Skim quote

[Robbox]

I've been quoted £800+vat for skim coat on new PB. It's my private house and the total of walls and ceiling is about 20sqm. It feels like a lot. I'd imagine two or maybe three, at the most, days for one man.
The only problem is that it's part of a bigger quote for a bathroom renovation by one firm, so it could be padded to cover overruns in other areas.

 

[Nige F]

Have a look at the other thread -" pricing for skim" - Prenticeboy said c. £10 a sq.M

 

[Robbox]

Have a look at the other thread -" pricing for skim" - Prenticeboy said c. £10 a sq.M

I saw that, but He didn't say if it was private or commercial. From reading posts I get the feeling that private customers are charged by the day usually. So given the sqm and a generous day rate of 200, I cannot see one man taking four days to do the area.

 

[vinn]

I have no idea what your 20M looks like, nor do I know the location of the job - there are other unknowns too.
The plasterer or the builder is in business to make a profit - they dont work for day wages.
They make as much as they can while young in that gruelling trade.
By a certain age most will have labourers - all jobs will be two man/woman.

 

[stevethespreader]

£800 for 20m2 on new plasterboard is a p1ss take unless there's some reason it's hard like access it's less than a mornings work , I've never heard of such a high price for ,20m2 it's laughable

 

[vinn]

How about a few possibilities:
a long drive against traffic both ways.
Some boards need re-screwing, and some studding needs lining to plumb and plane.
Bits of patching needed since job last seen.
Have to wait on other trades to finish.
All mats are not on site. Generator needed - no utilities due to cold snap.
Ceilings need re-boarding or pulling out with bonding.
Crazy angle pieces of p/b, zig-zags and reveals and quirks galore.

None of the above is a big deal (& they obviously all wont arrive at once) but who knows what 20m implies - as you say it could be done in a few hours maybe or maybe not.
Working for a profit works on the assumption that nothing is ever as it seems or is claimed to be.
There's no such thing as a "generous rate" - the customer pays as little as possible, and the plasterer charges as much as they can get.

 

[stevethespreader]

I used to skim plasterboard for a partitioning company for 6 years and in that time I traveled hundreds of miles if not thousands of miles skimmed thousands of m2 and also Ive done all associated snagging so I think I'm saying with good authority and experience that there is no way 20m2 is ever going to come close to £800 I've also faced all the scenarios that you have mentioned and none of them warrants a £800 price tag for a 20 m2 skim

 

[chappers]

yeah for 800 quid you could drive five hours there, buy all the materials, tack/dot and dab the job, skim it, wait around all day, cook the client tea for when they got home and then drive home.