How desperate are some people.

[Paddy Galore!]

Fair play to whoever can do it cheaper maybe they get better prices on materials, just buisness

Fair play to whoever can do it cheaper maybe they get better prices on materials, just buisness

hardly, to get the best rates on the likes of dulux and crown you need to get through thousands of gallons of paint in a year, vat registration etc, how the hell are a husband and wife team gonna manage that?

perhaps they're happy undercutting everyone and working for peanuts, but all the time they're in business then other legitimate firms are going to the wall.

perhaps you wouldn't mind some makeshift outfit undercutting your business by half, perhaps you would

[Rupert]

My van and car is paid,my mortgage is low,my wife works so I can work for £40 a day and pay all my bills.I don't price work this way but I could if I need something.Some of my friends in the trade have different demands on there budgets and have to price works accordingly,none of them are dodgy,just encumbered by direct debits.I do also know some shady cash only beat up old transit used to be a forktruck driver type characters,and painting and decorating and upvc facias seem to be popular round here for them.

[Paddy Galore!]

so what's the book of rates for then rupert? if you reckon you could work for 40 bills a day if needs must but your friends price according to their out goings? how does that level the playing field? and how would you manage on 40 a day if your van decided to pack up?

that's why there's a coded price, work as fast or as slow as you like, the job pays what it's worth, it's the greedy and the stupid that are the bain of any good tradesman imo.

[Rupert]

_{The book is a guide,doesnt guarantee you anything,I price my work according to my needs and not a book written by a stranger,Work is very tight round here and I don't manage to fill every week.I am not saying I work for £40 a day but I could without dipping into savings.If the van died I would have to fund a new one,not ideal but the profits from past years help here.}

Edited October 20, 2013 by Rupert

[Rupert]

What I am saying is the lower price does not make the trades person shonky all the time.Other factors commercial and personal will influence the quoted figure.Did the OP say two men?That two mortgages/rents for the duration.Husband and wife that's one.

I also experience massive disparity in quotes thru feedback from customers and in rates quoted to me by subbies,if my plasterer is busy he increases his rate and it is always lower when he rings me.

[castletyne]

I think any self employed tradesman who works for less than £100 a day is crazy

 

I don't work for a weekly wage if i wanted that i would just get a job for someone else and leave the headaches for them

[Twistedsanity]

I have asked two different people to quote me for some work , a bit of plastering in one room and some guttering and the building of a 200 ft sq man cave at the bottom of my garden , both English tradesmen and neither of them bothered to even come back with a price, it's a few grands worth of work as well, I'm off to find me some polish workmen who actually want to work and earn a few quid

[Rupert]

I think any self employed tradesman who works for less than £100 a day is crazy

 

I don't work for a weekly wage if i wanted that i would just get a job for someone else and leave the headaches for them

I know a few with a robust bottom line. personally I will take what ever is the best option at that time,i hope by being out and a bout I may and have occasionally picked up something else from neighbours etc.

[gemini52]

I think any self employed tradesman who works for less than £100 a day is crazy

 

I don't work for a weekly wage if i wanted that i would just get a job for someone else and leave the headaches for them

I tend to keep my prices around 95 to 100 quid a day,and i think i give good value for that rate,what people seem to forget is i pay tax and nation insurace just like every one else,if people can work for 40 quid a day i take it thats cash in hand.

[gemini52]

I have asked two different people to quote me for some work , a bit of plastering in one room and some guttering and the building of a 200 ft sq man cave at the bottom of my garden , both English tradesmen and neither of them bothered to even come back with a price, it's a few grands worth of work as well, I'm off to find me some polish workmen who actually want to work and earn a few quid

Make sure you pay them by cheque,that way it stands some chance of staying in the country,i have worked with polish building workers the not worth a bean.

[GingerCat]

My sister has a big housez she had workmen in but everytime I popped upstairs they jumped off their arsex the work was poor quality and dragging on. I paid them for their time and sacked them instantly. Got a polish chap round, he priced it up and promised less than a week.

No small task given it was 7 roo.s fully decorated and plastering a whole floor upstairs.

 

He was less than a quatervoof what the British chap wanted.

The job was done in a week and the workmanship was spot on. Why overpriced yourself? I understand overheads etc etc but also know lots of builder, decorators and plumbers etc and they have all said, without fail they add to the bill if they think you can afford it, o etc.

[keg]

Here's a story. Was at a friends house yesterday trimming his trees. I have a Defender and an Ifor Williams trailer plus the relevant safety equipment so must have looked half professional.

 

Within 30 mins of starting 3 separate people came over and asked if we were interested in doing work for them.

 

I obviously said no but on further questioning, all three had asked for quotes from 2/3 companies but no one had come back to them. Had I had the flexibility to take holiday it was sorely tempting....

[Rupert]

Here's a story. Was at a friends house yesterday trimming his trees. I have a Defender and an Ifor Williams trailer plus the relevant safety equipment so must have looked half professional.

 

Within 30 mins of starting 3 separate people came over and asked if we were interested in doing work for them.

 

I obviously said no but on further questioning, all three had asked for quotes from 2/3 companies but no one had come back to them. Had I had the flexibility to take holiday it was sorely tempting....

That's my thinking when I drop rates to get busy.

[keg]

That's my thinking when I drop rates to get busy.

I know how good your work is as well. Would recommend Rupert to anyone

 

I am not insured so only do stuff I know I can do safely and make this clear to any friends who ask.

[Rupert]

Thanks for that Keg,i appreciate it.

[digger]

Last weekend I repaired a flood damaged ceiling ( easy fill x2 ) painted the whole ceiling, painted an en suite shower room, skimmed and painted a cupboard, total £300. 9 hours on the Sat, 5 on the Sun. Four people had quoted before me, two didnt get back to the lady

and the other two wanted over £500. Mad

[spanj]

It seems every trade is so cut throat these days.

My job involves a lot of contact with car body repairers / painters, and the prices they charge are ridiculous now compared to 20 years ago when I was in the trade. We use to get good money where as now body shops are hacking prices down (unless its an insurance job) just to compete with one another.

Unfortunately another sad sign of the times!

felt obliged to edit this for you........

[Rupert]

I am on the list of contractors with my local authority for disabled facilities grants,wetrooms and ramps.All the work is won on cheapest quote and if you are a loser they send you a letter with the winning bid info in the text.

 

The work is pretty much same old same old just the address differs.Four years ago I could win them at £3600/£3800 now we are down to £2400/£2600.The key items are still the same or more,so tray/screens and shower is £700 to start with,last one I did I did in 5 long days(9am start is in the T/C's) and after all costs decided that £2400 was too low for me.

I bet it has further to fall as the optimists give it a try,i do still bid for the work just to get the losers letter,i will see when the numbers come back up.There are just too many lads out there chasing too little work and the result is rates have suffered,at least round here in the leeds/Bradford conurbation.I have turned my attention to industrial/commercial maintainence,Its ****ty work at times but they are paying more.