Email from customer following quote. Wants breakdown

[armyash]

Hi

Received the following email this morning, she's an ex work mate of my partner (so probably expecting the work for peanuts).

The work she wants doing is an existing ensuite shower room - renew tray and enclosure and fit wall panels, renew toilet, currently a low level with cistern boxed in she wants to keep a low level but with cistern not boxed in. Replace big horrible corner unit and basin with slim modern unit and basin. Taps waste etc.

Existing Bathroom out. Low profile tray in with screen/deflector. Wall panels. Replace wc and basin with new close coupled toilet and wall hung basin with 1/2 ped taps waste etc. Extractor to be fitted. Space is limited will be hard with 2 people working.

Downstairs wc. Renew low level wc fit new wall hung basin.

Will be laying hardboard over all the floors and also laying new vinyl flooring. Will also add pvc skirtings to freshen up the rooms. No new rads.

2 of us would be doing it.

The downstairs wc is a day.

Ensuite 2-3 days.

Bathroom 3-4 days..

Said we would also fit any accessories mirrors, cabinets etc. The only thing we wouldn't be doing is decorating because they said they would sort it out. Materials ordered from big merchants not victoria plumb.

Obviously I've allowed a bit on top for the unforseen and a mark up on materials (15%)

Priced it at 9500.

 

[chris watkins]

And what are you asking Ash ???

 

[townfanjon]

You have given her the “price” i.e quotation.
Its up to you if you break it down .

 

[armyash]

Lol sorry wasn't very clear.

Is that a reasonable request from the customer?

To what extent should I break it down? It would take a while to list the materials.

Or should I say its x for materials and y for labour. Keep it simple. I haven't had this before but I've seen similar threads here and on facebook groups and it usually points to the customer being a nuisance.

I'm not vat registered.

What difference does it make if they pay me cash? It's not doing me a favour that I can take a large sum of cash and dodge the tax.

Just wondering what sort of response would be good. I can split the labour and materials.

Getting asked all this from a customer is making me think they are suspecting I'm hiding something or trying to rip them off.

 

[chris watkins]

I don't read their request as anything other than - can we have a split in the cost between the 2 bathrooms i.e. total cost for down what is left for upstairs.

Just explain that it makes no difference for cash or other ways.
And you are not VAT register so there is no extra on top of your quote.
P.S. Ash, just watch that you don't go over the VAT threshold it is a rolling 12 month on turnover.

 

[chris watkins]

If they do want a detailed break down of costs then you always have the option to say NO.
I take it your quote was as detailed as your post ?

 

[armyash]

If they do want a detailed break down of costs then you always have the option to say NO.
I take it your quote was as detailed as your post ?

Even more so, which reminds me it also includes fitting a shower and associated pipe work.

 

[mfgs]

I read it as just being a total price for each bathroom too. I don't see any reason to not split the quote, as no doubt you would have worked it out that way when pricing anyway

 

[armyash]

Thanks for the replies, perhaps I was being a bit paranoid!

I will split the jobs down and send individual prices.

 

[Scott_D]

I don't have an answer to your question but are you really going to do an ensuite in 2-3 days?

 

[JCplumb]

Same as above, they're asking for a price per bathroom and are paying up front for each one. They'll need to know how much each time so they can pay you. Nothing wrong with that

 

[Welder]

...are you really going to do an ensuite in 2-3 days?

I agree. Personally I cannot see it being done in those time frames wioth being thrown in which I already understand you would not do!

 

[armyash]

I don't have an answer to your question but are you really going to do an ensuite in 2-3 days?

Its tray and enclosure, waste etc. Wall panels. Same size tray going back in as what's there now.

Remove low level wc and boxing. Remove old basin and unit. Fit new low level wc. Fit vanity unit and basin, taps etc. Tiled splash back. Renew some boxing.

Hard board the floor. Lay new vinyl and pvc skirtings. All making good.

2 of us. We work very hard. Don't usually bother with lunch.. No other decorating, customer will be painting.

