2025 Test Routes Begin in Late January
Hello, backflow hive - happy new year! We're busy preparing for our 2025 season, with test routes resuming in late January. Current orders will be fulfilled after we're back in testing mode later this month. In the meantime, we'll be in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays to answer questions and help schedule your work! Please get in touch if you have any questions, and we look forward to serving you this year!
Commercial Testing Rates
The rates below reflect a single service call for non-residential work (or work at residential sites with three or more units). To discuss discounts for high-volume commercial testing (7+ tests), please contact us. For the most accurate estimate, use our secure upload to send us a copy of your water district's notice.
Service |
Price* |
Basic drop-in test (For assemblies 2" or smaller. Does not include fire lines.) |
$55.00 |
Add additional basic test (For assemblies 2" or smaller. Does not include fire lines.) |
+$45.00 per test |
Basic test for fire line or assembly over 2" |
$80.00 |
OSHA-required confined space entry* (special equipment and procedures for entering large utility vaults) |
$80.00 per vault |
Add appointment* (for tests that must occur within specific date/time windows) |
+$10.00 per service call (waived for jobs over $200) |
Vault pumping* |
$80.00 and up, depending on volume |
All orders are subject to the policies outlined in our terms of service and FAQ.
*Notes
Pricing is calculated per address and assumes your equipment can be readily located, accessed, and tested. It does not include any filing fees charged by your water district. As of late 2024, the water districts we serve do not charge us filing fees, but this may change eventually, consistent with industry trends. If any district begins to assess these, they'll be added to our basic test cost for service calls within that district. See pricing for additional parts and services for more information on extra charges that may appear on your bill if extra work or parts are required to complete a test.
Basic test: this means equipment is installed and maintained in a way that allows us to promptly access and test your assembly. Flooded boxes, buried equipment, hidden box lids, encroaching vegetation, corroded or seized equipment, tight clearances, and deep installations (greater than 24") are examples of conditions which can substantially complicate the work. As such, these may increase the cost of testing and/or prevent us from offering service.
Confined Space Entries: OSHA requires special equipment and procedures to ensure safety for workers entering utility vaults. A serious concern in such spaces is low oxygen, which can be fatal to anybody entering a vault. To comply with the law and ensure our technicians' safety, we use an atmospheric monitor to ensure safe air, place barriers around the vault, and use continuous forced-air ventilation during the work. Do not compromise on safety by hiring (or allowing) anybody to perform vault work without this equipment. We only confined space entry services in conjunction with another service, such as backflow testing or repair.
Vault Pumping: pumping is billed as a $30.00 equipment fee + $200/hr labor for set-up, pumping, and tear-down, billed in 15-minute increments. With our powerful pump, labor time rarely exceeds 30 minutes, so pumping typically costs somewhere in the $80-130 range, though there are a few exceptions. If you'd like to pump yourself, please check the vault before ordering testing, and notify us in advance of any standing water so we can schedule a pumping reminder email the day before testing. Water levels can vary over time and depending on onsite conditions - vaults can re-fill within hours or days, so while pumping in advance can reduce the need for us to pump, it isn't an absolute guarantee. Vaults equipped with dedicated pumps can still flood due to stuck floats, loss of power, clogged drainage and other factors. We bring pumping equipment for every vault job, and will use it when necessary to safely enter a vault, so checking for water isn't absolutely necessary. Note: under no circumstances should you enter a utility vault without confined space entry equipment - if you are not sure if something in your vault is working properly, please contact us.
Pricing and payment: charges are calculated per address, and assumes assemblies can be readily located, accessed, and tested. For jobs with an expected cost of $125 or less, we take payment as part of the initial order. Otherwise, for accounts in good standing, we can invoice afterward,. See Additional Parts and Services for more information on common additional charges that may be invoiced if extra work or parts are required to complete a service call. If your work requires extra time or costs above and beyond what is necessary for a typical job, additional charges will apply. It is important to discuss these and other special requests with us before placing your order, so that we can determine whether not we can accommodate them.
Appointments: this item applies to any job that cannot be done on a drop-in basis along the next available route. As it is our policy to confirm alarm status (either by phone or in person) before beginning work on alarmed lines, appointment charges apply to any alarmed line.
Basic test: this means equipment is installed and maintained in a way that allows us to promptly access and test your assembly. Flooded boxes, buried equipment, hidden box lids, encroaching vegetation, corroded or seized equipment, tight clearances, and deep installations (greater than 24") are examples of conditions which can substantially complicate the work. As such, these may increase the cost of testing and/or prevent us from offering service.
Confined Space Entries: OSHA requires special equipment and procedures to ensure safety for workers entering utility vaults. A serious concern in such spaces is low oxygen, which can be fatal to anybody entering a vault. To comply with the law and ensure our technicians' safety, we use an atmospheric monitor to ensure safe air, place barriers around the vault, and use continuous forced-air ventilation during the work. Do not compromise on safety by hiring (or allowing) anybody to perform vault work without this equipment. We only confined space entry services in conjunction with another service, such as backflow testing or repair.
Vault Pumping: pumping is billed as a $30.00 equipment fee + $200/hr labor for set-up, pumping, and tear-down, billed in 15-minute increments. With our powerful pump, labor time rarely exceeds 30 minutes, so pumping typically costs somewhere in the $80-130 range, though there are a few exceptions. If you'd like to pump yourself, please check the vault before ordering testing, and notify us in advance of any standing water so we can schedule a pumping reminder email the day before testing. Water levels can vary over time and depending on onsite conditions - vaults can re-fill within hours or days, so while pumping in advance can reduce the need for us to pump, it isn't an absolute guarantee. Vaults equipped with dedicated pumps can still flood due to stuck floats, loss of power, clogged drainage and other factors. We bring pumping equipment for every vault job, and will use it when necessary to safely enter a vault, so checking for water isn't absolutely necessary. Note: under no circumstances should you enter a utility vault without confined space entry equipment - if you are not sure if something in your vault is working properly, please contact us.
Pricing and payment: charges are calculated per address, and assumes assemblies can be readily located, accessed, and tested. For jobs with an expected cost of $125 or less, we take payment as part of the initial order. Otherwise, for accounts in good standing, we can invoice afterward,. See Additional Parts and Services for more information on common additional charges that may be invoiced if extra work or parts are required to complete a service call. If your work requires extra time or costs above and beyond what is necessary for a typical job, additional charges will apply. It is important to discuss these and other special requests with us before placing your order, so that we can determine whether not we can accommodate them.
Appointments: this item applies to any job that cannot be done on a drop-in basis along the next available route. As it is our policy to confirm alarm status (either by phone or in person) before beginning work on alarmed lines, appointment charges apply to any alarmed line.