thinking of packing it in !

[on31ll]

thinking of packing in plumbing and finding somthing else ! im a tradesman and although a "baby" i know i am a tradesman at heart working with my hands but you cant make money from this anymore ! and it just gets worse and worse ! while prices go down and down the fees and crap you have to belong to just goes up and up ! its not even enjoyable anymore ! ive been doing plumbing since i was 14-15 learnt hard way and sent myself to college etc. but its just crap now ! cant afford to get my gas really and all i seem to be doing is giving work to a gas lad and making nothing off him and hes a top bellend, dont start me on that ***** ! but even the gas work has stopped coming in ! ive done 7 quotes past 2 weeks for big jobs like unvented installs etc and they have all said yer deffo thats what we want but we need a few months to save up cash ! its a joke !

ive even started looking into office jobs ! thats not me atall !

cheers lads rant over !

p.s if i do pack it in do i have to give up my pub membership ?

 

[hammers4spanner]

i feel like this everyday but keep plugging on its no where near as good as it use to be and the trade is full of urseholes,

I would keep plugging away imho if i was you or if you get gas works ask one of the guys on here,

I must admit i still want to work with pipes but looking at other avenues now

 

[jase158]

keep at it mate, things will get better, thing is, people felt better off end of last year, beginning of this, and now they are all thinking, god I spent too much. things will pick up in 2015, just hold out until then

 

[on31ll]

i feel like this everyday but keep plugging on its no where near as good as it use to be and the trade is full of urseholes,

I would keep plugging away imho if i was you or if you get gas works ask one of the guys on here,

I must admit i still want to work with pipes but looking at other avenues now

yer id never take anything of one of the lads doing gas though if you get me like make anything off the top because there not making as much as they want and you cant add more because then the customer sees their bum !

 

[on31ll]

I must admit i still want to work with pipes but looking at other avenues now

what you looking into ? anything good ?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Use to do alot of mechanical fiiting (been a while tho) got one eye on these nuclear power stations as already Hp qualified

 

[on31ll]

Use to do alot of mechanical fiiting (been a while tho) got one eye on these nuclear power stations as already Hp qualified

that sounds a laugh. hp standing for ? high pressure ?

 

[hammers4spanner]

health physics

done the courses set by bnf

 

[TomLane]

Feel your pain!

On a project with my brother at the minute, basically whole house refurb with extension. Doing a bit of everything which is great but clients father is a first class space cadet! Retired MD for Barratt homes in the south west apparently so he thinks he knows the renovation game inside out! The blokes made so many balls ups its unreal! He watches over us like nobody's business. We've told him several times to do one. I walked off site last Thursday & told him he better sort himself out or he'll be left with a half finished house! Tuesday - fine, yesterday - not great, today - nightmare.

It's times like this you really do feel like saying that's it. No more. I'm off. Find something new.

But just stop before you do that & just think how far you've come! Like you said, it's been years for you in this game. Don't give up now!!

 

[on31ll]

makes better sense ! than high pressure had a blank mind !

 

[on31ll]

Feel your pain!

On a project with my brother at the minute, basically whole house refurb with extension. Doing a bit of everything which is great but clients father is a first class space cadet! Retired MD for Barratt homes in the south west apparently so he thinks he knows the renovation game inside out! The blokes made so many balls ups its unreal! He watches over us like nobody's business. We've told him several times to do one. I walked off site last Thursday & told him he better sort himself out or he'll be left with a half finished house! Tuesday - fine, yesterday - not great, today - nightmare.

It's times like this you really do feel like saying that's it. No more. I'm off. Find something new.

But just stop before you do that & just think how far you've come! Like you said, it's been years for you in this game. Don't give up now!!

its strange really like i love plumbing i really do i enjoy the more commercial stuff since being involved init but i have seen the hype on this work and everyone thinking its a saviour and jumping to commercial so i can forsee it taking a further dive than it already has ! croppie and other can prob comment in this.

every minute im on the computer or i get bored im on my phone looking or reading plumbing things ! but i just cant see this industry picking up much ! and im starting to hate it ! every obsiticale that could happen always happens to me !

 

[Leo21]

All the best, like others have said i feel like that a lot. There's still money to be made, although not Ferrari money. But it's out there, experience, confidence and good customer relations. It all takes time to build though.
And you should take something of your Gas fella, if I recommend a tradesman I expect something in return. Favours as in a good price for a job in my own home or for him to recommend me. My roofer who does my awkward vertical flues does my jobs cheap because he knows I recommend him to my customers.

 

[on31ll]

by the way anyone got an CV so i can have a nosey and write one up ?

 

[on31ll]

All the best, like others have said i feel like that a lot. There's still money to be made, although not Ferrari money. But it's out there, experience, confidence and good customer relations. It all takes time to build though.
And you should take something of your Gas fella, if I recommend a tradesman I expect something in return. Favours as in a good price for a job in my own home or for him to recommend me. My roofer who does my awkward vertical flues does my jobs cheap because he knows I recommend him to my customers.

ha ha the lad i was using wanted to charge 70 to reinstall a hob ok which is fair do's except wanted me to go round first and cut counter top out and sit the hob in so all he had to so was tighten the elbow ! for me to make nothing off him ! other things to but just a **** take !

 

[Keefy]

I decided not to bother renewing my gas because EVERYONE is doing it now. Don't know how many of my customers have called and sounded almost apologetic because they; "only have a small plumbing job and I understand that you're probably too busy with bigger jobs but could you do it?"

