[Closed] “Complete toilet mechanism change” cost

No not really. Getting stuff fixed is expensive these days.

Is it an old or new mechanism ?

Make / model should help.

The devil is in the details of course. Depends on where you are (e.g. South East v.s. North East) and the nature of the toilet.

I have performed a complete toilet mechanism change in the past with one of these:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/thomas-dudley-ltd-turbo-88-duo-flush-9-siphon-205mm/8461f

which as you see is 20 notes. It involved isolating and draining the cistern, removing same, removing old mechanism, installing new one, replacing cistern, refilling and making sure nothing was leaking. I think I could probably do it in an hour.

If it just the siphon valve these cost about £15.00 for parts. £200 seems a tad expensive.

Flush mechanisms are cheap and easy to replace.  Watch a few you tube videos, take a pic of your current set up and get down to the plumbers merchant for some advice on what to buy.  Depending on your toilet you can get a complete replacement flush mech for £15 to £20.  I have fixed the constantly filling problem by replacing a little rubber diaphragm which cost about £1.50.  I am not a plumber but have done this quite a few times in a couple of different houses.  It really isn't difficult.

You could go diy and replace the flush or fill valve or both if you want and it will be a lot less.
Last time I did this I couldn't find an exact replacement online so went to the local plumbers merchant with just a photo. They sorted me for everything I needed + some tips. Straightforward job after that.

I have fixed the constantly filling problem by replacing a little rubber diaphragm which cost about £1.50.

This, v easy to do and they perish over a few years.

Do it yourself, you could replace the whole toilet, that include's the "complete mechanism" for less than £200!

Get the cistern inners from Screwfix for £15-20  it's a piss easy job!!

Mine was doing that constantly filling thing. I replaced the washer on the valve which was a few quid in a service kit. Easy enough to do without any plumbing knowledge. I also had a problem when a bit of cistern block cleaner got stuck under the seal at the bottom of the cistern which meant it was sort of constantly flushing. Just cleared that out and it was sorted. You may find you don’t actually need a whole new mechanism. Maybe get a 2nd opinion….

I fixed my leaky flush last week.
Cost me £3 for a diaphragm from Ebay.
Took less than five minutes.

Might not even need a new washer - a bit of grit on the washer can stop it sealing.

T'all depends. A separate cistern with 1 metre flush pipe is fairly quick and easy, harder if it's high up. A close-coupled cistern with rusty connecting plate, rusty nuts and a perished rubber doughnut can be a pain and worse if it's concealed behind a panel.
Youtube and some basic tools could save you a small fortune

As above, parts are probably 20 squids.  Getting someone out to change it can easily add 1hr work plus 30 mins travel so 150.  Post a photo of the outside of the toilet and folks here can probably advise a bit better.  The insides are more useful but posting a photo of the outside is a good start

Recently fixed two toilets. One cost £25 for the part. The other was £12.

I replaced the washer on the valve which was a few quid in a service kit.

This isn't the only mode of failure leading to constant filling. I've had snapped plastic parts and badly fitted floats as well.

As above, I fit my own and usually under £30 for new mechanism, £5 when push button fails (again). It's a fairly easy job for a DIYer.

Easy if you can find an isolator on the pipe for your loo. Or turn the water off for the whole house and drain it from a tap.

All trades price according to your vulnerability.... in this case the fact you have asked to have this done indicates your technical vulnerability... therefore they price accordingly.

Not taking the piss as i have a lot of mates in the trades and this has been discussed in a public house.

They must be taking the piss!

A useful list of vulnerable trades jobs

Tap washer
Tap replacement
Planing down a sticky door
Reglaze a single unit
Cctv install
Hanging shelves
New light fittings
Blinds
Curtain rails
Loo internals
Plastering a patch no bigger than a bin lid

I could go on but you get the gist

Yes they are taking the piss, its also called profit.

Even with rusty pan to cistern bolts, it shouldnt take more than a hour.
£125 would be about right I reckon.
I've done loads over the years, it is rarely a pleasant job being on your knees, and putting your hands around someone elses bog.

All trades price according to your vulnerability…. in this case the fact you have asked to have this done indicates your technical vulnerability… therefore they price accordingly.

Not taking the piss as i have a lot of mates in the trades and this has been discussed in a public house.

That is taking the piss and is dishonest.  I don't doubt that a lot of people short of integrity and scruples do that, but there also lots (I know a few) who price based solely on time and materials.  Personally, I  wouldn't want to be mates with someone in the former category as their lack of integrity and honesty probably seeps into all areas of their lives.

