While retailers gear up for Black Friday, plumbers prepare for what they call "Brown Friday" — the day after Thanksgiving when clogged disposals and overflowing toilets keep them busiest.

If you need a plumber this fall, you may find even the smallest fixes come with much bigger bills.

Debbie Steiner experienced this firsthand when she had a small water issue with a dripping faucet. She called a plumber who said he could fix it that day with the parts already on his truck.

"It was a $26 part, and he wasn't down there more than a half hour making the installation," Steiner said.

But she almost needed a cold shower when the plumber presented the bill: $543.

"I said it was terribly high. And he said that's what plumbing costs these days, it's expensive," Steiner said.

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