400 a day plus you pay for my tools

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So i pinged a local plumber via checkatrade (cowboys with a tick) seemed to have good reviews.

Gave him a small list of easy jobs. Basically 4 jobs including terminating the 22mm feed to bath in floor (All chased out by my me for easy access to solder or fit compression). Soldering some 15mm copper up walls i have chased for a toilet and shower mixer and towel rad. Said it would take the day at his day rate of £400 quid???

I asked him ok whilst you're at it then can you core drill out external wall and run 40mm waste to external drain?

His reply "i dont have a core drill but if you want i can hire one and charge it back to you if ok?"

So.. 400 quid to do some basic soldering i learnt as an apprentice @ 16 in about 3hours with a fitter and he doesn't even have a core drill or seemingly afford one. Im able to do these jobs myself but busy doing far more technical stuff. I feel for the general public having to pay chancers like this.
 
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Check a trade. :unsure:

I can’t see a pro plumber not having a core drill.
Indeed i guess not, i have a core set and im not even a plumber. In my line of work if i didn't have the tool id factor it into my business for future customers.

I drilled out waste and capped off 22mm feeds in about 30mins. Do the rest tomorrow morn i guess hour max. 400 saved from chancer.
 
That day rate isn't that bad if the person is fully qualified, experienced, and has all their own kit. I charge £440+vat/day and am always booked up 3-4 months ahead. That being said, I charge in 15 minute blocks after the first hour, I don't charge a full day for an hour's work!

He's probably spent all his money on Checkanidiot fees - they charge about 3× what I spend on my total annual advertising budget across all platforms. If it's operating in your area, use www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk to find tradesmen. Everyone on there is vetted and monitored by Trading Standards, and they publish all reviews good and bad. You've got to have a very very good reason why they shouldn't publish a negative review on there. Been down that road, if you search long and hard enough there's a pretty unfair 1 start review in amongst my 105 5 star reviews.... CaT on the other hand allegedly are quite happy to remove a bad review if a tradesman complains about it enough
 
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Its just another site collecting information and wanting you to pay them for work as far as I am concerned. Gov site
 
I charge £440+vat/day and am always booked up 3-4 months ahead.
And so you would never bother with a find me a job site, I can see how people just moving to sole trader may use a job site, but most good tradesman only join schemes which allow them to work as the electricians Part P scam, and the widows fensa etc. Not sites to find them jobs.

To my mind any site which you need to pay a fee to get jobs, is only used by tradesman who can't build up a good reputation, best place to find a tradesman is pub, church or similar, even facebook you can ask if any one knows some one to do xyz, and it is the people who have used them that tell you about them, as self praise is no recommendation.
 

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