All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

 $112/hr x 3hrs = $336 labor. Plus $50 parts and $5 fuel surcharge. Per job. Both jobs were about the same with slight variability in parts. So ~$390 to change the sprayer head on a faucet. And same to change a doorbell.

Of course! $112/hr x 3hrs = $336 labor. Plus $50 parts and $5 fuel surcharge. Per job. Both jobs were about the same with slight variability in parts. So ~$390 to change the sprayer head on a faucet. And same to change a doorbell. Billable hours felt very high for both jobs, especially given how close the property is to Lowe’s. But would love any additional feedback!

6 hours total 😑

Agree on all fronts. To be clear, they also charged for parts, fuel, and service fee. So $360 was just the time/labor expense. And it’s less about the expense and more about the hours claimed. If they charged $200/hour but only logged 2 hours, I would say “wow, that’s a steep hourly rate,” but wouldn’t feel like they were dishonest. I guess it’s more of an ethical question.

Ricardo, no argument here. I value my time and even told my PM contact that I understand there’s a premium to this service. I’m just asking if drive time is standard, since the rate of $120/hour to change a doorbell already seems like they’ve factored in more than the skill it takes to do the job. And 3 hours feels like a long time to complete it. I appreciate the perspective!

Melanie, I appreciate the input. I agree and we’ve been weighing the possibility of managing the property ourselves. If we could use the PM solely for sourcing tenants, payment processing, and any eviction issues, then I think we’d be comfortable acting as the primary point for maintenance.

I own a single family rental in SC, just south of Charlotte, NC. Our property management company is based in central Charlotte, about 30 minutes north. My tenants recently submitted two separate maintenance requests to replace the doorbell and replace the kitchen faucet sprayer head (just the head). Anyone who’s performed these tasks knows each one takes about 5 minutes. And our property is 5 minutes from Lowe’s, so parts aren’t an issue.

The PM’s maintenance team charged 3 hours for each separate job, stating that they include drive time from their office.  When I asked about the job times, they agreed to reduce the doorbell charge but held firm on 3 hours for the faucet because they claimed it took time to troubleshoot. 

So I have three questions: 1) is it standard to charge owners for drive time from the prior job site or office; 2) am I crazy to think these are egregious overcharges; and 3) what actions can I take beyond requesting that they review and lower the charges?