£200, robbing barsteward.

I completely changed n old flush system to a xcompletely new system, where you just tough the lever for the flush, rather than yank it, and that was replacing everything inside the cistern. Less than £30.

My filler was knackered.

Fixing required a LOT of swearing, taking the the cistern off (with plenty of rusty bits as mentioned above, a couple of trips to Screwfix due to design of the apertures in the bowl (CC)for different fillers and doughnuts, and absolutely NO space to do it all in and the arse plumber who put it in must have had a right chuckle as they used copper all the way to the filler and no handy flexi pipe to give a bit of slack.

Did I mention the swearing.

So no, £200 might be proportionate.

Thanks, I think the consensus is that it’s too much.
Interesting in the comment about price being based on vulnerability- the toilet is actually at my Dads, who isn’t too well so annoying that this may have been played on.

I think I’ll get another quote.

Cheers
Andy

Do it yourself, you'll feel a good sense of accomplishment and save yourself of a ton of cash.

...or you'll flood the bathroom 😀

I just did mine today, hard water area so washer calcs up. I just soak the mechanism in vinegar overnight and slot back in. Top tip, mark with a felt tip a vertical line so you can match up the mech after. There are little notches which if not aligned the top mech does not sit exactly in place.

Easy when you know how, I d expect to pay 100 quid to a general trades, don't need a plumber.

Its 20-30 quid parts and an hours labour. Even my well paid tradies would be hard pushed to make this over 100notes. Seek another tradesman.

Its only taking the piss if you can do it yourself.

If you can't:-
How much is it going to cost if you don't get it fixed, the toilet overflows and knackers up the bathroom and the ceiling of the room below.

Any decent tradesman these days is going to want to take home a couple of hundred a day. It'll be half a day by the time he's got there, found out what kind of flush mech it is, maybe nipped to a supplier to get parts for your vintage 1901 khazi, got back, done the work, tested it, done the paperwork and got back to base. Call it £100 for him, £20 parts, fuel for the van, shared cost of tools, insurance, PLUS his actual knowhow, etc etc. All + VAT. £200 isn't that far off suddenly.

While he's faffing around doing your "easy" toilet valve, he's not doing the week long full house replumb that could bring him in a few grand. (In my game, freelancers only do "days". If I want them on site for 2hrs it costs me the same as it does for 12hrs, else they might agree to the 2hrs work for me and then have to turn down a more lucrative job elsewhere -or they stitch me up by cancelling at the last minute to take the better paying work. Much easier all round to just buy them for the day)

He's available and he can do it - how much is that worth alone at the moment? Have you actually got another cheaper option?

It might, of course, just be a "**** off, I'm not interested price"...

(the right answer is of course - do it yourself if you don't like the price.)
(and then when you cock it up, how much is it going to cost you on top to get someone to sort it out...?)

Yes they are taking the piss, its also called profit.

So bad when banks and supermarkets do it but fine when tradesman decides to rip someone off?

If it is easy to isolate the cold supply, it's a relatively straightforward fix, unless it's some ancient relic which requires something a bit unusual.

The annoying thing I found was that the newer innards I bought didn't allow much of a flush, water saving and all that.

Easy job. Photos of cistern interior from a couple of angles. Take to screwfix. Buy fill valve with brass connector, buy flush valve that suits you existing flush mechanism.
Buy both sizes of donut, and a close coupled fitting kit.
Prob worth a new 500mm 15mm to 1/2in bsp flexi whilst your in there.
Take sponge and bucket and a couple of adjustable spanners.
Iso valve off. Flush bog twice, lift flush valve to drain, sponge out dregs.
Remove 2 bolts, change internals and refit.
45 mins to an hour.
Go to pub with dad

Do it yourself have a look at the bolts on the coupler if rust spray a rust buster on it 2 days before.

40 qiud in tools and parts and your done.

I agree with @JonEdwards about costing, some of the points apply to bicycle repairs where customers think jobs are so easy to do, can’t do them themselves and then complain about the price. As for the cynical attitudes of your friends @oldmanmtb2 I wouldn’t want them as friends. I use a plumber who is seriously ill with cancer, he’ll come straight from hospital if my 93 year old dad needs him, even when waiting for the taxi to take him to the airport for a holiday once. He never overcharges, and in fact charged Dad less than me for a boiler service recently. “Tradespeople” who prey on vulnerability used to be called cowboys!

