Price

[David66316]

Hi
Was wondering how much everyone charges for small simple jobs because I'm not sure if I'm charging right or not,
For example changing a set of bath taps which involved taking the plastic side panel off, hack sawing one of the taps of cas it was seized on then replacing taps in an awkward tight spot, I charged £30 plus parts, now I think that's cheap, but custard didn't?

 

[wheeto]

It will depend on location and circumstances but in this case I'm pretty sure you are right, custard is wrong!

Hope that helps...

 

[Whn1]

Very cheap.

 

[David66316]

How much would you be charging?? Hourly rate or per job and it's in merseyside, cheers

 

[quality]

50 quid to get in the van plus mileage plus your hourly rate plus materials

 

[David66316]

I dont think anyone would pay me that round here, And it's hard enough trying to find any work at the moment but I will start charging more than I have been. Cheers

 

[Barry98]

how long did it take you ? from yours to finish/nest job

 

[David66316]

1.5 hours probably

 

[Barry98]

dependigon milage 75 minimum , pay peanuts get monkeys try getting a better clientele basis . how long you been in trade

 

[AWheating]

as a rough guide

total your yearly running costs(van,tools,registrations,training,office, etc......) add holiday pay, divide that into cost per day(ie. 365days -104 for weekends - 20 for holidays = 241day at work), divide that into 8 hours.

cost of materials + running cost hours + petrol +labour+ profit(dont forget to allow for tax's and/or vat) = price

or just £60 cash

 

[David66316]

Ive only been up and running for a couple of months, so haven't got a massive customer base, and £60 sounds much better to me, how did you all find work when you first started out? Cheers

 

[Barry98]

£30 is way to cheap IMO , appreciated your starting out. is there loads of plumbers in your area for competition ?

 

[David66316]

Yeah, there's loads, I can think of at least 15 off the of my head :/

 

[scotty plumber]

30 is far too cheap

 

[dontknowitall]

Might be loads of plumbers in your area but equally there'll be loads of plumbers who aren't interested in these small jobs.

Keep doing the small jobs and some will turn into bigger ones. Then you'll be one of those plumbers who don't want to spend time doing small jobs.

Agree with above with £30 being too cheap.

 

[SimonG]

Too cheap.

 

[Barry98]

my best domestic customer who is now 68 and I still send a card to came off a tap wager I change for hear many moons back and charged her ten bob for a ice cream. the following year I did new bathroom suites top to bottom for all 3 of her daughters

 

[PlumbBobBob]

to be honest mate you're not doing yourself any favours only charging £30 to change bath taps

 

[scotty plumber]

Hi
Was wondering how much everyone charges for small simple jobs because I'm not sure if I'm charging right or not,
For example changing a set of bath taps which involved taking the plastic side panel off, hack sawing one of the taps of cas it was seized on then replacing taps in an awkward tight spot, I charged £30 plus parts, now I think that's cheap, but custard didn't?

Could i ask how long you have been in the plumbing industry for?

 

[David66316]

for about 3 years now, was working with someone, but he just paid me a wage and never went into detail about how much he charged for each job, but he's retired now and all work was in a different area.

 

[scotty plumber]

I see oh well i suppose you can make up for it next time, just remember when charging for jobs that the custard is not just paying for your labour but your experience and knowledge as well. Also i do not always see changing bath taps as a basic plumbing job ( though it should be ) as sometimes it can be a total nightmare ie whb/pedastal in way, old drifted connections that need replaced, water wont turn off properly and the list goes on so just remember that if you are a good plumber that you deserve to be paid to your advantage and not what you think the custard can afford.

 

[Barry98]

dont think of what they can afford treat them all the same, more money means more on the tick generally

 

[scotty plumber]

dont think of what they can afford treat them all the same, more money means more on the tick generally

That's what i was meaning, if your only charging 30 quid it sound's like the job was charged on what the custard could only afford or all that the custard wanted to pay

 

[gravytrain]

i find the easiest way for small maintenance jobs is a fixed fee for the first hour, extra for the second hour, then move to half a day.
most small jobs can be done in 1 or 2 hours.this way the customer knows what they are paying and you've explaned to them the costs in advance.
if they dont like it they can go somewhere else.

the amounts depend on competition in your area. but 30 is too cheap.

how did you all find work when you first started out

you need to advertise ! its expensive but its the only way.
also get a decent website. probably 75% of all my enquiries now come via the internet

 

[world9563]

I always like reading these posts about charges as im from wolverhampton and find the cost changes from area to area. I only work a 15 mile radius but price you get is different in birmingham i can get £55 per hour max and 400 500 for a straight swop bathroom but in wolvo can if lucky get 250 for straight bathroom swop and 25 to 35 per hour or small job hence i try work birmingham as much as possible i had customer phone up for out side tap install and i charged 65.00 plus parts and they said i was way to dear and they had been quoted £35 including parts i said go with them as i can not afford that.

