Using a car for plumbing jobs

[jstevens]

Hi

Do you think it would be fine just to use my car to get to and from plumbing jobs? All i would be taking is tools as i will just be doing maintenance jobs. Van Insurance is £4500+ as im 17.

 

[dontknowitall]

No troubles at all. A number of tradesmen use cars instead of vans. You thinking about an Aston Martin?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

cars not up to it really unless its a estate have you looked at vans with small engines and low ins groups? what van have you had a a quote on?

 

[Blake]

once he is up and running on 80k a year, the Aston will soon be in the double garage

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

once he is up and running on 80k a year, the Aston will soon be in the double garage

LOL ROFPML 80k eh? sorry tears in my eyes from laughing

 

[tiling spread]

the problem is if you get get pulled over or have a accident
youll be liable as its not a commercial veical or commercial insurance
KEEP IT COVERD AND BE SAFE LOL

 

[AWheating]

you will have to declare to your insurance company that you will be using the car for work purposes which will increase your insurance. Most standard private insurance polices will not cover your work useage only to and from a fixed place of work.

 

[dontknowitall]

the problem is if you get get pulled over or have a accident
youll be liable as its not a commercial veical or commercial insurance
KEEP IT COVERD AND BE SAFE LOL

I'd no idea about that one!

 

[jstevens]

Well ive just finished my city and guilds level 2 and starter city and guilds level 3 and nvq level 3 in a few weeks. I just want to do maintenance jobs at first for experience and a little bit of money. The van i have been looking at is a VAUXHALL COMBO Epic 1.7 Van Diesel its only £500 to buy but third party insurance £4500+. Its a stupid amount i already pay that per year for my car. Ill get a van in a few years once i have some no claims bonus to geet cheaper car and van insurance. I have a renault clio but i have at the moment 2 tool bags and a hand bender and pressure tester and stuff so i can fit it all in but would it be ok to turn up in a little car. Also how do i get a vice? I cant permenantly have one in my car lol

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

the problem is if you get get pulled over or have a accident
youll be liable as its not a commercial veical or commercial insurance
KEEP IT COVERD AND BE SAFE LOL

as aw heating said as long as insurers are told its for business use no problem its if you tell them its sdap then use it for work you will have problems probably void insurance in the event of a claim

 

[dontknowitall]

Are there grants available to help with insurance costs? You could try Business Link, especially if you're a new business.

 

[AWheating]

no claims normally can not be shared between two policys, you have to build each one up from scratch.

 

[Blake]

£4500 on insurance!! That's mental, that's like a weeks wages just on insurance. Glad I'm not 17, actually that's a lie, I love to be ruddy 17 again drinking cheap cider in the park and ............... sorry I digress

 

[tamz]

You will be cheaper getting the bus or phoning a taxi

As for the vices.........don't worry , they will develop as you get older

 

[AWheating]

i miss my 2 litre bottles of cider.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

chocolate is my vice.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

i miss my 2 litre maestro went like a 17 year old when given the green light by his girlfriend (not that i had one at 17) any slapper would do on a Saturday night digression again back to the maestro rusted away with old age bugger, way i am heading

 

[jstevens]

How do you lot thinks is the best way to get customers? Shoud i print off hundreds off leaflets and post them round or advertise in the local newspaper/yellow pages or print off business cards and post them round and give to people?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

one thread at a time kid what van have you been quoted on?

 

[AWheating]

i get most my customers from my ads in phone boxes!

 

[jstevens]

VAUXHALL COMBO Epic 1.7 Van Diesel w reg £500 and insurance £4500+

 

[villa_tom]

I think you just got to bite the bullit where insurance is concerned, I'm 23 and have only just had to get insurance as I have always had a company van. But now I am self employed had to get insurance. mines just over £2400, its a rip off but you have to do it.

But be prepared, its not the only thing you'll get stung on in this job.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

VAUXHALL COMBO Epic 1.7 Van Diesel w reg £500 and insurance £4500+

and you have tried the compare sites? the vauxhalls NOT a reliable van sadly can you gewt something on a 1.3 or 1.4 trouble with the combos its a 1.7 turbo diesel 100 bhp so quick when it works suffers diesel pump ecu failure which destroys the engine

 

[tamz]

i miss my 2 litre bottles of cider.

If you hurry up you'll still catch the offie for a couple of bottles of diamond white or try Volare and Buckfast (obviously in the same half pint glass) for that bit extra dunt

 

[jstevens]

Yep tried lods of compare sites and tried going directly to sites

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

tried nfu?

 

[cjg]

its not always wise to get 3rd party as often you can get better price fully comp, also can you put your dad on as other driver that also can help,

hope that gives you food for thought, plus a bottle of white lightening...lol

 

[jstevens]

No i havent ill try them now

 

[villa_tom]

Try a firm called Bwiser, they are a bit of a pain to deal with but they sort young people out. I'm with them and they got my quote right down. Originally I was quoted £3600 by Aviva and they insured me with Aviva for £2400. They are some sort of broker I wasn't to keen on it at first, I had to speak to them today because I smashed my windscreen today and like I say they are not the easiest to deal with but its all sorted now.