All trades price according to your vulnerability…. in this case the fact you have asked to have this done indicates your technical vulnerability… therefore they price accordingly.

Not taking the piss as i have a lot of mates in the trades and this has been discussed in a public house.

This really boils my urine. I accept that trades need to make money and are charging for experience/tools/window-of-oppotunity etc, but some (IMHE) see a cash cow and grab 'cash in hand' as quick as they can.

My mum was very vulnerable and was always worried that trades were ripping her off. She had a trusted plumber, car mechanic, window/gutter cleaner/repairer, electrician and window/door person. All treated her fairly and never ripped her off. Some would visit for 5 minutes on their way home to sort things out for £0.00.

She was happy to pay a fair price and, as I was not able to get round quickly, I often had to accept that I could not do it for a few pence, and let her spend on getting things fixed.

Each one could have doubled the bill and she would have paid, but they didn't. I suggest you get better mates or accept you are **** as well.

Supply and demand has more to do with it than dishonest trades, also **** off pricing is very common.

Trades dont like one day jobs let alone one hour jobs...

Where are you based? If it's local to me and a simple DIY job I'll do it for your Dad. If it's a complete ball ache as in some of the scenarios above I won't be able to do it but at least you'll know.

NB I'm not a plumber, I'm a caretaker for a large and reputable organisation with a number of prestigious sites. I fix toilets all the time, I know what I'm doing and I know my limitations!

Two hundred quid to change a washer? It's supposed to be the toilet's job to take the piss.

What @timba says.

Also if your dad is lucky enough to be in Lochaber (or Livingston, down regularly) I’ll have a look for him foc.

The time a job like this takes depends on what you encounter. I did a toilet which had the same problem when I moved in my house last Summer and never done one before. As everyone has said none of the steps was particularly difficult but it was a 1960s toilet untouched since installed in 1961 in a very hard water area. It had no isolator for water so that was a PIA to drain the tank as the outflow stopcock was stuck fast. The toilet siphon was a classy ceramic job (never seen that before) and the bolts had rotted and it had just fallen off. It was non-standard size to replace and the rubber washer was non-standard as well. The heads of the cistern screws were rotten and I had to cut them off with a Dremel without breaking it as I wanted to keep the funky two-tone toilet. It took a good while to search for the parts, chip 60 years of deposits off, fit a stop cock and then fit and adjust everything. Took a whole day to sort out. Here in London that would be £250-300 just for labour. After the storm Eunice the neighbours organised a roofer to check the flat roofs and they didn’t blink at paying £90 per roof! I passed up that one.

I'm in the minority here - I don't think its a totally ridiculous price:

1. A visit to see what the problem is, diagnose and tell you the cost. Don't forget he has to get there so its not just the time inside the house.
2. A visit to plumbers merchant to pick up the parts
3. A visit to the house, to remove the old part [as others said it can be easy or it can be a PITA, and sometime you discover the part you bought isn't the right one or you break something you didn't expect to replace]
4. Fit the new part, test and make sure there's no leaks etc.
5. Be willing to come back if the householder calls you up and says it leaks/breaks in the next few weeks.
6. Issue an invoice, possibly chase to get it paid (or perhaps pay credit card fees!)
7. Pay the plumbers merchant, and other admin - like your vat return that DIYers don't have to spend time on.

Certainly, it could be done cheaper, perhaps for half the price, but it is irrelevant if it's a £15 part and 1/2 hr to fit if it goes easily but if you are 45 minutes from where the plumber is and the plumbers merchant is and it's a rusty mess - then its a 1/2 day bloody job.

Toilet mechanisms are about £25 or less at B&Q. I've changed two. It's really easy, but you need a bit of common sense and you may need some plumber's putty. Getting the push-rods the right height from the button to the mechanism was a bit fiddly.

Dunno about how plumbers run their businesses but it does sound steep.

Haha thanks - he's based in Lincolnshire, not far from Grantham. I've asked another plumber to come take a look.

I’m in the minority here – I don’t think its a totally ridiculous price:

So we have:

1. A visit to diagnose a dripping cistern which is likely just to be a washer or something else trivial.
2. A visit to plumbers merchant to buy a washer.
3. A visit to the house to fit a washer.
4. Still fitting a washer.
5. A return visit because you've done a sub-par job.
6. Ask for money like every other trade in existence.
7. Pay for a washer along with everything else you've bought that month.

Sure, of course it could turn into a complicated crappy job costing hundreds or more. But a lot of that process sounds somewhat redundant to me. Why would a plumber turn up to that sort of call-out without a box of cheap spares in the van?

