Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibility. One responsibility that homeowners have is being liable for repairs, accidents and damages. It’s important to know who to call and when to call them. Professional service providers can be very expensive, so pick your professionals wisely.
The three professionals you hope you never have to call are:
1. Personal Injury Lawyers
Technically, you’ll call a premises liability lawyer, but a personal injury lawyer will often suffice. These professionals will help you fight against injuries a person sustains at your home. If a friend comes to your home and slips and falls in the bathtub, they may try to sue you.
And while you should call on a lawyer if you have a claim filed against you, there are a few things to consider:
- $100 – $200 an hour is the norm in small cities
- $200 – $400 an hour is the norm in metropolitan areas
These professionals are expensive, but the lawyer working for the injured party will likely work on a contingency basis. So, for an injured party, it makes sense to pursue legal action if they’re injured.
2. Sewer Repair Professionals
Sewer repair is very expensive. Sewer line replacement is even more expensive, and the cost can range up to $10,000+. Homeowners are responsible for the sewer lines that are beneath their properties. This line connects to the main connection and all the way to your home.
The good news is that most plumbers charge around $2,600 for this repair.
But with nearly 50% of Americans unable to afford a $400 emergency bill, this is a significant cost. Larger homes and yards will also add to the cost of the repair.
If your main line breaks, it needs to be repaired; there’s no way around making the repair. Trenchless sewer repair is also cheaper and will not require the immense amount of digging that older methods of replacement require.
In either case, it’s an unexpected expense and repair that the average homeowner can’t afford.
3. Emergency Medical Services
If you’re severely injured or feel like you’re dying, you may have no other option but to call on emergency medical services to come and assist you. There are times when people are helpless, and an ambulance is the only option to restore health.
The problem is that a lot of people call the ambulance when a taxi ride would do the trick.
Ambulance services cost $400 – $1,200 on average. You’ll also have to consider that insurance may pay for these costs, in which case, you’ll want to call the ambulance. Out-of-pocket expenses when you have insurance are $15 – $100.
But it’s the person without insurance who needs to worry.
Not only will you pay a hefty fee for the ambulance, but you’ll also have to pay for going to the emergency room. I walked into the emergency room for stitches, and I was charged $1,000 from the hospital and an additional $1,200 by the doctor. It was a hefty price to pay for me walking into the emergency room.
Unless it’s an emergency, you may not want to call for an ambulance.