 

[tackleburger]

I think you just got to bite the bullit where insurance is concerned, I'm 23 and have only just had to get insurance as I have always had a company van. But now I am self employed had to get insurance. mines just over £2400, its a rip off but you have to do it.

But be prepared, its not the only thing you'll get stung on in this job.

I've got a Merc Vito £356 a year fully comp commercial policy.

 

[Howsie]

A car will be fine if you have scoped the job correctly. If you take the right tools with you, it'll be OK. The plus for having a van, is that you've all the things you need should the scope change. BTW, the scope always changes...

 

[tamz]

No i havent ill try them now

I can recommend the vanilla and red Cinnamon ones but everyone there is a flavour for everyone

















Volare obviously.
Buckfast is just buckfast












I really should know better and shouldn't be encouraging such things but it is the weekend

 

[villa_tom]

I've got a Merc Vito £356 a year fully comp commercial policy.

Mine goes down massivley soon, I have 0 years no claims at the moment, but my insurer accepted a letter off the firm I previously worked for that said I had driven for 5 years with no accidents. So at the end of this policy I will have 6 years no claims, so they reckon it'll ne about £500 or so this year. Insurance is a minefield and if you justtake things lying down they will screw every last penny out of you. I was prepared to pay alot more than I currently am and until I said "i'll think about it" they never told me that I could give them a letter stating my years of driving on a company vehicle.

 

[AWheating]

i got a simular deal as you tom, 2 years ago i got 06 vw transporter with 0 years ncb for £560 cus i had full no claims on my car and it got me a huge discount.

 

[jstevens]

Just looked on bewiser to insure FORD ESCORT 75 1.8D, 1753cc w reg £600 the insurance is £7138! Ill be working to buy for insurance. Might just have to do it in car and hopefully itll go down when i get older.

 

[kay-jay]

you will find it difficult to fit lengths of pipe in a car. i can just about manage in my estate but its far from ideal.
incidentally when i went self employed and declared it to the car insurers (churchill) i got a rebate. of £60

try asking your car insurer what difference it will make to your premium if you declare as self employed

good luck

KJ

 

[MickBrown]

Planning logo for side of van when I can afford one, do you think this would be good?

 

[kay-jay]

Planning logo for side of van when I can afford one, do you think this would be good? View attachment 2652

very funny!

 

[dontknowitall]

Excellent!!!

 

[Guest123]

I get more in my Mazda Premacy (estate car) than in a Renault Kangoo sized van, but I insure it under commercial insurance. At 17 this will cost you mate!

 

[WHPES]

I use an estate car for most jobs now. £100 to fill up the van, £40 to fill up the car, same mileage for full tank...........you do the sums. You don't need a van full of everything just to fit a loo! When fuel was cheap we thought nothing about whizzing about in the van all the time but it can now be up to £100 difference in a weeks work!

For larger jobs I often use the van to begin with and once I am started off I use the car. My electrician uses an estate car too and there is plenty of room for all his kit in there.

I have a number of tote boxes (the heavy plastic ones with the folding lids), one for each type of job (eg oil boilers, general plumbing (with silicone, cordless drill and fasteners), Pipe fittings etc, fasterners, waste pipe fittings and traps, and so on, plus one tool box for plumbing tools and another for oil boiler tools. For example if I am fitting a basin I grab the plumbing toolbox, the plumbing tote box and the wastepipe tote box in the back of the estate - therefore everything I am likely to need all together.

As long as your car is clean and tidy. If you use the car for leisure then seat covers are a good idea.

 

[carpstu]

you can buy an astravan with a 1300cc petrol engine it should be cheeper to insure

 

[Guest123]

you will find it difficult to fit lengths of pipe in a car.

I got round this by making a pipe rack out of a 3metre length of 110mm pipe with a screw on end cap attached to each end and fitting it to my roof rack. I keep all my copper, plastic pipe and waste pipe in it and the pipe rack is easily removable.

 

[GQuigley67]

I used to do boiler installs from my astra, its easy enough as long as you get the materials delivered

on the subject of insurance, its a total rip off for young people I had to get third party fire and theft only on my transit as it was a 2.2 turbo diesel, fully comp was £3000
The thing is though, with my astra although it was a smaller engine, it had better bhp so it seemed much faster, and I was only £1200 fully comp.

 

[jstevens]

Yeah insurance is a rip off. I have an 02 clio 1.1 and the cheapest insurance i got was £4700 third party!

 

[Toddyplumb]

Just renewed my van insurances . Original quote had gone up 25.8% 9 years no claims on 2 vans . Have just saved £500 from last years price shopping around

 

[GQuigley67]

when I was 17 I was quoted at £3500 for a 1.6 astra so you must be doing something wrong mate try fully comp instead of third party and reduce your anual mileage or something, also get your parents onto your insurance brings the price down

 

[carpstu]

Yeah insurance is a rip off. I have an 02 clio 1.1 and the cheapest insurance i got was £4700 third party!

4700? how old are you an where ever do ulive to get that sort of price

 

[jstevens]

Im 17 and i live in Essex

 

[carpstu]

Im 17 and i live in Essex

where in essex essex is a big place
i use to live nr halstead which is in essex and i never paid that nor anyone younger i worked with for that matter