Fair Price, Calling all you gas fitters out there!

[cr0ft]

Hi all,

I was wondering what you would consider a fair price to hang a new system boiler in a loft and connect on to all pipework plus test and terminate the new gas pipework at either end. We would be installing all pipework and taking responsibility for all of it except the gas pipework. We would run the gas pipework as per how the gas fitter wants it and he would then test it and do the final connections.

A roofer will be present on site on the day of installation to connect up the flue through the flashing plate on the roof.

New boilier is going in the loft. Lighting, ladder, flooring and a decent sized loft hatch will be provided prior to him arriving.

All pipework will be in correct positions in the loft so that all is required is the gas fitter brings the pipes up directly into the boiler. A fused spur will be provided to power the boiler and all system controls and radiators will be in place (and pipework pressure tested) prior to him arriving.

He will also need to disconnect the existing boiler from the gas supply, it is already fully drained down. It is a floor standing boiler with easy access to the gas pipework.

Basically I am doing all I can to minimise the amount of work he has to do but I want both of us to feel we are getting a good deal out of it.

We will also be supplying the boiler and flue etc (Viessmann Vitodens 100-W 26KW System Boiler).

 

[Ermintrude]

Down your kneck of the woods?

 

[EPH]

You know better than anyone on here how long that's going to take, just ask him how much an hour or a quote.

Id want big money to put my name to someone else's work but I guess you'll be looking about £200 - 250 + VAT

 

[Masood]

If it's as you describe it's a couple of hours work at most. Couple of hundred at most. I'd want to be able to see the gas run at critical points like where it passes through walls or voids etc.

 

[Nostrum]

A day minimum, although I would probably just walk away if i'm honest. It's barely worth doing and taking full responsibility for. A bit like yourself, i'm not keen on fit only.

Remember the value of not only their time, but also their qualifications and experience.

 

[Ermintrude]

I would do it for 500 notes. But u can put clips on drill all the holes but I'm hanging boiler and running in gas myself. Plus I only fit ferolli. Croft u gonna pull your finger out and get gas safe?

 

[Mike Jackson]

I'd be looking for a days money.

 

[cr0ft]

I am figuring £250 plus VAT if appropriate. I would only want their workmanship on the bits they've installed warrantied if that makes sense. Any issues with the boiler are down to me to resolve down the line as I've supplied it all.

The way I am looking at it is that we can punt a fair few jobs like this there way over the year and that as long as we make sure our bit is sorted out before hand (which we will do) it should be a relatively good earner for them and stress free.

 

[cr0ft]

I would do it for 500 notes. But u can put clips on drill all the holes but I'm hanging boiler and running in gas myself. Plus I only fit ferolli. Croft u gonna pull your finger out and get gas safe?

Can't afford the time away from the business mate, not now I have staff working for me. Once they are at the stage that I can trust them to do larger work without me being around I will, but not sure how it is going to work for me until them.

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

£350 inc vat

 

[lame plumber]

I am figuring £250 plus VAT if appropriate. I would only want their workmanship on the bits they've installed warrantied if that makes sense. Any issues with the boiler are down to me to resolve down the line as I've supplied it all.

The way I am looking at it is that we can punt a fair few jobs like this there way over the year and that as long as we make sure our bit is sorted out before hand (which we will do) it should be a relatively good earner for them and stress free.

the problem being, its their name on the paperwork and if any complaints get referred back to gas safe at all be it rad leaks etc they are the ones in the firing line not you. Same goes for warranty issues, they have to sign off the boiler not you, try explaining that to trading standards if theres an issue.

Personally, I dont do it and if I did I'd want a minimum of £500 to cover my time and future proofing the system.

 

[AlexGas]

We would run the gas pipework as per how the gas fitter wants it.

I's say a gas fitter will want to run the gas pipework himself.

He will also need to disconnect the existing boiler from the gas supply, it is already fully drained down.

Sorry, you are not saying anything about the power flush!?

