Builders Rates

Hello all,

This is a general question about how builders price jobs.
I am planning on getting some work done in the new year and was wondering about prices. I need a couple of walls taking down and lintels putting in place (obviously). I will need some brickwork doing also. The question is :-

How will a builder price this job?
Do they charge on a daily rate and that includes everything. Or will they charge one daily rate for taking walls down etc and another rate for bricking. I just need a bit of info about what is the norm before I start getting people in to look at/price the job

Thanks in advance

Peadee

generally speaking all trades work for a price or a daily rate. For a price they will quote you based on the materials and amount of labour needed to complete the job. This is then a fixed price for the job assuming there are no alterations or extras to the original agreement. Nearly all small building work is done like this.

The other method is paying everyone on site a daily rate based on their trade/skills but this should not be used unless you have experience of how certain jobs are done and how long they should take. This would happen often on new builds and sites or if the work is complex/ long term or is with many variables. However working like this would be unusual for normal domestic works.

Of course you can buy materials yourself or get a quote heavily broken down etc but often a builder will buy things easier and cheaper than you could anyway. It sounds like your best option is to get at least three quotes and have as complete and detailed a plan of what you want done to get a more accurate quote.

This type of work will be priced as a fixed sum for the work - and as a client this is what you really want.

The builder may base it on a day rate - ie "It will take me x days so the cost will be y amount". But you don't want to write an open ended cheque so that a 3 day job becomes 5 days - as he is being paid per day. Day rates are the same whatever type of work is.

Get quotes for a fixed price for doing all the work. And make sure everyone is quoting like for like so that you can compare them properly.

Quotes should be itemised so that you (and the builder) know exactly what work is being done and for what amount. Anything extra, and not included in the quote (nor part of associated work) will be chargeable as an "extra"

So with the quote, ask how much their day and/or hourly rate is, so that you have a basis for payment of extra work. But preferably you want extra work on a fixed price too and agreed in advance before the builder carries on with it.

But remember that not all builders are out to scam you.

Also remember that any internal structural work (ie work to a load bearing work) may require a building regs application.

^woody^ said:

Also remember that any internal structural work (ie work to a load bearing work) may require a building regs application.

Click to expand...

And where there's an application for structural work, there's always a structural engineer lurking, just in case...

Pea - we use Spon's Architects' & Builders' Price Book, which at 2.5" thick lists just about every job (it comes with a CD version so actually all the prices are on our PCs). I alway cynically think of price books as being price fixing devices.

Thanks for all the replies fella's.