Not even gold plated! No, what is expensive is the hours of earthworks, trenches to be made, burial, installation of valves and meter boxes. So I break it down a bit:
-to bring the backhoe, the company brings it back on a tank truck, I will not explain the cost invoiced to the customer.
-one hour of flyer should go to 40/50 €.
- to bury the pipe, it takes m3 of sand, brought back by truck 18 tons: and it takes bcq of m3; to put the sand, we removed the earth, which will have to be deposited elsewhere, hence a truck cost to get rid of the earth. For an 18 ton truck, I believe it takes about 6 m3, which is "peanuts". So that's a lot of trucks and .... a lot of money!
Last subtlety: once the water network is in place, the end customer, therefore the future owner must fulfill the connection to this network: this includes the installation of a waterproof and antifreeze box partially buried in which is located the meter, and this at the property line + laying a pipe to the house: count € 700 minimum.
Knowing that the buried case costs at the supplier about 250 € and that we invoice you already minimum 350 € / 400 €.
When I was working in this field, a meter connection (without a housing therefore in the house) cost around 300 € (by my home).
The contribution of the box has inflated the note and the margin of the installer.
Did it go up in your opinion?
By bringing in new products (see box) but also:
- to align prices; I live in a rural area and the m3 of water was 20 years ago
2,50. Today we are at € 1 / m3 without sanitation included. Renovation work had to be done on the water tower + network, but that did not explain everything.
- the maintenance company has gradually inflated its prices and since it has the market, it does what it wants: their pricing is incomprehensible.
- individuals are more and more demanding (which can be explained given the increase in prices) and want impeccable water, this leads to costs.
- our security policy imposes a minimum chlorination of water, hence the installation of automatic vending machines in water towers, the cost of which I do not know, but with a ladle it must go within 5000 € each! The water is so gross that you just have to buy bottles of water or buy a water purification system.
Take the example of internet cable in cities: I don't think anyone has ever paid for the road connections (probably included in installation costs).
Because these are works commissioned collectively by a municipality, a region, which may have subsidies. The individual will pay only a tiny part.
On the other hand, as an individual, even make a request for connection to Edf for a house which is 50 m from the last electric pole: you will understand your pain! little info to help you: moving an EDF meter (from one room to another) already costs a minimum of € 300; before the € and before the privatization of EDF it was 200 € !! Yep, it has to pay off for the shareholders
Go two last ones:
-when EDF comes to connect your new house to the network, it requires the buried installation of a special sheath between the meter at the property line and your house; well it is they who must lay it and therefore have the trench made by a subcontractor; if you asked it, they don't want it.
-Edf cannot always access the meters for reading when they are inside the houses: they therefore recommend the installation of an external wall telemetric box which will allow them to read the meter; but it is up to the customer to pay it, 50 € I believe then that it is an ease of reading for EDF and that it saves them requests for reading by the customer and reminders by mail. Today everything is paid for, even the useless!