 

[tamz]

I wouldn't touch it unless i was doing it all.
Why don't you just sub the whole job to him and take a %age

 

[Leo21]

I usually walk from jobs like this, because when you say £500. People tend to pull a face. That's what's it's worth for all our quals and the responsibilty that comes with installing a boiler

No offence, if you offered me £250. I'd be making sure the door didn't hit me on the way out.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Can't afford the time away from the business mate, not now I have staff working for me. Once they are at the stage that I can trust them to do larger work without me being around I will, but not sure how it is going to work for me until them.

If you have staff employed by you why not employ your own GSR engineer ? or sub out to a local guy to do your gas work.

 

[SimonG]

I use a good bloke for any gas I come across. But generally if somebody phones me and wants a gas boiler I just give them his number. If its a full system then I will bring him along when I go to look and he will tell me what he will do and how many pennys. Likewise I get any oil work he comes across.

 

[Ermintrude]

Why not get a gas bod in - get your company a GSR number and then sub work that way?

 

[EPH]

Why don't you get registered yourself?

 

[village idiot]

I will be asking for a minimum of £400.
But my question is this: If you come across this sort of work on a regular basis, why not ''team up'' with one of the gas guys on here who is local to you, then whenever you come across such jobs, get them round during the quote stage so they let you know how much they will be expecting for their services?

Personally, I will avoid jobs like this or do it at a PRICE. I remember having to do a job in Crystal Palace about a year and a half ago. The girl plumber told me her other 'plumber' had to leave as his wife is expecting. I was told all pipework was nearly complete. All I have to do is:
Hang boiler - Ideal logic + 24kw
Run gas pipe to boiler - New gas meter, was all electrics before
Commission and hand over.
She said the house was owned by her brother and they had given her the responsibility of doing all the plumbing and heating?
Her supposed plumber had also run gas pipe to new gas hob and left other end close to new meter.
When I connected everthing up and did a tightness and letby test, it dropped like a bomb?
Turns out he had just pushed copper pipe into gas hob fitting and not being able to secure it, just left it. Crazy stuff.
Bath tub waste was piped up in 32mm pipework (over 3m long)? All done in compression fitting and runs underneath floorboards. Joists very badly notched.

 

[cr0ft]

@EPH - time away from the business to get the days I need to qualify. @Ermintrude, that idea is one I have thought about before to be honest and I think that in another year or so I will aim to do just that. It's a bit early at the moment, I want to get my first apprentice qualified this year first, then in another year taking on a gas fitter on £25k or so a year will be less of a risk to the business as it will have grown even more. The plan is I would get my gas experience that way i.e. shadowing my employee so to speak.

I have the gas fitter I've used before coming out on Tuesday. He's happy with me running the gas pipe, he tells me where to run it and we do the rest. He's happy to hang the boiler I supply as well. I just wanted to chat about pricing on here to get a feel for a fair rate.

I know you gas guys have expensive exams & analyzers but so do electricians as well now! The structural engineers around here don't charge out at £500 per day and they study for 7 years to qualify and have ridiculous professional indemnity insurance bills so I think I would struggle to justify that amount for any tradesperson but I do see what you are saying about the risk/reward thing. Fair play to anyone who has that much work going they can afford to charge out at £500 per day though, wish I could! Would certainly stretch to £300 + VAT but any more would just feel like I'm being ripped off when I will make sure the job is as straightforward as it can be for him. I'm not a private customer and to be honest as I can pass him a volume of work I wouldn't pay £500 for a day's labour.

I do think things like this can work very well once trust is built up on both sides. There is just as much risk to me in the arrangement if the gas fitter does a crap job as there is to them if we do one.

To my mind there's no sense in subcontracting out the whole job to him as I can do 90% of the work myself and earn our business more cash. It's a large project we are managing (a whole house renovation) so the less subcontractors I use too the simpler it is to manage for me.

@village idiot, there doesn't seem to be anyone on here local to me or I would jump at the chance!

 

[MOSSEP]

I work in a similar way to you Croft. I get quite a large amount of gas work come my way, and when it does and its local I use a one guy quite regularly.

I have thought about getting gas safe registered, but the time off, and the fact that Im often to busy to do the work I have at the moment just puts me off.