People think there's a shortage of plumbers because everyone advertises themselves more as gas fitters and presume because of this they're all mad busy making mega bucks to go and do a silly little job like change a pair of taps, do a bathroom swap, fix the toilet etc.

Everyone knows I'm there for them no matter how small the job. I'm doing alright out of them while the gas fitters fight over work.

 

[Leo21]

Is this in the arms?

 

[on31ll]

I decided not to bother renewing my gas because EVERYONE is doing it now. Don't know how many of my customers have called and sounded almost apologetic because they; "only have a small plumbing job and I understand that you're probably too busy with bigger jobs but could you do it?"

People think there's a shortage of plumbers because everyone advertises themselves more as gas fitters and presume because of this they're all mad busy making mega bucks to go and do a silly little job like change a pair of taps, do a bathroom swap, fix the toilet etc.

Everyone knows I'm there for them no matter how small the job. I'm doing alright out of them while the gas fitters fight over work.

im short on domestic work but not short on the shopfitting etc but that moneys crap ! and you gotta wait 90 days

 

[hammers4spanner]

Feel your pain!

On a project with my brother at the minute, basically whole house refurb with extension. Doing a bit of everything which is great but clients father is a first class space cadet! Retired MD for Barratt homes in the south west apparently so he thinks he knows the renovation game inside out! The blokes made so many balls ups its unreal! He watches over us like nobody's business. We've told him several times to do one. I walked off site last Thursday & told him he better sort himself out or he'll be left with a half finished house! Tuesday - fine, yesterday - not great, today - nightmare.

It's times like this you really do feel like saying that's it. No more. I'm off. Find something new.

But just stop before you do that & just think how far you've come! Like you said, it's been years for you in this game. Don't give up now!!

Aint called steve mace is he

 

[Keefy]

im short on domestic work but not short on the shopfitting etc but that moneys crap ! and you gotta wait 90 days

I saw a gap in the market but to fill that gap I needed to step back down to the general, more traditional role of a plumber. When people call me they know they're speaking to a plumber - with no bells and whistles attached.

I see other 'plumbing & heating engineers' in my area but no longer see them as competition because I'm (hate this saying...) just a plumber.

 

[AWheating]

gas work (domestic installation) imo has never been a higher paid job than plumbing, everywhere ive worked its been equal or less really.

 

[Leo21]

I hardly do any plumbing, haven't done a bathroom for ten years plus. Everything plumbing goes to my dad. I'm the opposite and customers call me to recommend a plumber or for gas work.

 

[on31ll]

Is this in the arms?

yer why you say ?

 

[on31ll]

I saw a gap in the market but to fill that gap I needed to step back down to the general, more traditional role of a plumber. When people call me they know they're speaking to a plumber - with no bells and whistles attached.

I see other 'plumbing & heating engineers' in my area but no longer see them as competition because I'm (hate this saying...) just a plumber.

i think it helps because liverpool is bigger ! over here you walk in even the smallest of merchants and there 50 sets of business cards on the table !

 

[on31ll]

gas work (domestic installation) imo has never been a higher paid job than plumbing, everywhere ive worked its been equal or less really.

a few months back i was giving away 3-4 jobs a day on gas ! so say £60-£70 a job it adds up !

 

[Leo21]

yer why you say ?

You have to be clever with your charging, emergencies and small jobs are where you can charge. Be up front about it, you know what it costs to run a business. Never feel guilty for making a good wage. Because that's what you can get.

 

[Keefy]

i think it helps because liverpool is bigger ! over here you walk in even the smallest of merchants and there 50 sets of business cards on the table !

Your area is part of my work area, so much so that I'm considering getting one of those annual Mersey Tunnel passes.

 

[on31ll]

Ha ha you stepping on my toes ! Tredding on my turth here ! Its war !!!!!

Nah all good for you pal ! You will save money with tunnel pass !

 

[Keefy]

Ha ha you stepping on my toes ! Tredding on my turth here ! Its war !!!!!

Nah all good for you pal ! You will save money with tunnel pass !

I did your mum's taps last week.

 

[REDSAW]

shopfitting business is our family's forte'

the money is in refridgeration engineering anual testing

 

[on31ll]

I did your mum's taps last week.

Funny you say that the washer has gone in her kitchen tap ! So if you did do it get back here to cowboy ! Or im sending purple aki to burts your asshole ! Again !!!

 

[on31ll]

shopfitting business is our family's forte'

the money is in refridgeration engineering anual testing

What type of stuff you shopfitting ?

Im actually just looking into becoming approved meter installer ! Set up a business suppling meters and new connections ! Have a few lads ? Keep it simple but run well ! I could get the deal to supply every nandos with a new meter that would be a start !

 

[on31ll]

Where abouts round my ways have you been working keefy baby ? Not assed like just seeing if i can give you any insider info ?

 

[Keefy]

Funny you say that the washer has gone in her kitchen tap ! So if you did do it get back here to cowboy ! Or im sending purple aki to burts your asshole ! Again !!!

Mustn't be your mum after all, these had ceramic discs. :uhoh2:

 

[on31ll]

Ha ha if you didnt make me laugh id call you a **** !










**** !!!

 

[Keefy]

So you still thinking of packing it all in and becoming a desk jockey or something? I bet you're still here in 10 years time.