My 2p worth

[moony]

If materials cost you £400 & you charge £800 it wont be long before the customer realises he could of bought them himself for less than you are charging! Sorry but its practices like this that get plumbers their 'rip off ' reputation & gives us plumbers a bad name. We all like to make a bit, but there is making a bit & 'making a bit'!

if it cost you 400 and the customer could only buy it for 800 i dont see the prob with this... i go to wickes and b and q - check out there prices and charge the customer them prices...

10 mm compression tee in b and q = 8 quid for example

 

[Spike295]

if it cost you 400 and the customer could only buy it for 800 i dont see the prob with this... i go to wickes and b and q - check out there prices and charge the customer them prices...

10 mm compression tee in b and q = 8 quid for example

Do you give pensioners 20% discount on a wednesday?
I'm the same as the next man who wants to make a bit on materials, but i can honestly say i dont get 50% discount over what Joe Public could buy the same for from my local merchant!

 

[royston]

I agree some prices quoted on here i dont understand how they get the jobs ! If you can then fair enough. But round here you wouldnt get the job, or you wouldnt get any more work off them. As above i dont know where you can get 50% discount on materials either,

 

[SafeGasInstall]

local merchant is more expansive then tool-station and screw fix like %30-%50

 

[Spike295]

local merchant is more expansive then tool-station and screw fix like %30-%50

Exactly..screwfix & tool-station are always packed with Joe Public who are more wise about prices than some people think! This is also an open forum for Joe Public to view, stating that material prices are charged out at more than original prices & labour charges of £360 a day is insane in my view, then people wonder why they dont have much work & why customers shop around for a good quote!!! Its giving plumbers a bad name!!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

for central London this prices are spot on ,worked for company in Kensington charge rate was £90 for the first half hour then £90 per hour plus the cost of materials and parking and all consumables
off hours £120 for the first 30 min then £120 per hour
Customers had no problem with it they were happy paying !

 

[dontknowitall]

I buy as much as possible from my local merchants for five reasons (that I can think of):

1. They're local
2. They deliver large items (and would a small item in an emergency)
3. They're friendly
4. They give me enough of a discount now that they're cheaper than Screwfix and others of that genre.
5. They have a pretty good range of stock and can order many other items not normally in stock.

 

[Spike295]

I buy as much as possible from my local merchants for five reasons (that I can think of):

1. They're local
2. They deliver large items (and would a small item in an emergency)
3. They're friendly
4. They give me enough of a discount now that they're cheaper than Screwfix and others of that genre.
5. They have a pretty good range of stock and can order many other items not normally in stock.

I deal with a local family run merchant & have done so for 20years at least & all because of the reasons above...i get good discounts but never 50%.

 

[tackleburger]

I went through some tough times because I felt sorry for punters but I don't take any less that £75 ex vat for a job now. What I found was I'd take all that rubbish on for £50 a time then you get the pan that won't seal, that tap cartridge you can't find etc etc and while you are doing that the £3k bathroom job is running behind and the cheque is not in your hand on time and the bills still come out the bank, without waiting for you to finish a job off.

I did a job three years ago on the cheap for a landlord and he called me today because the pressure is rising on the boiler, which has a five year warranty. He said "They will charge if it's not a boiler problem will you nip up and have a look first." I said "Sure how do you want to pay?" Silence said it all. "How much?" " £90 including the VAT and it's Saturday afternoon but since you are a previous customer i'll go for my standard rate" "But you fitted it and gave me the five year warranty?" "Yes, three years ago, I can't see it being an installation issue at all." So i suggested he check the filling loop and if it's not that to wait for Vaillant.

Now I could have went couldn't I and used some of the £90s worth of fuel I put in my van on Friday, left the family for a couple of hours etc etc. Interestingly enough I haven't serviced it for thae last two years so if the expansion vessel is low pressure Vaillant will bill him and I hope they do.

 

[tackleburger]

Merchants will sell to the public at the same price as us the internet has seen to that. On big ticket stuff your lucky to make 5-10% getting the VAT back is the only plus if you are registered that is. If your not then it pays to be registered in this game. You can make a decent margin on fittings and pipe as you will always be cheaper than the sheds even with 50% added on so to me that's fair enough. You have to hold stock, go and collect it, you know what will do the job first time so no-one should complain about that. If they do they can go to the local handyman and pay twice. I don't mind getting the odd raised eyebrow as I believe the price will be forgotten if a good, puctual job is done and having the odd comment on your prices means you are about right. Wouldn't be the first time I have done a job and when asking how he got me he said that he'd been let down and I'd been recommended but he knew it wouldn't be cheap.