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- Thread starter SlimD
- Start date
IMO you have to “box clever “ with parts mark up , dont take the pi** or you will loose customers.
W
Welder
Truth is, everyone is right. We should indeed be paid for keeping up to date, for understanding what is value for money and what is rubbish. Fact is tho people generally buy on a combination of confidence in you as person to a) understand and empathise with their need, b) to do what you say you're going to do and price.
On a personal basis, I have never, ever, accepted a job on price alone. I have always walked away. Why? Because people like that simply will never understand that having pride in the job has a price. If they can't see that then they will only ever be a complete pain in the ar5e.
When pricing, as Jon says, I rarely took the hiss. On my spreadsheet I had a fixed mark up applied to all materials of 20%. Occasionally I'd not be able to get a merchant price so would put in a retail but not often. I always broke down the price into materials (cos it's not just 'parts') and subcontract labour and then my labour as a separate item.
When I won the job, then I would buy as hard as I could vs the time available to improve my overall margin.
I would never detail from where or whom I would buy or, indeed, exactly what because I didn't want to give them the opportunity to pass my hard work onto someone else to knock £50 off and win the job.
IMHO, every single one of us actually knows when we are in front of a 'badun'. By listening to your inner voice and saying to them, "Sorry but it seems I can't do a decent job for the money you wish to spend", and walking away means you will find you have a much happier life. As Dad used to say, "Any bl00dy idiot can work for free!"
When you do a job at a rubbish price, you actually harm not only yourself but the whole industry. When you drop your price because someone does not want to pay, you:
BTW. All of the above means you can still do those freebies for little Mrs Wiggins at #45 who's potless. Because she deserves to be helped.😉
On a personal basis, I have never, ever, accepted a job on price alone. I have always walked away. Why? Because people like that simply will never understand that having pride in the job has a price. If they can't see that then they will only ever be a complete pain in the ar5e.
When pricing, as Jon says, I rarely took the hiss. On my spreadsheet I had a fixed mark up applied to all materials of 20%. Occasionally I'd not be able to get a merchant price so would put in a retail but not often. I always broke down the price into materials (cos it's not just 'parts') and subcontract labour and then my labour as a separate item.
When I won the job, then I would buy as hard as I could vs the time available to improve my overall margin.
I would never detail from where or whom I would buy or, indeed, exactly what because I didn't want to give them the opportunity to pass my hard work onto someone else to knock £50 off and win the job.
IMHO, every single one of us actually knows when we are in front of a 'badun'. By listening to your inner voice and saying to them, "Sorry but it seems I can't do a decent job for the money you wish to spend", and walking away means you will find you have a much happier life. As Dad used to say, "Any bl00dy idiot can work for free!"
When you do a job at a rubbish price, you actually harm not only yourself but the whole industry. When you drop your price because someone does not want to pay, you:
- reinforce the media BS of thieving/overcharging plumbers
- undervalue your own skills
- undervalue the painful years of experience
- let down your own family by selling short their futures
BTW. All of the above means you can still do those freebies for little Mrs Wiggins at #45 who's potless. Because she deserves to be helped.😉
B
Burger
I would say to that £5 isn’t much of a saving, plus when ordering online there’s increased waiting time for repair to be done. If it’s the same product and cheaper tell them to order it and charge more for fitting 😉
Buckinghamshire here.
£85 for the 1st hour, any additional hour (or part of) is £60. Any materials supplied at trade cost +20% carriage. All +VAT
If you have too much work, put your prices up.
If you have too little work, put your prices down.
I charge £85 for a CP12. I recently had a conversation with an estate agents and they wanted me to price match a CP12 at £35/each........
£85 for the 1st hour, any additional hour (or part of) is £60. Any materials supplied at trade cost +20% carriage. All +VAT
If you have too much work, put your prices up.
If you have too little work, put your prices down.
I charge £85 for a CP12. I recently had a conversation with an estate agents and they wanted me to price match a CP12 at £35/each........
And you didnt hear them hang up as you were too busy rolling round on the floor laughing?
Mastermixlee
Gas Engineer
Question about Your rate for the cp12 - do you include the boiler service for that? Or do you charge an additional fee to add boiler service on, gas hob, fire etc.
Most companies that I've worked for do not carry out a boiler service at the same time that is an extra and gets charged.
CP12 with 2 Appliances is £85+VAT. Additional Appliance is £25/each
CP12 and Boiler Service is £120+VAT
Usually, when an estate agent tells me they can get it cheaper, I try and inform and educate them. I try to explain the time it takes including travel time and then get them to understand they will be getting a rushed botched job. I always try to leave the conversation along the lines of "when it all goes wrong, you will get in trouble".
Some listen, some don't.
Some want to do their jobs to the letter of the law (yay!). Some are trying to make the most money (understandable). Some are afraid to tell landlords that stuff is expensive and costs money.
I worked for a company years ago that did gas checks cheaper the more the estate agents had. They used it as a way in and to get the remedial work.
Mastermixlee
Gas Engineer
I've only ever done cp12's with appliance servicing at the same time (both when employed and sub contracted to firms).
What would a cp12 exactly entail if not servicing the appliances as well?
As Ive always thought the safety checks required for cp12 were virtually the same as required in a boiler service?
They are fairly similar but there are a number of differences. I think the main one is that with a CP12 you are checking that the appliance is within government standards and that's it. With a service, you are making sure the appliance is within the manufacturer's standards and then fixing them if they are not (within reason).
Somehow, I bet I get my head chewed off here...
Mastermixlee
Gas Engineer
Yep know that but meant what would you do on the checks on the boiler itself for a cp12 Vs the checks you'd do on a boiler?
E.g. would you adjust the ratios if need be on a cp12 without a service added onto cost? Or would you advise that a service is required and quote/charge for adjustments etc.
A landlords check is similar to a MOT for a car just an overall check of the safety of the gas installation and appliances. You fill out the boxes with your findings and that’s it. Any additional work it chargeable. When your car goes in for a MOT they don’t do little fixes included in the price. They give you the paperwork stating what needs to be done.
Mastermixlee
Gas Engineer
Thought that's what people would be thinking along the lines of.
I've just never done a cp12 without doing a full service on every appliance.
Eg. Always done full strip and clean of gas fires and bbus etc on every cp12 I've done for near 15 years.
Just when people posted they offer standalone cp12 it got me thinking lol.
I always treated the CP12 as a 'snapshot' of the state of the installation at that exact moment in time. It will be used only for insurance purposes if something bad happens.
The MOT analogy is also good. You don't expect the test centre to pop the hood and fiddle with the engine, if the vehicle fails an emissions test? Nope. It gets sent away to have the problem fixed (or scrapped) and then you pay to have the MOT done again!
The MOT analogy is also good. You don't expect the test centre to pop the hood and fiddle with the engine, if the vehicle fails an emissions test? Nope. It gets sent away to have the problem fixed (or scrapped) and then you pay to have the MOT done again!
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