Why I hate small jobs in a nutshell

[cr0ft]

Phone rings - 'Hi, can you come and replace our bath taps, we want a bath/shower mixer thingy. We also have a leak under our kitchen sink. How much will it be?'

Me - 'Usually £60 plus VAT for the first hour which is normally enough to sort both of those out.'

I get there with the apprentice. Turns out to be the original taps on an old cast iron bath. The brass backing nuts have seized onto the cast iron bath so well that nothing, and I mean nothing is getting them off. Only option is to angle grind off the taps and knock them through as there is no room to get the angle grinder underneath the bath. I explain to the customer that there is a good chance this could damage the bath. Customer understandably doesn't want to risk it as they are having the bathroom replaced next year.

Thus no pay there today.

Leaking kitchen sink waste, cheap imported sink with non-standard fittings underneath, has been bodged already. No standard pipe or trap can be inserted into the leaking outlet to repair the leak. Tried some plumbers gold, not very confident it is going to stop the leak so didn't charge any labour at all this evening.

Potentially out of this I may have a sink replacement and a bathroom install but there's a good chance I've wasted 2 hours completely tonight. All for what would have been probably £30 profit normally!

 

[Phil]

This one was an old brass back nut. I've used the Fein before to cut plastic ones that are tight but does it cut brass ones?

Yes...bi-metal blade and a case of just hacking at the nut in whatever place it will fit into and then spiting the nut with a chisel.

 

[WHPES]

I tend to have a backlog of small jobs which I can do in between larger ones or whilst waiting for stuff to be delivered so you aren't non-productive. Yes some small jobs can be a pain but I give them an hourly rate and tell them it will probably be so long but at worst can be so long etc. Thats the rate, take it or leave it......

 

[cr0ft]

Yes...bi-metal blade and a case of just hacking at the nut in whatever place it will fit into and then spiting the nut with a chisel.

Interesting. I grudge paying full price for Fein blades. Luckily I have the old style Fein that accepts cheap blades off Ebay. Got 40 wood blades for it on Ebay for £60recently. Will look for bi-metal blades on there too. Cheers.

 

[mickie]

you think 60 is cheap, me too, i lost 95% of my work from a company today by a man who is doing jobs like this for £35.. he must live in a mud hut.. i hate the north east..

 

[kay-jay]

i love jobbing, much more money for much less effort.
ok so occasionally you get a pain in the bum job, but you will win far more than you lose.

 

[Ermintrude]

It's odd everyone seems to make money in different places. I seem to make a significantly higher margin per day doing installs than jobbing about, servicing or repairs - perhaps too cheap on the latter?

 

[Leo21]

I like to do a mixture, an install early in the week and then jobbing to fill the gaps. I'm far to fluxed to nothing but installs. And it's nice to wind down the week jobbing.

 

[cr0ft]

I make much more money on installs than small repairs and servicing. I enjoy putting in my own work more than fixing other people's as well to be honest. Less stressful.

 

[Leo21]

I make much more money on installs than small repairs and servicing. I enjoy putting in my own work more than fixing other people's as well to be honest. Less stressful.

You need to price your small jobs better!

 

[Ermintrude]

Small jobs suck. Mono block in our main bathroom come loose, tightened up and the 4p mmonoblock back washer crumpled. Any ideas where I can get one Saturday pm?

 

[kay-jay]

Make one up ermi

 

[helpsy]

I have a tub that i put things in like that when I remove old item and keep in van along with things like pump screws.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i have a tub that i put things in like that when i remove old item and keep in van along with things like pump screws.

ive carried the center screw from a gunfoss pump around for the last twenty years since the day i dropped one down a hole in the floor of an airing cupboard

 

[Ermintrude]

I have a tub that i put things in like that when I remove old item and keep in van along with things like pump screws.

Wanna drop one off for me

 

[solutions]

ive carried the center screw from a gunfoss pump around for the last twenty years since the day i dropped one down a hole in the floor of an airing cupboard

And you wont need it till the day you dont have it. Maybe we should start wearing parts jewelry to ward off the dropped screw between the floor boards or down the soil pipe JuJu?

 

[Leo21]

My favourite is vent nipples firing off into the ether. Specially the ones in airing cupboards.

 

[Ermintrude]

Test nippers in dark when it's cold with consealed box and gravel

 

[Leo21]

Test nippers in dark when it's cold with consealed box and gravel

Ermy my old fruit, what are you in about?

