How much would you charge?

[McNulty]

just wondering on peoples vues on pricing for this job ive got to do, a small bathroom refurb for a mates parent, im based in south west:

-rip out existing basin, toilet and bath. (all fairly basic sanitary ware)

-install new basic basin and toilet in exact positions, possible re plumb a bit of the copper pipework, pretty basic install for these two. will prob be able to use existing fittings.

-install a new shower trey + screen where bath was and add new mixer shower onto existing tiles (they had now shower before, just shower head coming off the bath taps) plus connect shower pipework to hot/cold pipes just behind the wall. They have a combi.

-adjust shower waste and box in along wall (about 1m length to box) plus tile boxing in.

-there keeping existing tiles as there new but i have to tile down to shower trey level from old bath level plus along one wall a little bit, prob about a metre or two, not that much to tile tbh. Its a brick wall not plasterboard. fairly cheap tiles i think so hopefully come off easy.

-obviously grout, silicone and finish up.

-not to worry abput flooring as lino to be layed after, nothing to do with me. No heating or towel rail to be touched either.

-all sanitary ware supplied by customer, i supply all materials.

I know its hard for people to give out exact estimates without seeing it, its a bungalow, no one living there at the moment. im not looking for exact costs, just interested too see what people would charge for this? and to see if im in the same ball park roughly? think around a weeks work. just thought id throw it out there!

also im not an expert on tiling (not sure if many of you guys are or not either) but would i have to tank the little bit of tiling im going to do? as there will be existing tiles above my tiling im not sure what they have done to them. I was just going to PVA (waterproof PVA may i add) a few times and tile onto that providing surface is decent enough, if im wrong please say and advise me a proper way! im taking a tiling course soon so will hopefully learn more there but in the mean time would be great for some advice!

sorry for long thread,

Cheers 🙂

 

[Mike Jackson]

Don't pva before you tile it can cause problems. Use a specialist primer.

 

[Centralheatking]

If its a mate or his family then do mates rates apply ? what i would do is work out a labour price say 3 days
and get them to pay for the stuff even if you go and get it - that way your covered and they get a good deal and keep ur mate.
centalheatking

 

[glenno1]

Personally i dont like mates rates jobs,because if something goes wrong you could be out of pocket because you have done it cheap

 

[WaterTight]

i think it's a general vibe that prices should be discussed in the arms. so for now i'm going to say somewhere between £5 and £2.8billion.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

never never never use pva for anything other than sticking wood together. use the correct primer for the adhesive you intend to use, and please do not use tubbed addy use the powdered type that you have to mix.

 

[Howsie]

Use wood glue for sticking wood together. Not PVA

😉

 

[Orry Clayton]

never never never use pva for anything other than sticking wood together.

Unless you are plastering... then use watered down PVA.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

Unless you are plastering... then use watered down PVA.

of course except plastering lol

 

[stevetheplumber]

mates rates £800

 

[franz]

dont go down the road of mates prices. if your a working plumber stay profesional and do it right. beacuase it will come back and bite you , and you can put money on that.
with a cast iron garantie

 

[glenno1]

:iagree:

 

[Guest123]

£1400 plus VAT, but then I'm good at what I do and can charge realistic prices accordingly.

 

[RPG 80]

what's wrong with pva ?

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[Guest123]

what's wrong with pva ?

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PVA is not for tiling, it's for plasterwork. In fact if you use it for tiling in a bathroom, the tiles will not properly adhere to the substrate and you run the risk of them falling off. Use a proper propriety primer designed specifically for the substrate that you are tiling on.

.....or use PVC wall panels.

 

[RPG 80]

PVA is not for tiling, it's for plasterwork. In fact if you use it for tiling in a bathroom, the tiles will not properly adhere to the substrate and you run the risk of them falling off. Use a proper propriety primer designed specifically for the substrate that you are tiling on.

.....or use PVC wall panels.

I don't know about tiling I will ask my partner tomorrow who's old and bald but I'm sure he swears by pva

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[secret squirrel]

mates rates......

no good deed goes unpunished..... FACT!

 

[Guest123]

I don't know about tiling I will ask my partner tomorrow who's old and bald but I'm sure he swears by pva

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I do know about tiling and have 34 years experience in this industry, although I'm old, I'm not balding but I do know what I'm talking about and any bathroom fitter worth his salt will back me up on this.

Use PVA if you must, but use it at your peril.