If it means a long day to finish on the last that's what we do. I think 3 days is plenty.

 

[Welder]

2 of us.

So 6 man days per space. No problem then.

 

[armyash]

Yes 2 of us perhaps that wasn't made clear in an earlier post.

 

[Welder]

Yes 2 of us perhaps that wasn't made clear in an earlier post.

I was as clear as day, but I still didn't see it

 

[Scott_D]

Its tray and enclosure, waste etc. Wall panels. Same size tray going back in as what's there now.

Remove low level wc and boxing. Remove old basin and unit. Fit new low level wc. Fit vanity unit and basin, taps etc. Tiled splash back. Renew some boxing.

Hard board the floor. Lay new vinyl and pvc skirtings. All making good.

2 of us. We work very hard. Don't usually bother with lunch.. No other decorating, customer will be painting.

If it means a long day to finish on the last that's what we do. I think 3 days is plenty.

Not doubting you, just asking as only one person can usually be in an ensuite at a time.

 

[armyash]

Not doubting you, just asking as only one person can usually be in an ensuite at a time.

Will be plenty of room. Rip it all out, do the basin and toilet then deal with the enclosure and tray.

 

[Meady]

I don't do bathrooms but my next door neighbour just had someone re-do theirs and he was there for 10 days

 

[armyash]

I don't do bathrooms but my next door neighbour just had someone re-do theirs and he was there for 10 days

we've done a few together now and i'll be honest when we've thought something will take us 3 days it ends up being 4 and so on. neither of these rooms are very big. There's no tiling except splash backs. No radiators being changed and i know nothing ever goes to plan and things are not as straight forward as you'd like to expect.

 

[SimonG]

10 days for a bathroom for me on my own. Would struggle to see 2 people working together in a bathroom or ensuite. But then I'm a fat b'stard.

 

[armyash]

10 days for a bathroom for me on my own. Would struggle to see 2 people working together in a bathroom or ensuite. But then I'm a fat b'stard.

LOL I'm skinny as a rake! It does get a bit tight but if if we're at the stage where only one can be doing something then the other is clearing up or doing something. Not always ideal but we work well together and we share the stress.

 

[Phil]

I couldn't work with a helper in a bathroom, I'm sooo easily distracted and basically stop work until the person has gone.

 

[armyash]

I couldn't work with a helper in a bathroom, I'm sooo easily distracted and basically stop work until the person has gone.

I do actually prefer to work by myself if I can but we do work well together and I don't mind making less to get the work done quicker. It feels less stressful and we both tell each other if something the other doing is not very good.

 

[Stigster]

I couldn't work with a helper in a bathroom, I'm sooo easily distracted and basically stop work until the person has gone.

My wife takes the p*** out of me because I can't make a sandwich and talk at the same time. She says "Whenever your hands move your mouth stops working" and to be honest, she's right. I cannot multitask to save my life and I have to concentrate on what I'm doing.

 

[Phil]

It happend today, my customer came in to help me clear up but I was too polite to tell her no I can do it quicker on my own and that she should go back to watching Homes under the hammer. I lost about an hour.

 

[Stigster]

It happend today, my customer came in to help me clear up but I was too polite to tell her no I can do it quicker on my own and that she should go back to watching Homes under the hammer. I lost about an hour.

Bung it on the bill as an extra.

 

[MOSSEP]

If you wanted work to be carried out and wanted a breakdown of costs would you think that was unreasonable? I don’t think it is myself.

 

[armyash]

If you wanted work to be carried out and wanted a breakdown of costs would you think that was unreasonable? I don’t think it is myself.

Email sent and price accepted.

Seems I was thinking the worst. Sent a price for each room as a different job, she was obviously happy with that.

I was dreading them wanting detailed list of parts. I said I'm not vat registered so makes no difference about payment.

 

[SimonG]

Just sounds like a bit of a misunderstanding then. Gladit's sorted.