Starting up again

[michael c]

Hey guys what do you charge re boiler break down call out. I had a job arranged to go out on Thursday which I quoted £25 to diagnose fault then £25 an hour for repair. Sounded like a simple case of dodgy electrode. She has cancelled as she thought diagnoses and quote should be free. I'm starting off cheap to get a buisiness built up again and need consistent work as taking on an apprentice (I suffer anxiety with my tourettes and my brother (my apprentice) keeps me calm and collected so I can do the work to a good standard).
How cheap do these people expect us to be?

Also is there anyone on here in the north east who would like to subcontract any cp12s and or services. I will do them for £20-25 each as contract work.

 

[PhoenixServices]

Way too low buddy. And she is taking you for a ride if she thinks it should be free.

 

[michael c]

Cheers phoenix I thought as much I need to garauntee work coming in though so don't feel I have much choice.

 

[Atouchofgas]

Michael,
Agreed that's it to low, but think of it from customers point of view. I don't charge to diagnose a fault but my first hour is more expensive than my second eg £50 for first £40 for second.
It's a roundabout way of charging for diagnosing without saying it

 

[Gasmk1]

Michael,
Agreed that's it to low, but think of it from customers point of view. I don't charge to diagnose a fault but my first hour is more expensive than my second eg £50 for first £40 for second.
It's a roundabout way of charging for diagnosing without saying it

as above first hour is more expensive there is allways the customer whoi thinks whatever you say is too expensive, and there will allways be the one who says oh is that all thought it would be more

 

[townfanjon]

Michael , I understand you are trying to get the business going but with prices that low , you will simply drive our industry further down in to the ground
£ 20 for a landlords is pathetically cheap .
Honestly I am not having a go just offering my opinion

 

[jtsplumbing]

£20 for a safety inspection ? and you expect to run a business , pay an apprentice and earn a living, is this the reason that you give it up last time ? you need to sit down and look at what you need to earn pre week to cover your overheads, working for £20 a time for 2 men + other costs you will never make it pay, Min living wage is just over £8 pr hr. and don't forget when your self employed you don't get paid for every hr., try to find out what the other guys in your area are charging , Honestly doing jobs for £20/£25 for 2 men you would both be better of in Tesco's Sorry to sound harsh but that's how it is

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

Is it worth seeing if bg need subbies in your area?

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

If your willing to travel i know they are desperate down here £25 per hour for installs

 

[Pssst]

Your prices are too low. Would you expect to sit in a dentists chair for £30 per hour, or have a tax driver take you on a one hour drive for £30?

 

[michael c]

Thanks guys I see your reasoning and will readvertise accordingly maybe less higher paid work is better than more low paid for the same price. I've applied to bg as a contractor and did my apprenticeship with them but was made medically redundant.

 

[Millsy 82]

I charge £50 to diagnose a fault and I make the point of saying that it doesn't matter if I'm there for 5 minutes or 5 hours. Once I know the problem then it goes onto my hourly rate of £30 an hour or if I have to order a part in then return it's £40 for the first hour.

My partners dad was telling me about a bloke who set up around me who when he started went in cheap to get the work he got busy fast but when he upped his prices he went quiet because everybody wanted to use him because he was cheap they didn't care that he wasn't earning a living.

 

[Last Plumber]

Diagnosing faults accurately and efficiently is possible due to our knowledge, skill and experience, gained over years of hard graft and many expensive qualifications.
That alone is worth a lot but once you add to it the cost of running a business, it has to be charged for correctly.
Whatever your hourly rate may be, I would always charge a minimum of two hours right from the start.
What we 'know' as Engineers is worth just as much as our skills with tools.

 

[quality]

Its £50 to get in the van + mileage + hourly rate. We charge mileage because We travel plenty it could be Hull or Horsham. We also charge our hourly rate on travel. I suppose we are lucky because we've survived 25 years of the rubbish this industry has thrown at us. Don`t do yourself down

 

[lame plumber]

my callout is £75 and £55 thereafter for plumbing, 85/65 gas, and a bit more for oil. Lots of folks go thats expensive but still use me again, only one person in the last 2 years has kicked off, then he looked at which for pricing and paid up, but I informed him I wouldnt be attending his address again 🙂

 

[Last Plumber]

Ours is similar to lame plumber
£85 plus VAT for the first hour and a half and £42-50 plus VAT per hour there after.

Busy all year round, no bad debtors.
Once in a blue moon someone comments on us being expensive but more often than not, they will ring again.

 

[REDSAW]

£20 for a safety inspection ? and you expect to run a business , pay an apprentice and earn a living, is this the reason that you give it up last time ? you need to sit down and look at what you need to earn pre week to cover your overheads, working for £20 a time for 2 men + other costs you will never make it pay, Min living wage is just over £8 pr hr. and don't forget when your self employed you don't get paid for every hr., try to find out what the other guys in your area are charging , Honestly doing jobs for £20/£25 for 2 men you would both be better of in Tesco's Sorry to sound harsh but that's how it is

i was rattling around that figure, one man band running at £9 ph cost!
i charge £40 for diagnosis IF i have to use tools (ie open up boiler) sometimes its just re pressurise where i will just charge £30 (sometimes), that way i know they will call me again and recover on the next chargeable job. i then charge £40 ph untill i collect part and fit, av=3hrs x £40 +part
one last point, you come off better if you spend £20 gaining a new customer than undercharging by £20 on another- only to loose that customer when you try to increase your prices.
think about it,
never sell yourself cheap!!

 

[michael c]

Thanks guys Redsaw when did youbecome an administrator?

 

[Dotty]

Couple of years ago, roughly....

 

[michael c]

Just didn't remember him being administration last time I was on