I had to hire a plumber to do a job at my Mom's house. I just didn't have the time. Here's what was done: 1. Leak in bathroom sink trap: (I removed the sink from wall) Remove sink trap, frozen nipple from trap to drain stack in wall, cut nipple, install rubber sleeve, new chrome nipple, new chrome trap, new chrome drain line, rehang sink, reconnect water lines, caulk sink. 2. Remove kitchen drain sink strainer assembly, trap and all drain pipe to drain stack in wall. Install new chrome kitchen sink strainer assembly, new brass dishwasher tailpipe, new PVC trap, new PVC drain line to drain stack in wall. Re-connect dishwasher drain to tailpipe. 3. Snake out same kitchen drain line because of slow draining. The plumber was on-site no more than 4 hours. He did a good job, was friendly, polite and left both areas clean. The labor bill was $575, materials $175, total of $650 plus tax. (This is for Northern New Jersey.) Granted, I have not hired a plumber in recent memory since I do most of this work myself and I have no idea of the going rates for labor. However, knowing what was done, the time it took and the materials used, the overall price seem high. I know rates can vary a bit and I don't mind paying for quality work. I don't even mind paying a premium if it's worth it. I just can't gauge whether these charges are reasonable. Any comments from professional plumbers? I haven't disputed this bill yet and don't know if I need to dispute the bill.

I have a barnd new home (moved in 6 months ago) and am having a problem with the water in my master bath. The tub has two handles (hot and cold) for turning the water on. Any time I draw a bath, the hot water will come out for 10-15 seconds, then turn brown in color for 12-15 seconds, then clear up again. The cold water does not have this issue. No where else in my home does the hot water seem to have this issue. The problem is made more obvious by the fact that the tub is white, and I wind up running water for 35-40 seconds, just so my daughter/wife does not have to take a bath in murky water! Blech! The water does not seem to have any oder. Any ideas what is happening? I hope I don't need to call a plumber... MOE :(