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Pricing, whats fair?

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9dog

Evening Gents

Not really sure who to aim this question at (experienced vets or young upstarts like myself), having recently decided to leap headfirst into the shark infested water that is "one man band" plumbing (spent 10 years employed) Im finding myself continually coming unstuck with my pricing, For example Iv been asked to remove a gas fire, cap off gas etc and remove a rad then rehang once room is plastered, Iv asked guys who Iv worked with what sort of figure to quote and the range between prices baffles me, Im slowly getting to grips with heating install and boiler swaps and other "big" jobs as the internet seems to have a whole world of pricing structures for these, but its these smaller jobs, As in pump changes, outside taps etc I struggle with, any advice from You guys would be greatly appreciated, Im in the south east if that helps,

cheers in advance :confused:
 
My pricing is wild an inaccurate. Base prices are £50 call out for first hour. £175 for a day's work.

If I don't like a customer and can get away with it then it's £100 for the first hour. If I like the customer it's sometimes only £30 for that first hour or £60 for 2 hours or £150 for the day. I don't live in the south east but would probably add £25 to each of those if I did live there.

It's not an easy one - you'll learn by experience! There was a thread about this ages ago. Smile = too low, shout = too high, watering eyes = just right.
 
have a price for your first hour i.e £40 then an hourly rate there afterwards(£20-30), add 20% onto your materials and add a percentage onto overall cost of job for profit(4-8%)
 
cheers guys, everything seems so hit and miss, the problem is (in my area at least) that you still get all these "cowboys" who do illegal gas work undercutting everyone and making it impossible for guys like me to obtain a decent wage without coming right down to that level of pricing, it seems that gas safe need to step up their efforts to make it harder for non gas registered to get this work.....I know its a whole other subject but surely no card means U cant obtain a boiler gas fitting etc at the very least?
 
report them! No one will drink with you up the pub, but your have work lol
 
9dog said:
I know its a whole other subject but surely no card means U cant obtain a boiler gas fitting etc at the very least?
Click to expand...

Anybody can buy gas/oil fittings and boilers, you can thank the likes of B & Q and Wickes, there was going to be some sort of legislation but the diy stores quashed it as "restrictive trade".
If you think gas safe are bad, try dealing with the allstars at OFTEC.
 
yeah my point exactly Simon its ridiculous, although I note at SCREWFIX any item carrying the gas safe logo can only be purchased by a gas safe fitter!!
 
c
9dog said:
yeah my point exactly Simon its ridiculous, although I note at SCREWFIX any item carrying the gas safe logo can only be purchased by a gas safe fitter!!
Click to expand...

Do they enforce that principal by asking to see a GS card though ? Whats the betting they just say, "this needs to be fitted by a registered installer"

The only company I know of that rigidly enforces the "trade only" principal is Howdens, the kitchen supplier. Fair play to them, they will not sell or even give prices to non-account holders.
 
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To be honest I only just noticed it in my new screwfix book. Il have to send a "mole" in to investigate-Surely this shud be standard procedure......fair play to howdens it would definitely put off cowboys if they were being checked at the supplier...if only customers did the same
 
Yes screfix ask for gas safe card for gas products.Yet BQ dont and there all the same firm.
 
Been doing my own works for a loooong time now and my advice is make it up as you go along , win some lose some either way if you feel a bit skint crank it up a bit .I always know if they get 3 quotes you can guarantee plum,bers have there greedy heads on !!
 
A fair price is about 2p less than the maximum the customer is willing to pay,give or take 2p
:)
 
cheers gents, it certainly seems to be the case of making it up as you go along working best, Il carry on blindly pricing jobs and working for a pittance whilst the rest of you book ur summer cruises!!
 
We're all so sketchy about telling each other what we charge!! No exact numbers.

I have fixed fees. First hour is charged even if I'm there 5 mins (covers my wasted travel time) then the rate drops by a tenner an hour for wet plumbing but stays at that higher rate for heating work.

People seem to think this is fair, and I get no problems.

One question though. I have taken on an aprentice, full time PAYE ect. Should I up my rate to at least cover some of his pay? I pay him minimum wage, £6.

(PS Croppie if you're reading this, I called the number of that lad you gave me about 4 times, and left a message, no return call from him).

Danny
 
Dannypipe said:
We're all so sketchy about telling each other what we charge!! No exact numbers.

I have fixed fees. First hour is charged even if I'm there 5 mins (covers my wasted travel time) then the rate drops by a tenner an hour for wet plumbing but stays at that higher rate for heating work.

People seem to think this is fair, and I get no problems.

One question though. I have taken on an aprentice, full time PAYE ect. Should I up my rate to at least cover some of his pay? I pay him minimum wage, £6.

(PS Croppie if you're reading this, I called the number of that lad you gave me about 4 times, and left a message, no return call from him).

Danny
Click to expand...

Hi Dan

I'm in the same boat with an apprentice, I have to pay £6 but the jobs dont take any less time, so how can you charge the customer more? in fact I can work faster on my own!
 
I know, it’s tricky...eventually I think when I can trust him on smaller jobs he will come into his own. Plus he will predict what I'll need next, and try to anticipate what I need...at least I hope so.

Can't charge any more for him at present though...or can I!?
 
