How do plumbers charge for their services?

[Juan David Maldonado]

How do plumbers charge for their services? I own and I am fixing up my grandmother's house. The water has been disconnected for about 15 years. Do the pipes last that long after not being used? Do I have to install new pipes? 

[Nathan Gesner]

Plumbers charge an hourly rate, materials (marked up prices), and sometimes for additional costs like equipment rental or mileage.

Empty houses deteriorate. If it has galvanized metal pipes, those eventually decay and start to flake, which causes blockage. If it's newer PVC pipe then they should be fine. However, you'll still have issues with seals on toilets, drains, dishwasher, etc. The water heater may be shot. The only way you'll know the extent is to hire a plumber to evaluate the entire system and be prepared to spend a pretty penny to bring it all up to speed.