for a very limited insurance policy. It is cheaper and more efficient to put the cost of the warranty in your pocket than paying ~$500 to insure against a $~5,000 possible loss.

This thread parallels basically every and all issues with home warranty companies. The only thing they are really worth, is for a questionable AC system. But if that's truly the case, you need to price that into the home. In other words, price a replacement in.

Almost everything else a home warranty covers, you can replace yourself for the cost of a home warranty especially used or scratch and dent from Lowes.