In our previous house we have a toilet mech break in the bathroom. The idiot previous owner put the surface on the side above the toilet and tiled / mirror on top of it. No chance of getting it in to repair. Hence we had to drill a hole in the toilet cover to at least getting it working. Mrs then decided it was a good excuse to replace the bathroom. Thousands later the toilet was working. A way to get into the toilet originally and the part .... £4.99

Its only taking the piss if you can do it yourself.

This.

Can any of those folk who reckon it'll take under an hour and £20 of bits come down my house and sort mine out.

Oh, and it's older than me, internally it looks nothing like any of the replacement options in B&Q and the isolation valve is stuck.

For the quoted £200 budget, here you go:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/toilet-to-go-close-coupled-toilet-dual-flush-6-4ltr/580JK

A visit to diagnose a dripping cistern which is likely just to be a washer or something else trivial.

excellent fault finding there.   without actually seeing the cistern how old obsolete it might be neigh on impossible to get parts for 🙄  Plumber might actually be doing them a favour of changing the old parts for new. Once you start dismantling old parts the likelihood of something else going wrong with it are high

Have you ever tried to fix a concealed cistern? I can assure you there is nothing trivial about getting rusted / stuck parts free.

I'm surprised that the amount people here that work for minimum wage and think no one has a right to earn money, for feed their family and have nice things .

If its that easy why aren't all the experts here plumbers working for £10hr   I'm with poly on this one

200 is pretty reasonable, if it's not - just do it yourself or fit a whole new toilet. Not really sure what the argument is? If you wouldn't pay that - do it yourself ?!

A lot goes into running a business including all the above logistics. Whether they have the parts on the van or not shouldn't affect the price. They still have to stock the parts

It's like saying someone with a technical skill that can fix it in 5 minutes shouldn't charge a hundred quid + vat. It's a hundred quid of value, the time taken is completely irrelevant. (an example).

What all you employed people are failing to recognise is that YOUR employers are selling what you do at large markups. Maybe they should stop doing that, and cut your salary down to 20k a year?

So we have:

1. A visit to diagnose a dripping cistern which is likely just to be a washer or something else trivial.
2. A visit to plumbers merchant to buy a washer.
3. A visit to the house to fit a washer.
4. Still fitting a washer.
5. A return visit because you’ve done a sub-par job.
6. Ask for money like every other trade in existence.
7. Pay for a washer along with everything else you’ve bought that month.

Sure, of course it could turn into a complicated crappy job costing hundreds or more. But a lot of that process sounds somewhat redundant to me. Why would a plumber turn up to that sort of call-out without a box of cheap spares in the van?

You do IT shit don't you?
Could you come over and take a look at my computer?
Oh the hard disk is broken. Can you replace it?
Oh you don't carry spare disks that size on your van?
So you can come back later in the week to fix it, for how much?
Now that I know whats wrong I'll just ask on the internet if your price is fair.
Well actually someone on the internet says just to check the cable because they've had them pull out. And someone else says you can get a new disk on Amazon next day for £30.

I can see how it costs a fair bit to do these kinds of jobs, they can end up a pain in the arse so you need to make it worth your while.

I just wouldn't pay though it and would do it my self, but i've been brought up that way. I know others who wouldn't dream of doing a job like this though as it either scares them that they'll **** it up or they just don't like DIY.

£200 seems a bit ott, but then I did argue with a plumber about 4 years ago who was charging £150 for the same job in the office i worked in at the time (Leeds). So maybe £200 is about right nowadays. He managed to string that out for a good half day though. Not sure if he was trying to prove a point but don't think he made too much on that job....

Done a few over the years. It's no biggie when there's an isolator valve.

However, when you can't find an isolator as per in our upstairs en suite,
- and the main tap is in the basement four flights of stairs down a house with high ceilings.
- And you're trying to do the job on your own because shouting/phoning down to your wife is not a quick route to happiness, in fact it's a route elsewhere.
- And you think you're being clever by just replacing the slow flowing diaphragm washer.
- And the en suite gets mains pressure, which is v high pressure even at the top of the house.
- And actually the replacement just isn't quite right.

When these things occur together, it's surprising just how much water can flow out of the ensuite and across the bedroom and under the floating solid wood floor (causing it to buckle slightly over the next couple of days), before you can sprint the four flights back down again to turn off the water, before putting the old washer beck again and putting the tools away. And on reflection think that the £200 may be literally £198 more than the job was going to cost, but possibly worth it.