Not being sketchy about pricing but pricing is like cloths you wear for what ever occasion and you have to make sure the cloths you wear are correct for the environment and what works you are doing

You change them all the time to meet the above,you have to be aware if it is raining or sunny and you have to have a wardrobe to take this into account

If you suspect a customer may want you to go swimming and you are happy to go swimming, ware your trucks ,you can take advantage of that ,if you ware suspenders and stockings on under his boiler suit,you my loss out while you adjust your wardrobe.If you have speedo's you have the job

Plenty of customers can see when a price is underdressed although you may have to point out a few missing buttons and many customers can see when a price includes all the clothing required although you may have to itemise the important garments thats missed from other quotes

If you have no dress sense you are in big do do :eek:
:cool::)


imho
 
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Keeping taking the meds Puddle!! LOL!

Yes aprentice is from college, first year. They sort out all the paper work. Been with me a week, so far so good.
 
At £6 hr for someone you dont know in their first year you have made a rod for your own back ! You are gonna get NI , sick pay, tax .
I do the apprentice rate first year currently £100 wk . At least you can see how they are gonna cope for a year
 
@@~~@}{+*)% @~@ (*&£$%)....

hope you take a nice relaxing weekend puddle...

@}{@
~~~~
 
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The college sort all the NI, tax, even pub liability insurance. No sick pay and all that to worry about, so PAYE is accuracte, but not quite. The college invoice me. Its a new scheme, they emailed me after I left my details when I renewed my last ACS.

I can't pay him £100 a week as some days I work for 10 hours or more. Its not fair.

First day with me was 13 hours, with no proper breaks, just eat his sarnies while driving between jobs. I had to get a load of extras done on an office refurb, and had to be done this week. He never complained once. Only 19 years old.
 
He does however smoke, which I hate...and he stank of **** the other day...also when he's not busy he stands around with his hands in his pockets (a pet hate of mine).
 
bert large said:
c

Do they enforce that principal by asking to see a GS card though ? Whats the betting they just say, "this needs to be fitted by a registered installer"

The only company I know of that rigidly enforces the "trade only" principal is Howdens, the kitchen supplier. Fair play to them, they will not sell or even give prices to non-account holders.
Click to expand...

bert the plumbfix/screwfix in huddersielfd and wakefield ask to see your card until they've all seen you a few times. i once phoned in for some stuff and my lackie only came back with half of it cos he isn't gsr yet.
 
Dannypipe said:
We're all so sketchy about telling each other what we charge!! No exact numbers.

I have fixed fees. First hour is charged even if I'm there 5 mins (covers my wasted travel time) then the rate drops by a tenner an hour for wet plumbing but stays at that higher rate for heating work.

People seem to think this is fair, and I get no problems.

One question though. I have taken on an aprentice, full time PAYE ect. Should I up my rate to at least cover some of his pay? I pay him minimum wage, £6.

(PS Croppie if you're reading this, I called the number of that lad you gave me about 4 times, and left a message, no return call from him).

Danny
Click to expand...

You now charge for a second man on jobs to cover his wage and your expenses
 
bod said:
bert the plumbfix/screwfix in huddersielfd and wakefield ask to see your card until they've all seen you a few times. i once phoned in for some stuff and my lackie only came back with half of it cos he isn't gsr yet.
Click to expand...

Sounds good Bod. Lets hope more of the merchants follow that example.
 
puddle said:
Not being sketchy about pricing but pricing is like cloths you wear for what ever occasion and you have to make sure the cloths you wear are correct for the environment and what works you are doing

You change them all the time to meet the above,you have to be aware if it is raining or sunny and you have to have a wardrobe to take this into account

If you suspect a customer may want you to go swimming and you are happy to go swimming, ware your trucks ,you can take advantage of that ,if you ware suspenders and stockings on under his boiler suit,you my loss out while you adjust your wardrobe.If you have speedo's you have the job

Plenty of customers can see when a price is underdressed although you may have to point out a few missing buttons and many customers can see when a price includes all the clothing required although you may have to itemise the important garments thats missed from other quotes

If you have no dress sense you are in big do do :eek:
:cool::)


imho
Click to expand...


Suspenders and stockings under your boiler suit! What sort of clients do you have Puddle?
 
bert large said:
c

Do they enforce that principal by asking to see a GS card though ? Whats the betting they just say, "this needs to be fitted by a registered installer"

The only company I know of that rigidly enforces the "trade only" principal is Howdens, the kitchen supplier. Fair play to them, they will not sell or even give prices to non-account holders.
Click to expand...

I think now they only sell this stuff in plumbfix? whicj is the trade only part at screwfix you do have to show gas safe card there when setting up your account
 
I would simply go by qualifications, level 2 basic, (just doing wet work) would be £30-£50p/h depending on area, Level 3 advanced wet work, Planning i.e. work that basically takes some thought and planning £60-£100 p/h depending on area, Gas work- £80- £120 again depending on area. My opinion is the more qualifications you have the more valuable you are to the customer, Also if you are cheap you will get loads of work, but everybody will recommend you because of your price, If you are expensive then people will recommend you due to your quality. The higher rate option will take longer to get busy 5 days a week, but once you are, you will be cruising on the river nile.

Also the biggest thing i find is that if the persons house is smelly and they start to say they know what they are talikng about, then chances are that you don't want the customer to recommend you to his friends/ family and to be honest, if you don't get the job, aint really a problem, so price higher. Nothing worse then somebody standing over you and watching your every move.

I have quoted one company £1200 for a toilet refurbishment and charged £1200 to another customer for 2 bathroom refurbishments, The difference is the amount of work involved, the toilet refurbishment has a cubical, urinal and some tiling, where as the bathroom is only the plumbing.
 
Gas work £80 - £120 an hour.

Well I'm in posh Tunbridge Wells, and I don't charge anywhere close to that. Practically half your lower figure.
 
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