New self-employed plumber wana-be!

[m4rkbr]

Hi, I have recently been made redundant and have decided to use the money I have been given to get my professional plumbing NVQ level 2/3 city and guilds. (I have no previous experience in plumbing)

Can anyone give me some good advice, can I become a self-employed plumber with just level 2? and are they any other things/ costs I need to be aware of?

Hope you can help

Mark

 

[Dan]

Welcome to Plumbing Forum | Plumbing Advice | Plumbers Forums | A forum for plumbers advice in the UK!

Welcome to UKPlumbersForums.co.uk m4rkbr. Thanks for introducing yourself.

 

[Puddle]

welcome m4rkbr

Hope you enjoy the forums

 

[REDSAW]

welcome.
£10k investment 4 years exp after nvq's to earn £18kp.a and your on your way, good luck.

 

[tamz]

welcome.
£10k investment 4 years exp after nvq's to earn £18kp.a and your on your way, good luck.

Not forgetting to keep some money back for the horse

 

[newbie1]

i love your enthusiasm
however please take a moment to digest a reality pill
redsaws post was totally accurate
heres a breakdown
Training and tools 10k
van/ins/tax/ 5k
public liability ins 300.00 to 500.00

approx cost to there 15-16k
now the tricky task of trying to
a/find someone to employ another new entrant
b/go self employed and try to find work

this is not meant as a dig this is just that loads of people come on here full of the joys of spring with the I want to be a plumber

please do a search on the subject and then do a search how many on here are earning a good living after completing their training and how much weight they have lost knawing their stumps in the lean periods

 

[turnpin]

welcome m4rkbrregards turnpin

 

[darrenbea]

go for it son what have you got to loose keep your head down rse up and you'll get there

 

[emerald]

i wish i trained as an electrician instead, normally alot cleaner

 

[dontknowitall]

m4rkbr

Lots of threads on this subject in these forums - so rather than repeating, try these three searches for starters: "self employed" "new business" "qualify".

Some posts/posters are very encouraging - others are pessimistic.

Most posters will agree though that most plumbers only earn a wage in this game, not a good salary. In the last couple of years and especially the last few months, the construction industry has been in fairly dire straits and that includes plumbing.

I'm not saying don't get into plumbing. I'm purely suggesting that it might be worth you researching more about the industry (and your marketing plan!) before you embark on an expensive course. Most who go on these courses drop out and/or fail within 12 months of finishing the course.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

hi welcome to the forum

steve

 

[oldplumber]

good luck, take note of redsaw comments and buy some very expensive kneepads

 

[samtheplumber]

after level two your a qualified wet plumber you jst dont have gas go for it mate!!!

 

[Toddyplumb]

"After level 2 you are a qualified wet plumber" Not in my world you aint !!

 

[johnmcginty]

welcome.
£10k investment 4 years exp after nvq's to earn £18kp.a and your on your way, good luck.

I know people who spent that and can't even get a job or any experience working for free and can't bring in enough to make a full living so just went back to their old jobs with a suicidal debt over their heads.

on a lighter note welcome to the forums mate and if you have got what it takes enjoy your new career path.

 

[samtheplumber]

"After level 2 you are a qualified wet plumber" Not in my world you aint !!

your old school then are you? if u have done the qualification and got the experience then go for it nothing wrong with that at all. its people like you that obviously dont give young newly qualified lads a chance! dont like the reply then dont comment at all.

 

[fuzzy]

after level two your a qualified wet plumber you jst dont have gas go for it mate!!!

your not a qualified wet plumber, your a qualified plumber

at l3 your a qualified advanced plumber. that may include gas and it may not depends which route you took.

you dont have to do gas to be a plumber, you dont have to be a plumber to work on gas

 

[samtheplumber]

your not a qualified wet plumber, your a qualified plumber

at l3 your a qualified advanced plumber. that may include gas and it may not depends which route you took.

you dont have to do gas to be a plumber, you dont have to be a plumber to work on gas

this is what i was trying to say at level 2 your a qualified plumber!! then level 3 u get ur unvented etc etc. but ur still a fully qualified plumber after level 2!! phew hah

 

[Toddyplumb]

Its people like me who take apprentices on , let them go to college give them 4 years on the tools with qualified tradesmen and at the end give them full time jobs.
Its the NVQ level 2 that has destroyed this trade . Just look at some of the questions on here from guys working in peoples houses and charging them , its a disgrace !
I would expect a level 2 plumber to know where on a cylinder the primary flow goes !

 

[tamz]

In total agreement with Toddy on this one.

 

[samtheplumber]

Its people like me who take apprentices on , let them go to college give them 4 years on the tools with qualified tradesmen and at the end give them full time jobs.
Its the NVQ level 2 that has destroyed this trade . Just look at some of the questions on here from guys working in peoples houses and charging them , its a disgrace !
I would expect a level 2 plumber to know where on a cylinder the primary flow goes !

well thats fair enough i do agree with you but i am speaking for the plumbers with x amount of years experience who have only just got there level 2 because papers are necessary these days on commercial works.
and also in response to your

i was discussing the the cold feed on an indirect open vented system not the primary heating circs thats where that got mixed up. sorry pal

 

[REDSAW]

you keep quoting 'level 2' do you refer to c&g level 2 or the level 2 nvq?.
theres a big difference?.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

another one?what the hell are the media saying about us because its all ballflux

 

[tamz]

well thats fair enough i do agree with you but i am speaking for the plumbers with x amount of years experience who have only just got there level 2 because papers are necessary these days on commercial works.

Thats a bit of a contradiction is it not

Should it not have read
"i am speaking for the plumbers with 0 amount of years experience who have only just got there level 2"

 

[johnmcginty]

WWW.Part-smart.com thats where you need to go to get your tools from,,,,

cheapest place on the net,,,,,,,100%%%%%%

Do you work for them ? It does not look that good mate tbh bad website and same prices as screwfix?

 

[traineedrip]

So for someone whos been on a C&G course, then with that alone goes out s/e and hopefully doesnt drown in their first week, how many years on the tools before their experienced enough to be a proper plumber?

Ive been told 5 years which being about halfway through im inclined to agree with. You slowly get the skills but the confidence lags behind and you need a good spread of jobs to learn from.

 

[Gray0689]

If confident and pick up trade well 3 years solid work should be ok to start on own

 

[Toddyplumb]

It depends what you are doing . I started a lad 4 yrs experience . All he could do was fit combi's . !

 

[Gray0689]

It depends what you are doing . I started a lad 4 yrs experience . All he could do was fit combi's . !

Yes toddyplumb your right depends if they have had varried experience seen lads who do industrial work and not got a clue on domestic