 

[cr0ft]

You need to price your small jobs better!

If I price any more than £60 + VAT for 1st hour customer will run a mile.

At that price all the running around (to me) getting bits etc is just not worth it.

 

[Ermintrude]

Ermy my old fruit, what are you in about?

Meter test nipple, meter located in a semi concealed meter box. The box surrounded by gravel it's cold and dark and you drop nipple, nine in van and it's past 6pm

 

[kay-jay]

Meter test nipple, meter located in a semi concealed meter box. The box surrounded by gravel it's cold and dark and you drop nipple, nine in van and it's past 6pm

Nine in van ? Should be easy to find one eh

 

[Ermintrude]

Sorry German is rusty nein

 

[gassafe]

Okay, another thing I struggle with on small jobs is customers & setting arrival times!!! They seem to want precise times, which is pretty difficult when jobbing as I don't know how long the jobs will take if delayed etc!

They are always, doing the school run so can I start after 9.30... Popping out at 1.00 clock so will I arrive before then? or once agin school run at 3.30 so can I start at 4.30 or is that too late?.... They don't seem to show any flexibility!

 

[Ermintrude]

You will be there am or pm. You will call when 1/2 hour away. And if they are not in well that's a return visit. I love custards but they take the mick. Oh didn't think you would be finished that 1 hour job you said would take about 1 hour that quickly (1:00:01 actual time taken) I'll have to pop to the bank - 9million miles away!

 

[gassafe]

You will be there am or pm. You will call when 1/2 hour away. And if they are not in well that's a return visit. I love custards but they take the mick. Oh didn't think you would be finished that 1 hour job you said would take about 1 hour that quickly (1:00:01 actual time taken) I'll have to pop to the bank - 9million miles away!

Yeah they sure do, I did a boiler recently, when he accepted the job he said Il pay cash... When the job is complete on handover it's 'is a cheque okay, otherwise il have to go and get the cash out!' I'm not that fussed over cash anyway but its the principal!

 

[quality]

Phone rings - 'Hi, can you come and replace our bath taps, we want a bath/shower mixer thingy. We also have a leak under our kitchen sink. How much will it be?'

Me - 'Usually £60 plus VAT for the first hour which is normally enough to sort both of those out.'

I get there with the apprentice. Turns out to be the original taps on an old cast iron bath. The brass backing nuts have seized onto the cast iron bath so well that nothing, and I mean nothing is getting them off. Only option is to angle grind off the taps and knock them through as there is no room to get the angle grinder underneath the bath. I explain to the customer that there is a good chance this could damage the bath. Customer understandably doesn't want to risk it as they are having the bathroom replaced next year.

Thus no pay there today.

Leaking kitchen sink waste, cheap imported sink with non-standard fittings underneath, has been bodged already. No standard pipe or trap can be inserted into the leaking outlet to repair the leak. Tried some plumbers gold, not very confident it is going to stop the leak so didn't charge any labour at all this evening.

Potentially out of this I may have a sink replacement and a bathroom install but there's a good chance I've wasted 2 hours completely tonight. All for what would have been probably £30 profit normally!

I got knocked on here a couple of years ago for stating I want £50 to get in the van and turn up to a job. the job your describing is exactly why.
I do like working but I hate Plumbing at times

 

[cr0ft]

IMO £50 for the first hour is very reasonable indeed. If you do a 2nd trade too like gas or electrics it's just too low if you want my honest opinion.

Lots of people don't really know how much their business costs them to run it.

 

[Leo21]

If I price any more than £60 + VAT for 1st hour customer will run a mile.

At that price all the running around (to me) getting bits etc is just not worth it.

Most of the small jobs I do, I don't quote for. Just turn up and charge. I never quote for breakdowns and servicing is flat rate. I normally quote smaller jobs as half days where possible.

 

[mickie]

How can anyone survive on £35 a gas check because that's what I've been undercut by. I thought the standing rate was £45. Or more. Looks like Ill have to go on agency work now. Still no work out there even for someone like me with over 10yrs experience. Is it like this down south ?

 

[Leo21]

How can anyone survive on £35 a gas check because that's what I've been undercut by. I thought the standing rate was £45. Or more. Looks like Ill have to go on agency work now. Still no work out there even for someone like me with over 10yrs experience. Is it like this down south ?

This type of thing will always happen, try to cultivate your own work and not work for estate agents or agencies.
The people who run these things make there living by reducing yours.