Family rates

[Fallon1982]

Evening all,

Got to fit a complete new bathroom including tiling floors and walls also for my missus' brother and sister in law.

What do you think is a fair day rate to charge them? I am happy to give them parts and materials at the trade price I pay but don't want to do myself out of money for a job I could be on for 7- 10 days.

Regards

 

[lame plumber]

get them to get some quotes in, then if your happy, discount the prices they have, then all will be happy

 

[REDSAW]

get couple quotes in then knock of 20% labour is what i do....unless their a pain!!!

 

[julesverne]

both of the above good advice i would be inclined to do the same.

 

[SimonG]

Full price.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I agree full price and then some family and friends arnt worth the hassle.

 

[SimonG]

To be honest there are some members of the family I would charge over the top.

 

[rpm]

To be honest there are some members of the family I would charge over the top.

Amen to that!

 

[hammers4spanner]

From my experience they are normally pain in the bum jobs and you earn pita from them .

 

[Millsy 82]

Certain members of family I will happily work for free the rest would get charged the same as normal.

 

[lame plumber]

personally my kids get it for free, the rest pay, parents would be free if they lived here and not Australia.

 

[Best]

No friends in business.

I have relations who I worked for totally free or for little money.
It was always really good quality work and they knew it.
They no longer speak to me, as I wasn't able to do a small job suddenly demanded of me.
Big loss to me, as now I have to work for people who actually pay me. :smile:

 

[Fallon1982]

Cheers for the thoughts fellas. I think I'm going to charge them double and then add 20% on top of that! lol

 

[leek]

Nearly ended up coming to blows with the wife's stepbrother, moved to a massive house, pleading poverty as always. Had an extension done on the cheap as he was 'project managing it' agreed to do some work for him for £200 a day and he supply all materials.

He then asked if he could order though my Plumbase account to get my discount, caught me on the hop so I agreed. Then a week before the job kicked off he asked when I would be picking up his gear. I said I wouldn't/couldn't as had too much on, he basically accused me of scamming him, and being lazy. This is coming from the guy who hasn't worked a day in the last 30 years due to chronic illness (one that apparently is tricky to officially diagnose) and who has told his neighbours in his new house that he is in IT as he is too proud to say he is on DLA. And what annoyed me the most is that mug that I am, if I had been close to the merchant I would have picked it up for him anyway, it was just that I was miles away and didn't have the time.

Ended up with me getting a little bit irritated, and him apologising profusely. Then spoke to the wife's step dad who told me to not mind the son as he is an 'arsehole'. Lesson learnt for me there! Parents and brother I work for for free, but my brother is a chippie so he has done loads for me in the past so figure that cancels each other out.

 

[oz-plumber]

You should ask yourself

"what can they offer you back in return for a cheap job."?

You still have to cover your overheads and generally a cheap hourly rate will not cover the extra business expenses.

I'm the 'contra' deal expert - everyone I've done I've lost out on.

 

[plumben]

When ever I work for family I charge the same as I would anyone else, but I bump the materials up and drop the labour the same so they think there getting a good deal,

They wouldn't drop everything for me to come fix my toilet for free so why should i

 

[mfgs]

I either do the job for free or I charge my normal labour rate, but don't add my usual mark up to materials.

 

[WaterTight]

Free or normal rates makes sense to me too.

How many of them would happily work a normal week in their job but take home less money and have their inlaws nosing about their workplace as a favour to you?

 

[newcastle phill]

Families are worse than unknown customers lol.

 

[cr0ft]

TBH I probably wouldn't work for family. Learned a while ago not to mix business and family/friendships.