How to quote!

[Killy Bing]

In advance sorry if this was already posted and i couldent find it, i did try (don't whip me croppie)

little bit of background!
I'm just finishing my apprenticeship (yay) and I've been offered to do a full rip out and full install on a house excluding the bathrooms or kitchen.
this is something i really cant pass up and totally unwilling to give to my boss.

All new pipework, boiler and cylinder (or combi depending how things go tomorrow night)

Now my boss has never taken me to quote so i'm on the back foot here.

how do you guys weigh up what needs to go in and decide what to charge labour wise?

my workmate is joining me to help out thank god. Any advice is appreciated!
oh and the customer is paying all materials upfront as I've said i don't have the cash flow but he was fine about it.

Thanks!

 

[diamondgas]

Best advice I could give you 1king55 .... Listen to what your customer is after and supply their wants....... Sounds easy but It isn't ... So many installers are more than willing to 'tell' their customers what they need rather than listen to what they want IMHO

 

[Resolute]

List all the materials you'll need and price them up, then add 10%.

Then work out how many days it'll take and times by your daily rate, add an extra two days for unforseen problems.

Add the two figures together and job done.

Hard part is remembering all the materials needed and correctly estimating the amount of time. Too little and you're working too cheap. Too much and you won't get the job!

 

[on31ll]

Pretty sound advice there ! Wont your boss work for you so to speak ? You pay him his day rate but its ur job ?

 

[Destroyer2813]

Who"s gonna register the boiler and cover the gas side if your doing it on the side not under your boss"s gs number

 

[kay-jay]

I have a mate who works for someone and when he does similar jobs im amazed at how cheap he is. He is used to working for a wage and doesn't understand how to charge what he is worth.

Obviously you have done the work before for your boss and know what is involved and how long it should take. You need to be charging accordingly and not what your boss would pay you.

 

[Killy Bing]

Thanks guys !!
I wont be having my boss on any of my jobs if i can help it.
His charges would price me out of the job straight away.

plus hes useless at piping anything up!
The other apprentice is faster and far cheaper!
And my workmate will be there the whole time as i dont have my acs awarded yet (i have done it)

 

[Mike Jackson]

Has your workmate got his own gas safe registration? What about public liability insurance? How does your boss feel about you working in competition to him?

 

[Killy Bing]

Yup, he has his own reg. he just does all my bosses install work, my boss will only do servicing and boiler repairs.

i have my own pl at 2 million , I'm self employed.

My boss said its fine as ill learn my lesson to just do other peoples work.

frankly he totally dismisses my abilities, he just wants me to do the labouring + running materials about.

ive put up with ....bad circumstances in every way to get qualified, I'm lucky my parents have supported me so much.
In a nutshell he can gripe about it if i do well and laugh if it goes badly.
ive worked weekend and evenings to get the experience I've needed

I will be charging mark up , wages +profit!


Destroyer my work mate subcontracts to my boss to do all his installs and swaps.
im taking less money for myself to have him there as ive worked for 3 years for this and im not chancing it at all!


not quite a have a go hero

 

[markfxy]

Best advice I could give you 1king55 .... Listen to what your customer is after and supply their wants....... Sounds easy but It isn't ... So many installers are more than willing to 'tell' their customers what they need rather than listen to what they want IMHO

what the customer wants is a first class job for peanuts and all the extras you can handle after all while you're there you can fit in a few small jobs for nothing can't you?
Most customers don't know what they want have to be told what they need!