If anyone's interested I can tell you how I know all these things.

(p.s. I've a new complete mechanism waiting to be installed, exactly the same as I've replaced in our basement toilet in a half hour trouble free job. I just can't nerve myself to do it yet.)

when you are working as a self employed tradesman you are lucky if you have 60% or so of your time working being billable.  You also have large fixed overheads.  to me £200 is expensive but not absurd.  Maybe its an " I don't really want this job so quote high" price - so either he does not get the job or if he does its well worth his while

excellent fault finding there.

You're missing the point. Sure, it could cost that much and possibly more. But rocking up without basic parts and expecting the customer to foot the bill whilst you fanny about at a plumber's merchant is somewhere between stupid and fraudulent. Why would a plumber even turn up on site to fix a running bog without a bag of washers and a replacement flush mechanism? Like they're never going to need those things ever again.

You do IT shit don’t you?

I'm no longer in IT and I have never done "IT shit."

Could you come over and take a look at my computer?

For £200? Sure.

Oh the hard disk is broken. Can you replace it?

Sure. Five minute job.

Oh you don’t carry spare disks that size on your van?

If I were a mobile IT technician I'd carry a boxful because a mechanical disk is likely the single biggest point of failure due to its moving parts. Daft not to.

So you can come back later in the week to fix it, for how much?

Nah, I'll just do it now.

Now that I know whats wrong I’ll just ask on the internet if your price is fair. Well actually someone on the internet says just to check the cable because they’ve had them pull out. And someone else says you can get a new disk on Amazon next day for £30.

Do that then. £30 sounds about right. Off you go.

But rocking up without basic parts and expecting the customer to foot the bill whilst you fanny about at a plumber’s merchant is somewhere between stupid and fraudulent. Why would a plumber even turn up on site to fix a running bog without a bag of washers and a replacement flush mechanism?

which of these  https://www.screwfix.com/c/heating-plumbing/toilet-spares/cat831530#category=cat831618 flush valves fits then or should the plumber carry +50 different types at  £800+ of flush valves just in case one fits? Nobody would do that would they.

Best practice is look at job see what you need and buy accordingly. Not to carry £00's of stock/parts that may never ever be used. Yes they'll maybe have the odd bit in van but in reality I'd expect them to go and get the part.

Oh the hard disk is broken. Can you replace it?

Sure. Five minute job.

Could you come over and take a look at my computer?

For £200? Sure.

The irony

Quoting £200 sounds reasonable to me if the guy is busy.

Yes, it might be a five minute job, but the chances of ticking off more than two 'five minute' jobs in a day is rare ime.

Part of the problem as a self employed tradie, is that it's a dog eat dog world and this fosters an attitude of needing to make money while the going is good. There's no safety net.

As an example, there was a thread here a few days ago about an IVF and Covid situation where the consensus was that the teacher should take several months off with stress, followed by however long maternity is these days. So maybe a year off on full or near full pay?
This is a good thing and I'd agree with the consensus.

I just wish there was something similar available to self employed people. PPI is of course available, but decent cover for all eventualities makes it realistically a non starter.
The minute you aren't working is when income stops.

£200 is daft money.
Two years ago I paid £220 all in for a heating engineer to diagnose a boiler fault, go and buy a new fan unit and carry out the repair, the same day.
Say £250 for inflation. Can't remember how big a chunk of bill the fan unit was, but more than a bog flush I'd say.

This is in Berkshire, so the expensive South.

I've had to replace the diaphragm in our flush mechanism many times. Also needed to remove limescale from the mechanism.
I bought a new mechanism years ago, but never bothered to fit it, as it's always the diaphragm.

There are lots of different flush mechanisms, inlet valves and wc set ups. Expecting a plumber to carry bits for all of them is daft.

£200 says to me he either doesn’t want the job or there’s a fair bit to it over and above simple maintenance.

Take the lid of the cistern, take some pics, post them up here.

If you manage to post a pic successfully, changing the flush mech will be piss easy.

Forgot to add, if our bog doesn't stop flushing, the float is catching on side and not rising with the water level. But yeah they're all different.

Daft yes, but i sell boxes of washers and o rings as these are a major cause of failure.
Most of us would change old for new as we dont have 101 washers in a carrycase or the knowledge and tricks of the trade that the pros have
White wine vinaiger can fix flush valve seats for example
There's a fluid master valve and filler that fits lots of cisterns.
Still think this job is easily doable by anyone half sensible

which of these... flush valves fits then or should the plumber carry +50 different types

How many don't?

