quoting

[ste1406]

i have quoted for a job tonight, a kitchen that has been knocked through so there is a bit of bonding to be done, a bit of plasterboarding and a full re-skim. it is 5.2m long, 2.5m high and 2.8m wide plus the ceiling. there is also a small ceiling in the dining room which is 2.2m x 3m.

I have charged £470.00 inc materials and he thinks it is expensive. does anyone else think it is. i thought it was a reasonable price.

 

[noseall]

cheap as chips. tell him where to jump.

 

[roughcaster]

You can do without customers like that. That price would hard to beat, but I think they want it done for peanuts. Stick to your guns, if you lower your price now, you'll make yourself look stupid.

Roughcaster.

 

[gregers]

tell him as he wants to give you peanuts your supply the monkeys.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Depends how good your plastering is.

Your last post said you've only done a week's plastering course.

Have you made any inference to the client as to what the end product will be like?? Have you told them what experience you've got?

If you'd come to my house and told me you'd been only plastering for a few months, I'd think £470 was expensive because I'd feel you were still in training mode and that's a lot to pay a trainee for a few days work.

 

[ste1406]

Depends how good your plastering is.

Your last post said you've only done a week's plastering course.

Have you made any inference to the client as to what the end product will be like?? Have you told them what experience you've got?

If you'd come to my house and told me you'd been only plastering for a few months, I'd think £470 was expensive because I'd feel you were still in training mode and that's a lot to pay a trainee for a few days work.

i did a weeks plastering course in January 07 and have been doing plenty of jobs with my brother in law who does plastering for a living. I have got to a good standard, it's just i'm a good bit slower than him but am increasing my speed all the time and need a bit more practice on ceilings as i think when you can master them you are in with a chance, however, if somebody is paying me i would rather get the quality of the finish right than finish an hour earlier. to be honest, them week courses don't really teach you much, i've learnt more from my brother in law as you have to know about the different surfaces you are plastering to and knowing your materials, however, it gave me a bit of confidence to give it a try and see if i could be any good and i seem to have picked it up quite well. i had been labouring for him prior to having a go on the trowell so had an idea to start with. i would try and get into it full time if i could but think at 34 nobody would want to set me on, i have no qualifications in plastering either. so going back to the quote, i think £470.00 including materials is a reasonable price to pay. I wouldn't do anything in anybody's house if it wasn't up to the standard that I would expect in my house.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Fair play to you ste - sounds like you've been getting your practice in.

All I'm saying is that that perhaps the client was expecting a nice cheap quote if you'd told him you hadn't served your time.

If you've not got your speed up then there's some big walls you're attempting to do in there!!

However, if you're confident you can do it to a pro-standard finish then the client is getting a good deal.

 

[joe-90]

Mr Polski is time served and less than half that.

 

[ste1406]

Mr Polski is time served and less than half that.

i'm not doing it on my own, doing it with my brother in law. hoping to be in and out in a day and half. steady away.

Mr Polski may charge less than half that but we got the job through word of mouth due to the excellent jobs we have done in the past. that carries a lot more weight than a low price, although i think you have to be reasonably priced rather than be greedy. i know who i would rather have doing the job.

 

[jbonding]

if you had priced half of that he still might of pulled his face so i wouldnt worry, it sounds like a reasonable price to me maybe even a bit cheap.

 

[breezer]

i take it this is your first "on your own" quote?

dont worry about it, you win some you lose some.
to lower your price now would be a bad thing.

you may also be the first person he had to quote, perhaps he thought " its only costs a few bob a bag, you will onlty charge a tenner to do the job, so it should cost around £20 all in"


the trouble is, that no matter what trade or product you sell / supply, you will lways think joe public are taking the P, with what they think this product or service will cost.

truth is they have no idea what this product or service costs, unless they have been told / enquired elsewhere.

oh if he comes back to you and says ive had a quote for say £350, tell him you have my number if you dont like the other job.
DON'T lower your price

 

[joe-90]

if you had priced half of that he still might of pulled his face so i wouldnt worry, it sounds like a reasonable price to me maybe even a bit cheap.

Where have you been?

 

[jbonding]

if you had priced half of that he still might of pulled his face so i wouldnt worry, it sounds like a reasonable price to me maybe even a bit cheap.

Where have you been?

Long story, split up with misses, she got the computer i got the binbags Just got back on line.

 

[joe-90]

Welcome back, we need a real pro in here.

 

[ste1406]

i take it this is your first "on your own" quote?

dont worry about it, you win some you lose some.
to lower your price now would be a bad thing.

you may also be the first person he had to quote, perhaps he thought " its only costs a few bob a bag, you will onlty charge a tenner to do the job, so it should cost around £20 all in"


the trouble is, that no matter what trade or product you sell / supply, you will lways think joe public are taking the P, with what they think this product or service will cost.

truth is they have no idea what this product or service costs, unless they have been told / enquired elsewhere.

oh if he comes back to you and says ive had a quote for say £350, tell him you have my number if you dont like the other job.
DON'T lower your price

he's rung back and wants the job doing so i suppose in the end he has shopped around a bit but i get a fair price for the job and he gets a good job done. everyone's a winner. i know what you are saying though. thanks for all the advice.