Day rate for a plumber in the south east?

[jack]

Just as in the title: what's a reasonable day rate for a plumber (sole trader) in the south east for general plumbing work (moving a water softener with decent access to all pipework, that sort of thing).

 

I know it isn't the £1000 one guy quoted me last year just to move the water softener, even if he did explain that he'd need to "include materials to build a shelf".

 

 

[Big Jimbo]

I would expect labour would be about £300 to £350 max.

[Jilly]

I recently paid £265/day. He wasn't quick, mind...

 

 

 

 

 

[nod]

11 minutes ago, Jilly said:

I recently paid £265/day. He wasn't quick, mind...

 

 

 

 

 

This is the real problem with trades 

 

Figures quoted above are accurate 

But daywork seems to bring out the worst in people 

At £265 I would expect someone to get on with it 

Regardless of location 

[ProDave]

37 minutes ago, nod said:

This is the real problem with trades 

 

Figures quoted above are accurate 

But daywork seems to bring out the worst in people 

At £265 I would expect someone to get on with it 

Regardless of location 

I am in the minority here,  I am in favour of an hourly or daily rate.

 

If someone asks me to price a job on a fixed price, I have to allow for every difficulty that might get in the way of doing the job and price it on a worst case guess of the hours it will take.  That almost always ends up at a higher price than the actual hours the job takes.  If you are happy at paying more, then go ahead and keep pushing for a fixed price.

 

I guess the difference is I don't advertise and all my work is through personal recommendations, so if I was a lazy so and so and charged an hourly rate while working slowly or not even working then I would be out of business very soon.

[Big Jimbo]

Its like the fencer who gave me a quote for 100m of fencing. Sent a couple of guys round who spent a lot of time chatting. A lot of time looking at thier phones, and a lot of time standing around. At the end the fencer came round and said he would have to increase the cost because it had taken longer than anticipated. I told him that his Two blokes were lazy gits, and that if he paid them well then he needs to think about replacing them. If however he paid them peanuts...... I told him to bugger off with regards any extra money.

[Mcleod 60]

4 hours ago, ProDave said:

I am in the minority here,  I am in favour of an hourly or daily rate.

 

If someone asks me to price a job on a fixed price, I have to allow for every difficulty that might get in the way of doing the job and price it on a worst case guess of the hours it will take.  That almost always ends up at a higher price than the actual hours the job takes.  If you are happy at paying more, then go ahead and keep pushing for a fixed price.

 

I guess the difference is I don't advertise and all my work is through personal recommendations, so if I was a lazy so and so and charged an hourly rate while working slowly or not even working then I would be out of business very soon.

Iam with you, I too favour an hourly or daily rate as all my work is through word of mouth and people know I just get on with it. Most of my clients will end up with a smaller bill than if the job was done on a price.

[joe90]

5 hours ago, ProDave said:

If someone asks me to price a job on a fixed price, I have to allow for every difficulty that might get in the way of doing the job and price it on a worst case guess of the hours it will take. 

+1

[ProDave]

3 hours ago, Mcleod 60 said:

Iam with you, I too favour an hourly or daily rate as all my work is through word of mouth and people know I just get on with it. Most of my clients will end up with a smaller bill than if the job was done on a price.

I notice with a lot of trades I meet on jobs, most of them are very "old school" in their working practice, at 10 O clock they go out and sit in their van for half an hour for a cup of tea, same at lunch time.  Me, i just carry on and "graze" on the go.  I would rather finish the job and be home sooner, rather than take a break and do nothing in that time.