 

[JCplumb]

This isn't mine, I nicked it off another thread on here, but it made me laugh
How to quote.
If they scream and shout at you the price was too high
If they're quiet or say "That's good value" it was too low
If their eyes water you've got it just right ...

 

[WaterTight]

50 quid to get in the van plus mileage plus your hourly rate plus materials

Are you serious? You charge £50 on top of your hourly rate and materials? Nice work if you can get it.



I've read lots of evidence that in many areas £30 would be absolute top dollar for an hour's wet plumbing work. It's not down where I am (think more like £50 or £60) but if £30 for the first hour is the going rate in your area then that's what you should charge when starting out.

Always allow 2 hrs minimum money for bath tap change if only because they're a pain in the rear! Then if you're done in under an hour the other hour's money was for the fact your cracked your head on the basin and pulled a muscle in your back.

But to be fair only those who aren't struggling to find work or meet the bills can truly have the 'take it or leave it' attitude towards pricing. The rest of us - if we've not much booked in - and get the feeling the custard is stressed about the cost will go in a bit cheaper just to get the job and fill the day. I don't mean tight-fisted, distrustful, pain-in-the-posterior types. I mean the great masses of everyday hard-up.

 

[Guest123]

If you want an easy to work out pricing structure.......just tally up how many jobs and hours it would take you to make a basic wage out of doing jobs for thirty quid. Include working costs, travelling expenses, fuel, insurance and of course cost of materials. Think you'll find you will need a hell of a lot of thirty quid jobs just to live on mate.

I'm not trying to sound patronising to you in any way, I'm offering you my advice. Work out your marketing strategy and aim for 3 x £100 jobs instead of burning yourself out for 10 x £30 jobs or get a happy medium between the two. I seriously think you have to do your homework and find out all you can about your local competitors, how much they charge, quality of work etc and give yourself a reason why you can be better than them and be able to tell your customers this. In this game not everything is based solely on price alone. If that is the type of customer you attract, then you have to give them a reason why you can do the work, do it better and charge more for it. You get what you pay for.

You could find yourself driving round daft doing thirty quid jobs and getting nowhere. Don't be a "busy fool" is a good saying!

 

[davidsr2]

Ive just quoted a toilet install, new pan connector and alteration to the supply to accommodate new toilet, £80. Custard said that is way to expensive and cant afford it :skep: Didn't bother discussing, just wished her luck and set off home.

 

[TBServices]

I feel like giving up tbh. £80 is too much to install a toilet? Rubbish.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Barry98]

Ive just quoted a toilet install, new pan connector and alteration to the supply to accommodate new toilet, £80. Custard said that is way to expensive and cant afford it :skep: Didn't bother discussing, just wished her luck and set off home.

i hope so rings you after its been installed to come fix the leak

 

[quality]

Are you serious? You charge £50 on top of your hourly rate and materials? Nice work if you can get it.



I've read lots of evidence that in many areas £30 would be absolute top dollar for an hour's wet plumbing work. It's not down where I am (think more like £50 or £60) but if £30 for the first hour is the going rate in your area then that's what you should charge when starting out.

Always allow 2 hrs minimum money for bath tap change if only because they're a pain in the rear! Then if you're done in under an hour the other hour's money was for the fact your cracked your head on the basin and pulled a muscle in your back.

But to be fair only those who aren't struggling to find work or meet the bills can truly have the 'take it or leave it' attitude towards pricing. The rest of us - if we've not much booked in - and get the feeling the custard is stressed about the cost will go in a bit cheaper just to get the job and fill the day. I don't mean tight-fisted, distrustful, pain-in-the-posterior types. I mean the great masses of everyday hard-up.

Yes mate I am serious . I been at this game to long to be working for next to nowt

 

[WaterTight]

Good on you for being in a position where you can receive it!

So out of interest a tap washer change would cost...? £90-£110?

 

[scotty plumber]

You are never going to achieve your 50k a year charging £30 quid a job! lol

 

[mike_s]

I'd have charged £90 minimum. My hourly rate is £45 and I'd have priced it on at least 2 hours. I rarely do anything for less than £45 unless I'm feeling soft on pensioners or mates.

When starting out I may have done it for £70 but my Dad would have told me it was too cheap, he would probably quote about £150 as bath taps can take hours especially if it's an old lead/steel waste.

I think £35 should be a minimum call out charge for any plumber, if they don't want to pay that they can have a go themselves and see if it was worth the hassle which is doubtful.