Losing Plumbing Jobs To Cut-Throat Quotes From Competition

[cashjob]

Are things getting worse out there, or have I just been unlucky? I realise that money is short for many people, but I find that having given a sensible price for a job, others are undercutting by a long way. Their prices don't seem to make any sense. One example;

Recently, I quoted for a complete new heating system, excluding boiler which was quite new, in a 3 bed house, with an extra 2 room extension on the side. The price included pipework, 9 rads plus towel rail, TRVs, bypass, etc, etc. My quote was £1500, quite reasonable for up to 4 days work on my own, and considering that materials were approx £600. I would also have had to travel for 1.5 hours a day, as it wasn't that local.

I heard a few days later that I had lost out to some crazy b'stard who was going to do it for £1000! How can they make any money, and pay their expenses? They can't be building any capital to buy a newer van in the future, or paying into a pension.

Have I been unlucky, or are others finding that quotes that would have been quite reasonable a couple of years ago, now look expensive? Are plumbers and other trades in your area cutting each others throats to get work? Time for a change of career methinks!

 

[Deleted member 105431]

I seem to remember you saying how you like to undercut legitimate gas safe registered engineers by being unqualified and unregistered. Poetic justice and Karma are at work here methinks!

 

[cashjob]

Yes, I am fitting a lot more boilers at present because I can be very competitive with their pricing. Just as well really, because most other areas of plumbing are getting very price sensitive.

Wondered if it was the same for others?

 

[fekarrs]

Not another post that has quickly descended into playground insults. What have you done to upset Dangermouse, Mr Cashjob? Is he a gas installer, who sees unregistered installers as a threat to his business?

Back to the subject in hand. Yes things are getting a bit tighter out there, and it seems that some new entrants to the industry are trying to get business at any cost. It appears that pay rates and incomes in many professions are under pressure, and plumbing is no exception. Things will get better in the future!

 

[Johnmelad502]

I heard a few days later that I had lost out to some crazy b'stard who was going to do it for £1000! How can they make any money, and pay their expenses? They can't be building any capital to buy a newer van in the future, or paying into a pension.

Someone has knocked a third off of your quote which for four days work appears more than a little high.

Suggest you cut your cloth to meet the financial times we find ourselves in.

 

[cashjob]

I'm not sure if you're in the same line of work Johnmelad. So what you're saying is that it is reasonable to expect little more than £100 gross profit per day as a self employed plumber.

Remember, this is gross profit, not take-home pay. Sounds like commercial suicide to suggest that anyone operates on this level of income.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

I'm not sure if you're in the same line of work Johnmelad. So what you're saying is that it is reasonable to expect little more than £100 gross profit per day as a self employed plumber.

Remember, this is gross profit, not take-home pay. Sounds like commercial suicide to suggest that anyone operates on this level of income.

for someone unqualified, unregistered, uninsured and unskilled like yourself I'd say a ton a day is far too much.

 

[cashjob]

*********

 

[Deleted member 105431]

***********.

Only a short while ago you boasted on this forum about undercutting legitimate tradesmen by working illegally unregistered and unqualified; now you moan about being undercut yourself! Hypocrite.

 

[cashjob]

*****

 

[burygas]

Are things getting worse out there, or have I just been unlucky? I realise that money is short for many people, but I find that having given a sensible price for a job, others are undercutting by a long way. Their prices don't seem to make any sense. One example;

Recently, I quoted for a complete new heating system, excluding boiler which was quite new, in a 3 bed house, with an extra 2 room extension on the side. The price included pipework, 9 rads plus towel rail, TRVs, bypass, etc, etc. My quote was £1500, quite reasonable for up to 4 days work on my own, and considering that materials were approx £600. I would also have had to travel for 1.5 hours a day, as it wasn't that local.

I heard a few days later that I had lost out to some crazy b'stard who was going to do it for £1000! How can they make any money, and pay their expenses? They can't be building any capital to buy a newer van in the future, or paying into a pension.

Have I been unlucky, or are others finding that quotes that would have been quite reasonable a couple of years ago, now look expensive? Are plumbers and other trades in your area cutting each others throats to get work? Time for a change of career methinks!

SHAME NOT !!!!!!!!!!

 

[jondaplumb]

Not having any probs out there thanks, but my customers seem to prefer a qualified professional in their house and pay the going rate

 

[ColJack]

so you think that £900 for 4 days work is reasonable?
get real.. that's £28.12 and hour based on 8 hours work a day.. or £23.68 if you factor in the traveling.

I don't know what you think you do but putting copper pipe under a floor ain't that hard..
plastic seems even easier, one complete length from tee to tee..
conecting to gas might be but you're not doing that in this job..

the rads even have stickers on for the room size that they're best suited for..


a reasonable rate for a day is about £120 for 8 hours work.
add in about £20 a day for fuel and you've got £560.. say £600 rounded up for odds, sodds and sundries that you didn't forsee..
so that's £1200.. seems a lot more reasonable.

 

[JonoPashley]

I know people who charge £35+ a hour and always seem to have work.

 

[ChrisR]

ColJack , you obviously don't run your own business. You allow for fuel, but leave out masses. What about financing the vehicle, for a start!?
The overheads of running a small plumbing business, even as a sole trader, are £5-15k pa.
With a gross profit of around £1k a working week, you'd be on about the average income.
DOn't forget the days when you're doing office stuff - ordering, invoicing, bookkeeping etc.

Then there's no pension, no sickness pay, and no holiday pay.

Remember companies typically have to cost their employees at several, like 4, times their salary.