Starting out in plumbing

[Waffles]

I am at a point in my life where I seriously want to change my career from IT where I earn about 50K to doing some form of Plumbing/ bathroom/ Kitchen fitting and am trying to find out if I need any qualifications to do this.

I have renovated and installed 2 bathrooms in my house doing all the work from building the stud walls, Wiring (I know wiring in a bathroom, It was signed off by an electrician), Plumbing, installation of the Sanitary ware and shower cubical, Tilling (Floor and Walls). I have also replaced Immersion heaters and toilet filling valves.

So I know this does not make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I am thinking of starting my own business in domestic Plumbing with Bathroom/ Kitchen fitting.

There is a 5 day course in plumbing and Bathroom fitting that is £495 at Construction Skill College that is appealing. Any thoughts on this?

Also, If doing bathroom fitting where do you stand with regards to electrics? By this I mean simply loosening the plates to fit tiles behind them. Can you move the sockets or do you need to be qualified to do that?

Any Idea on what kind of money I can expect doing this?

Thanks for any pointers

 

[kay-jay]

Certainly not 50k that's for sure. There are many FULLY QUALIFIED plumbers who are also gas safe registered engineers who struggle to break 30k

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[tamz]

You will be luck to clear a tenth of what you are on now in your first year.
A £500 course will learn you nothing. You would learn more watching you tube!

I am at a point in my life where i am starting to hate plumbing / heating / gas and all the other stuff i do. Not the actual doing the job but I have seen it and done it and my bones and body ache for the experience, people (customers) are a pain in the backside and the profit margins are being squeezed to ridiculous levels. It is nothing more than a rat race.

The grass is seldom greener.

 

[Hybrid]

If you jack in a dry, safe, comfortable office job where you earn 50k for a job where you will be wet, dirty and will pick up injuries for life,I think you are you're crazy

 

[PlumbBobBob]

that course for £495 will be nothing short of a course for the diyer who wants to do the odd job around the house, not for someone looking to get into plumbing full time. you will be hard pressed to earn anything near your present salary, it will be very hard graft to build up a regular customer base.

 

[cjg]

its a joke.....yes, if not take the rose coloured glasses off mate, your walking away from 50k. for pain.cuts,hassle,loooong hours for a lot less money, think i am jokeing try it!!!!

 

[Guest123]

You can make a good living in Plumbing, but it takes years and a hell of a lot of very hard work and be prepared to cut off your time spent with your kids and family.
In reverse I enjoy IT and building PC's in particular and I'm a mod on a computer forum. Would be nice to trade places mate!

 

[SimonG]

It's a big difference from doing a couple of bathrooms for yourself in your spare time to actually making a living from it. But in saying that you've probably seen more than they will show you on that course.

 

[justlead1]

If you intend to trade in a City the parking alone is a nightmare, security is another. With IT. skill and " stretch of the imagination" a nice living can be made. Plumbing is normally restricted 9 to 5. Where as IT.can be performed at any hours, give you and yours a life. That can be tuned to daylight. To earn good money via plumbing = quantity = fitness = while you are young. Getting old means less money. This equation does not balance. Think hard before jumping

 

[Guest123]

Good to see you back justlead1. Hope all is well.

 

[Best]

At your job, you will not loose money any week, but at plumbing, you will have varying money each week & sometimes none! Nothing usually beats a set salary.
No offence, but I would have known more about plumbing, heating, & other trade skills when I was a teenager than you will after any fast training, so you will still be a novice.

 

[Hybrid]

Changing a few bathrooms gives you as much insight into plumbing as changing some ram gives me insight into IT.
Honestly mate it would be a bum move, quality of life and wage will suffer.

 

[Waffles]

Hi all thanks all for the insight.

 

[secret squirrel]

Got to be a wind up

 

[Best]

Got to be a wind up

Have been thinking same. Although there are people in well paid jobs who think they can actually have less stress & earn reasonable money becoming a plumber.
Maybe "Waffles" is Waffling! :grin:

 

[GQuigley67]

that'll be shining bright....

 

[Waffles]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

 

[Resolute]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

The problem is the competition you'll face from experienced and established plumbers. You'll also find that plumbing is extremely stressful to.

If your after changing career for less stress have you thought of a driving job? Bus drivers earn about £23k and less stress there.

Good luck in your chosen path though.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

sorry but there is stress in bus driving, i should know i was one for 23 years lol. although the wage level you put is about right.

 

[plumman]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

The last 2 years have been very hard for me, I now run a site with 6 plumbers on go in meetings, tool box talks ect ect, I get just above HALF what you get now, own van tools ect, Stress! come talk to my family, If you wont something payed good less stress HGV, people have put some true and good points across.