And if you don't want to rely on my experience/advice, I suggest that you ask on the Tilers Forum about using PVA. Expect some good hearted abuse there though! LOL

 

[RPG 80]

there's need to get flashed up I was only asking a question which plenty don't know I will ask my partner after he's had his first brew tomorrow that normally takes the edge off his grumpy nature

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[Guest123]

there's need to get flashed up I was only asking a question which plenty don't know I will ask my partner after he's had his first brew tomorrow that normally takes the edge off his grumpy nature

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???????? Whose getting "flashed" up? I answered your question and also suggested that you ask about your tiling question on the Tilers Forum and advised you that the guys over there would make light hearted fun about PVA?!

 

[Gmaservices]

Mates rates are a nightmare. You could be there all week for nothing an they will still want more!

 

[RPG 80]

sorry it's hard to understand tone and nuances in text sometimes I apologise

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[Billy Bob Bob]

I do know about tiling and have 34 years experience in this industry, although I'm old, I'm not balding but I do know what I'm talking about and any bathroom fitter worth his salt will back me up on this.

Use PVA if you must, but use it at your peril.

And if you don't want to rely on my experience/advice, I suggest that you ask on the Tilers Forum about using PVA. Expect some good hearted abuse there though! LOL

i totally agree 100% PVA MUST NOT BE USED FOR TILING​ IF YOU USE IT YOU ARE CLEARLY A MUPPET AND YOUR TILES WILL FAIL thats not directed at you rpg but if you pva a wall you water proof it and give the addy nowhere to absorb into

 

[Koogatubac]

Ive just came back from a few jobs for 'mates rates' his basin tap hasnt worked for a while and i fixed it within 10mins.
He needs a new float valve on his combined cyl as his overflow pipe keeps pouring out

He expects £20. I said to fix the tap at 9pm at night would cost him normally what i would charge would be £50 - £70. And inc changing the float valve would charge £50 but all in all im charging £30 - £40 but i only do 1 SINGLE job mates rates, next is normal price will a bit knocked off

Hes also doing me other favours and buying me the next few drinks inc though 😉

 

[Guest123]

sorry it's hard to understand tone and nuances in text sometimes I apologise

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Apology accepted, not that I ever take offence to anything. My missus says I'm so laid back that I'm almost horizontal!

It's difficult to guage someones tone when it's in written forum and not face to face.....but don't use fecking PVA!!! lol

 

[Best]

If you use PVA to seal plaster before tiling, make sure it is well watered down & mixed. I mean literally no stronger than 1:6 PVA to water. That way it will soak fully into new plaster but not put a thin layer, like varnish on the wall, which would risk the tiles pulling off as if pulling off a layer of paint, if you had put in on strong.
I doubt if there then would be any problems, but I know tilers say to use specific sealers.
Surely tile adhesive doesn't need to soak into walls - just grip a strong, sound, non dusty or not too porous surface? Remember, tiling on top of tiles is very strong & glazed tiles are not in any way porous! Or am I wrong?

 

[Pipedream]

Watertight, is your price inclusive of VAT and will you accept £3.4 million for cash ?


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[Phil]

PVA again.

It amazes me how peoples veiws on it are so varied, I've personally seen the destruction it causes when I neighbour of a customer came over and asked me round for advice as to why his tiles were literally dropping off as he grouted them. He had paid a plasterer to skim his new plasterboard (pointess when tiling anyway) and then he PVA'd the walls to hell before tiling.

Dot and dab method aswell :32:and the adhesive had bonded to the PVA but the PVA just peeled off the plaster and took the tiles with it. While I was there we took most of them off with our fingertips. I think B&Q or Homebase had told him to do it.
On the subject of watering down, I met a couple of old school plasterers once on a job and they rollered it on neat 1:1 and had been doing that for years and said it was the proper way to do it.

Some painters use it to seal new plaster before painting, again the paint can't soak in (always water paint down) to bond properly and paint can just be peeled off. I know this beacause 5 years ago I did it myself! I know better these days.

 

[SimonG]

PVA on walls before tiling is a big no no. PVA becomes wet again when you start to tile. Whereas a propriety primer does not. And yes they both look the same, smell the same etc. But there is a big difference. Drop onto the tilers forum and mention PVA, but don't forget your kevlar jacket.

As for mates rates, hairy ones, in this game you get shafted doing favours. I work for a living, but don't work for friends or neighbours anymore.

 

[Howsie]

Mist coat new walls with watered emulsion. Nothing else needed.