With guidance from this parish I replaced my own in a 40+ year old throne with a modern component a little while back, there weren't many actual variables. I could equally list fifty hard drives and go "which one fits your PC then?"

The irony

The point.

...our bog doesn’t stop flushing...

It's not so much flushing, more like overflowing. Years ago it would have poured down a pipe and into the backyard, now it's all done internally

Not many of here a run a business I guess and quote is for replacement of all the internals not the diaphragm. £200 for a job which will likely take half a day in total.

Forget about the cost of the parts but ask yourself what’s a working toilet worth to me? That’s how value works.

I've changed out 3 toilet flush systems. The modern bog where it was a like for like with the same part - very easy. The other two were old toilets with now non standard parts. Both absolute PITAs just to find suitable parts and washers, then you need to remove the cistern from the wall and bog with ancient imperial sized fixings that have been damp for 40 years. This is all while hugging a 40 year old bog and discovering deposits of congealed piss in crevices as you disassemble it. Meanwhile, there is the isolating water and draining stuff which is either easy or a nightmare. Also worth remembering that anything left leaking will wreck your house. Anything overtightened or dropped will smash something expensive.

I think tool and consumables wise it needed a massive wrench, medium sized wrench and small wrench. Dremel, drill, screwdrivers, putty, tape, replacement isolation valves etc

In short, if it's a manky old bog £200 seems reasonable unless you value your time at £2.50/hr in which case DIY.

Forget about the cost of the parts but ask yourself what’s a working toilet worth to me? That’s how value works.

Conversely, ramping up the price because "what are you going to do otherwise mate, shit in the bath?" isn't my idea of "value".

At the end of the day the OP asked "is this a reasonable cost" and the answer is "it might be." It could be that the entire system is donald ducked and needs replacing, there could be a dozen other complications we don't know about and actually £200 is a bargain; or equally it could be that the plumber is a total charlatan and has seen a soft mark whom he might be able to take for £200 for ten minutes' work. We just don't know. So the only reliable advice here really is "get a second opinion."

cougar - as has been explained its not ten mins work - its several hours at least

I suppose, if the plumber has other bigger jobs on the go, it's his lost time on those jobs he has to account for, and like has been said, what if the job is a pig ?

I've also changed a mechanism on a concealed toilet in out static caravan, now that was a barsteward of a job and no doubt would have been alot for a trades person to do it. The issue was getting one arms inside the cistern covers to undo fittings, and that's a cyclist's skinny arms...

Our loos at home are straight forward, but I suppose you never know how badly some stuff can be fitted previously.

It's expensive, yes, compared to the price, but if you can't do it, then you've got to suck it up. my sister and BIL pay a fortune for stuff to be fixed, they think it's a good price - it's not, but they can't do it.

cougar – as has been explained its not ten mins work – its several hours at least

Explained by a number of people, none of whom have seen the OP's plumbing.

All sorted - the 2nd guy came and fixed it there and then for £70. He was there for about an hour or so.

Cheers for advice/help 🙂

Explained by a number of people, none of whom have seen the OP’s plumbing

Neither have you yet you claimed it was something trivial.

A visit to diagnose a dripping cistern which is likely just to be a washer or something else trivial.

😂

I've had that. Long time ago though. Got a quote of several hundred, for what was admittedly potentially a real pain in the neck job. Second guy came out, poked around and sucked his teeth for 5 minutes and announced "i *think* i've got the parts for this in me van".
45 minutes and 150 quid lighter (cash in hand) everything was fixed.

The flush mechanism for my bog is about 50-60 quid as well, and a couple of hours to swap. So i'd barely even blink at paying 200 quid to get it changed. Though i'd probably try and fix it myself, as my bank account would likely say no before i did.

Bloody posh bathrooms.

All sorted – the 2nd guy came and fixed it there and then for £70. He was there for about an hour or so.

Get ready for the £70 for an hrs work frothing

So bad when banks and supermarkets do it but fine when tradesman decides to rip someone off?

He's not ripping anyone off, he's quoted a price. The buyer is at liberty to get other quotes or just out right reject that one.

If it seems too expensive just don't pay it.

He was there for about an hour or so.

Which is 3 hours more than likely out of his day possibly more.

And this is the customer's problem because...?

Cougar - not sure why you are behaving this way? What are you aiming to achieve? The OP's invested more of his time in finding a second plumber to come and fix it (hopefully permanently) and saved £130. He's done well to get two plumbers to turn up at all!