What to charge for testing backflow devices

[mitchgo]

It all depends on the market region.

I've attended meetings with CCS and water districts.. In my area $100 is unacceptable and way to high. A test can be done in just a few minutes if you are good at it.

Our minimum charge is $40 for a test.. $45 for people that have to meet us.. $75 for alarm activated devices that we must call the monitoring company and $75 for devices inside vaults under ground such as 8" devices. I deal with .5" devices often enough too..

This may be cheap to you? Then again our company alone concurrently tests over 5,000 devices a year.

[irritation]

99% of mine are tested at spring turn on. I charge 50.00
A separate trip is usually 75.00 but I test it at my convenience (when I'm in the area)
I don't test non irrigation devices anymore, they were too time consuming.

[Mikegyver]

To the best of my knowledge unless you are with a fire sprinkler company you cannot touch a backflow device on a fire line. I can only test irrigation and commercial (medical, foodservice, etc) backflow devices.
I'm sure it depends on what region you are in. I keep hearing around here 100.00 a inch is the going rate. It makes all the paperwork worth it.
I am one of a few few (under 10) that test Backflows around here. And we have 100-150k people within 20-30 miles. Supply and demand? I guess if there were more testers the price would go down?
Mike

[Wet_Boots]

Originally Posted by AI Inc

Because selling a BF that I payed $56 for for $156 is one of the reasons I chose this industry.

I don't take a lot of pride in lacking repair capabilities, especially for anything I installed myself.

[AI Inc]

You install 1/2 bf's?

[Wet_Boots]

Originally Posted by AI Inc

You install 1/2 bf's?

Not by design, but I got a few of the 1/2-inch RPZs on a pallet order, mostly to have a lightweight sample to carry around when we were having to explain why we weren't going to install a DCVA anymore. Then I found a few rare opportunities to use up the surplus pieces on very-low-flow installs, like hose-bib-supplied-systems.

[mitchgo]

Originally Posted by Mikegyver

To the best of my knowledge unless you are with a fire sprinkler company you cannot touch a backflow device on a fire line. I can only test irrigation and commercial (medical, foodservice, etc) backflow devices.

Mike

It probably is within local codes and depending on the region There are a huge liabilities when it comes to fire sprinkler systems. We also have our speciality back flow licenses which allow us to repair them.

[AI Inc]

Originally Posted by Wet_Boots

Not by design, but I got a few of the 1/2-inch RPZs on a pallet order, mostly to have a lightweight sample to carry around when we were having to explain why we weren't going to install a DCVA anymore. Then I found a few rare opportunities to use up the surplus pieces on very-low-flow installs, like hose-bib-supplied-systems.

Only ones Ive ever seen are tiny pvb's with no test cocks. Those were on in one hood about 30 yrs old with systems installed by the builders guy.

[irritation]

Originally Posted by AI Inc

Only ones Ive ever seen are tiny pvb's with no test cocks

Never seen or heard of such a thing. Maybe you're thinking of the old 3/4"-1" AVB's.

[Wet_Boots]

Originally Posted by AI Inc

Only ones Ive ever seen are tiny pvb's with no test cocks. Those were on in one hood about 30 yrs old with systems installed by the builders guy.

Wilkins made a 1/2-inch version of their tiny beverage-feed RPZ, with all the testcocks. Watts makes a 1/2-inch version of the 009 RPZ that uses the same relief-valve parts as the 3/4-inch model, and it has a flow capacity that's good enough for a lot of systems fed from 5/8 meters.