How long to install shower pump? Reality check required, please.

[Ric2013]

Hi. I'm currently estimating on installing a new shower pump to feed an existing bath/shower diverter.

Hot side: fit flange and spherical valve and Y strainer to old cylinder, reduce to 15 mm and to pump flexi and reconnect existing hot distributing pipe.
Repair shelf in AC and fit twin impeller pump.
New spur from existing circuit in A/C to new FCU for pump.
Cold side: drain CWSC, clean out, overhaul FOV, replace sagging chipboard with ply or T & G, new tank connector outlet, spherical valve, pipe in 22 around loft hatch and through ceiling into A/C, spherical valve, line strainer, reduce to 15, and to pump flexi.
Outlets: 15mm up through ceiling of AC, around loft hatch, auto air vents at highest point, and drop through ceiling down bathroom wall (visible) and under bath. Remove old pump from under bath, connect pumped 15mm to existing runs to bath tap/shower diverter, and cut out dead leg.

Insulate all new pipework except visible pipe in bathroom. All copper.

Cylinder stat is working, but out of calibration, so also need to bring it up to temperature slowly and check the outlet until it is actually 60 and not 75! And then dab of glue to stop people fiddling, methinks.

There seems to be a fair amount of pratting about with cleaning/servicing, carpentry, and electrics. Have to drop via loft as customer doesn't want floor lifting. Loft access is good, but CWSC is on the other side of the hatch from the AC and the F&E is directly above the AC, so this makes it a bit more fiddly.

Am I mad to think I'd be lucky to get this done in 2 days @ 8hours a day? I am thinking it's 2 days and a few hours to finish off on day 3...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I would allow 2 days

 

[Ric2013]

I would allow 2 days

Well, considering my day rate is below-average (£190, a tenner off if they pay promply), then it sounds as if I'm not far off then.

 

[Knappers]

£190?
Do you cycle to work and use their tools?

 

[Murdoch]

Well, considering my day rate is below-average (£190, a tenner off if they pay promply), then it sounds as if I'm not far off then.

Wow that's low.

A friend of mine in Guildford got quoted last week £200 to turn up and £175 per hour .......

 

[Ric2013]

£190?
Do you cycle to work and use their tools?

I'm not very fast, I believe. I can only charge the going rate for the task in hand. I have seen another local plumber whose work is not as good as mine because he is slapdash but he is also extremely quick and skilled: it is obvious that he probably could do work to my standard FAR quicker than I do.

I only cycle to the merchants on occasion as it beats sitting in traffic when I haven't heavy or bulky stuff to carry.

Realistically, my day rate is not my hourly rate x 8, so if I get small jobs, they are still worth my while.

 

[Ric2013]

Wow that's low.

A friend of mine in Guildford got quoted last week £200 to turn up and £175 per hour .......

Guildford is a quarter of the distance from the M25 Colchester is... must be an expensive area... but did he accept the quote? When I hear people (not people asking me to do work and thus trying to lower my charges) in Colchester tell me plumbers charge a lot, they generally quote a figure that isn't much more than mine.

The anticipated materials for this come to £794 (including my 10% mark-up). I swore too when I saw the total. Some of my material prices have more than doubled in the last few years.

How much can we expect customers to afford? Add 380 (2 days @ 190) and you have £1174. 3 days makes it £1364. Do people really pay that to have a shower pump fitted? Blows my mind a little if they do.

Open questions - I am not saying I know the answers.

 

[Timmy D]

Guildford is a quarter of the distance from the M25 Colchester is... must be an expensive area... but did he accept the quote? When I hear people (not people asking me to do work and thus trying to lower my charges) in Colchester tell me plumbers charge a lot, they generally quote a figure that isn't much more than mine.

The anticipated materials for this come to £794 (including my 10% mark-up). I swore too when I saw the total. Some of my material prices have more than doubled in the last few years.

How much can we expect customers to afford? Add 380 (2 days @ 190) and you have £1174. 3 days makes it £1364. Do people really pay that to have a shower pump fitted? Blows my mind a little if they do.

Open questions - I am not saying I know the answers.

If that’s your day rate, why are you working for yourself when you can get that working for someone else, without all the headache of running your own jobs, getting materials, quotes etc.
After your overheads, what are you actually taking home? £150, £130 a day?

You pretty much need to double your prices. I’m outer London, within m25 and I’m anywhere between £400-£600 a day depending on domestic/commercial.
Go into London and it’s £750-£1,100.

Forget factoring in materials, the materials cost is the materials. That cost will be similar whoever does the work.

If you’re not losing 25%-50% of your quotes due to price, you’re to cheap.

I also get full payment up front and pretty much only work on referrals.

If they don’t wanna pay, I don’t need the work/headache.

Just make sure the quality backs up the price.

 

[Murdoch]

Guildford is a quarter of the distance from the M25 Colchester is... must be an expensive area... but did he accept the quote?

No. Dusted off his tools after a visit to toolstation

 

[SimonG]

2 days labour, materials plus 30% and a bit added on for the chew.