Q. I'm leasing a commercial space (in Blaine, Minnesota) and in order to pass the building inspection I need to have some exposed plumbing (left from the previous business, a salon) sawed and capped. Any price estimates would be appreciated.

A. You probably have to have the plumbing capped behind the wall. That being the case there will probably be drywall repair involved as well. If there are exposed water lines, the water to the space (or building, depending on the mechanical layout) will have to be shut off and all the lines drained in order to cut and cap the lines. Unfortunately the price will greatly depend on the number of drains and waterlines that need to be cut and capped. I would expect to pay 300 to 500 dollars for a professional to do the work. This is just a rough guess based on what my company has charged in the past for similar work. You could be looking at much more if you are talking about a large space with lots of plumbing.

Q. I am starting a Yogurt Shop like Pinkberry. I am planning to lease a 800 sq ft space. The space was a previously a office, a rectangular layout. It does have a bathroom in the back, what would be the rough amount of cost to get the adequate plumbing in there?

A. You would really have to contact a commercial plumber for this.

Q. People say residential construction and some say commercial. and some say insurance smoke fire and water damage. and to stay away from working for people from the middle east because they don't pay. Please help go down the right ave Thanx Bill

A. Take the jobs where you can get them. Usually commercial pays more. Try not to discriminate either.

A. I looked into this too and this is what I found. Yes, you can do plumbing but you cant certify it. In other words, you can build the whole plumbing, but then you will need a licensed plumber to come over and check it out and do all the peperwork. For example, you cannot install a boiler of a furnace, only licensed people can do that, but you can set all the pipes that go from the furnace to the house. If you have a freind and hes a licensed plumber, you are all set. Ask him if he would certify your work for some money in exchange. The whole job needs to be certified before home inspection comes.

Q. I am looking for electrical contractors in the greater Baltimore area that have a clientele which includes large commercial companies. Thanks.

A. You can go through the IBEW .. Electrical workers union there, I believe its local 865 ..... (410) 355-6947

Q. I am looking for a professional and reliable commercial window cleaning company to come and clean the building I work in. It is 10 floors tall and the window cleaners will need to be fully health and safety compliant. Can anyone please recommend a decent commercial window cleaning company that they know of that covers the essxe / greater london area?

A. My company uses Premier Cleaning Commercial and Residential Window Cleaners, based in Essex, they cover London and Hertfordshire and have a branch in Norfolk too. They are professional and very reliable and always do a great job. They also offer a price promise whereby they will match the price of a competitors quote and give an extra 10% off on top (the price promise is only valid on commercial jobs). They use the pole-fed reach and wash system but also have cherry pickers, abseils and cradles. You can find out more about them on their website: http://www.premiercleaninguk.com

Q. I have recently rented a place to open a restaurant. The first time I turned on the hot water, I could smell gas. I called the plumbing company to come check and he found out the problem is coming from the water heater. In order to fix the problem is to change the water heater.

A. With commercial rentals it is usually the tenants responsibility, but you will have to check your specific lease.

Q. I asked this once but didnt get many answers last night so here it goes again...and im sorry i know its long. can you please help me? my hubby started plumbing at the age of 18 (now 26) in residential. he can do practically anything when it comes to plumbing a new house. im really not sure what everything is called so excuse my lack of knowlege here. but i know he can do inside and outside work for the houses. now with the industry the way it is...he has moved on to commercial industrial plumbing and has been in this field for a few years. i couldnt tell you exactly what all he knows but he is very good at what he does i know (ive heard ppl compliment him) and is a very hard and dedicated worker. he is plumbing HUGE jobs alone (example...petsmarts, hotels, apartment buildings, ect). he is doing undergrounds and using equipment. he is working for a man (basically sub contracting but getting paid weekly for the jobs). this is the only man he is working for and he keeps him very busy since my hubby is the only one who subs thru him. he doesnt even have a helper (well on certain days my bro helps but not everyday). again im not sure what all he can do but i know he is doing these jobs alone...dealing with the inspectors, laying out the jobs alone..basically running the show. everything but finding the jobs. HE DOES NOT have any kind of a licence tho. the man who runs the company is the one pulling permits ect. right now we are working on him going to school to get a licence but the thing is...we cannot afford school!!! i think he is underpaid for everything he does. he gets a regular pay of 650.00 per week (not by the job as a normal sub would get). he is also not on salary so days when he has to come home early for things that didnt work out right he loses pay. we also pay for the gas in the van he uses (i know he subs and we are responsible for that but this is ran a bit differently...kinda like an employee). the company provided the van. the way gas is we are definately using a 100 weekly in gas if not more. so basically 550 weekly he is paid. also taxes are not taken out. any thoughts or advice would be great. i think he is underpaid but what do you think? could he go to a company as a regular employee and make more? again he can do it all and if he doesnt know he is a quick learner. outside/inside/escavating ect on commercial and residential he can do. thanks

A. I'm not a plumber, but I know a very good website where you can find out whether your husband is being underpaid. I've linked to the page for an entry-level plumber (as your husband is unqualified, I'm afraid that's what he technically is) and it shows that the national US average is 1149 us dollars every 2 weeks, but that includes SS, 401k, etc, etc. My personal opinion is that plumbers are in great demand right now and as long as he has the right tools, I would set up a sole-proprietorship and become a sub-contractor who gets paid by the job. This should be more lucrative, as freelancing business is pretty simple to maintain, I do it with Web Development from home, full-time.