How is everyone finding work at the moment

[ballandco]

I was just wondering how you are finding it at the moment,ive been self employed as a plumber for 4 years, now gas safe registered and was thinking of getting on a firm to have hands on with boilers daily,not having much luck on the job front as yet.How are you doing

 

[SimonG]

Now then, works very good at the minute. Have a few bathrooms on the books, shower rooms, oil boiler installs, quite a bit of subbying and a list of "small jobs" that would last three weeks if I could get a good crack at them. Its also encouraging that the phone is ringing regular away as well. I'll take it while it lasts..................

 

[ballandco]

Good to hear your doing well,I am good on the plumbing side do a bit of subbing for 2 companys .Just want more boiler work because dont wanna forget what ive learnt,spoke with a few companys and they are sayin that it is the quietist they have been for years,just see how it goes i supose

 

[psk]

hi guys,

if you dont mind can you please share more info on subbying works eg the companies or agencies out there looking for contracters.
i will be grateful for your positive replies,
thx

 

[SimonG]

Subbying was possibly not the right term. There is a company round my way that does a fair bit of oil and through the winter I do quite a bit on the breakdown side and through the summer quite a few installations. It's more of a cooperative, four of us, three heating/plumbing one spark. Works well because I pick up a bit when they are servicing and customer asks about new taps etc. Also when I have a bigger job to do I can drag in extra pairs of hands if needed.

 

[Alpha man]

Im pretty quiet at the mo, doing a lot of varied work too!!

 

[Blake]

I've been fairly busy, mainly gas certs, boiler servicing and breakdowns. I don't do much install work as it's too much like hard work for my liking 🙂 I also have around 5 other gas engineers who pass there breakdown and servicing work to me as they prefer installs and don't have the patience or tech knowledge for breakdowns. So it works out well.

Saying that, this week I had nothing Monday or Tues, but to be honest I was no bothered, I enjoyed the break and went out on the bike for a blast.

This game is like a Yo Yo, all or nothing at times but generally up and down especially in the current climate. If this summer goes quiet, I'm gonna get the petrol mower out and go do some gardening or maybe stand up the top of my street with a bucket and sponge in hotpants and clean car windows (disturbing mental polaroid alert) 🙂

 

[pauls]

i have been really quiet the past 2 weeks however saying that just quoted 2 bathrooms and booked in a couple of services. i do wish the phone would ring a bit more though.

 

[willing2learn]

I've just jacked in working for the council four days a week, to concentrate on more on my own business as work is now starting to pick up. I get quite a bit of work off my sparky friend, and I always put his name forward as well.

 

[buckley plumb]

been realy quiet the past 3 wks .i do work for a few landlords that is just about giving some wage.times never been so tough and fed up with doing quotes and people saying they can get it done for less.quoted for a terrace full heating and renewing all the water and gas pipes .then going back to fit sink and bathroom once plastered.was told my quote was to high they could get the heating supplied and fitted and the new pipe work done and the bathroom and kitchen sink and hob fitted all for £2500 how can you compete with that-

ant

 

[Alpha man]

Im having the same buckley plumb, Im keeping my quotes really tight and still being undercut!!

 

[paulnwales]

quite busy now 🙂

 

[paulnwales]

been realy quiet the past 3 wks .i do work for a few landlords that is just about giving some wage.times never been so tough and fed up with doing quotes and people saying they can get it done for less.quoted for a terrace full heating and renewing all the water and gas pipes .then going back to fit sink and bathroom once plastered.was told my quote was to high they could get the heating supplied and fitted and the new pipe work done and the bathroom and kitchen sink and hob fitted all for £2500 how can you compete with that-

ant

B & Q boiler put in by a 2 year plumber prob mate. Im not droping my price id rather leave the trade

 

[plumsum]

all the yrs ive been on the tools never known it so tight!

 

[Viper Gas]

Nuts!

I am really unlucky. Seems when ever I get into something the good times have already passed.

Originally I studied and became a qualified civil engineer but when I came out of university a recession hit, had to go and work abroad.

When i came back another hit so I decided to change profession completely.
I chose to work for MetroNet, the company looking after London Underground Infrastructure. After 4 years then they went belly up!

Then I decided to work for my self and got plumbing, gas and electrically qualified and only after a short while in the game I hear (a couple of posts up) that its been the tightest it has ever been since memory can serve.

Sod's law.

 

[dontknowitall]

DirtyDog368

With such foresight perhaps you should be a hedge fund manager?

Hope it's not too long before a few good jobs come in.

 

[Viper Gas]

erm I did open an account at Northern Rock.

 

[cr0ft]

How do you compete with that? Simple really - just tell them to keep your phone number for when it all starts to leak and the 'cheap' plumber doesn't show up to fix it!

That's what I do anyway.

 

[missplumb]

we are quite busy, we do heating installations for a builder who has won the contract with the local council to do refurbs. only started about 6 weeks ago but we are averaging 1 a week so far and theres about 800 to do so..... hopefully we can keep it going. then we have our own work but as has already been said, all our prices are rockbottom and very little profit, but we do get plenty of enquiries and are winning on average 1 in 3 jobs that we quote for.

 

[buckley plumb]

the past 2 wks been terrible only 2 small jobs last wk - sick of wasting my time doing quotes.i think all trades are in the same situation . last month i spent a day on a boiler repair for £50 as the young mum started to cry as the pcb had gone so replaced that and the boiler worked but had lots of other problems which i was not told about -kettling like mad due to other engineer leaving filling loop open for 6 months -that was his advice to solve the dropping pressure issue.i must be to soft or have to much of a consiouse.if this keeps on the trade is going to loose some good heating engineers

ant

 

[Blake]

I have nowt booked in for this week so far, on the plus side the sun is shining and I have a motorbike 🙂

I'm gonna call the job centre and find out how I go about getting my rent, council tax and sky tv paid for on benefits like some of the many tenants I come across 🙂

 

[buckley plumb]

i know how you feel mate.wish i had one of the big tvs as well you normaly see in those houses .