value of my time : quoting

[SUPERPLUMBER]

Hi All

Im just starting out as a plumber and have been asked by a mate to move a sink and a radaitor.

Whilst i dont wanna rip him off, i dont wanna sell myself too cheap. Im not in for undercutting current market values and want to know what i should charge as a daily rate or price per job.
The job is in a cloak room and it involves removing the floorboards so i expect it would take the best part of the day.

any help would be gratefully appreciated

thanks

SuperPLumber

 

[wilhelm]

if hes a mate. you do it for fekk all.

hope that helps.

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

what are your overheads ?
what are you happy to call a daily rate ?
remember that your tax and n.i has to come off.

pricing is the worst part of the job
even worse when for family or friends.

the jobs that look the easy always turn out to be a pig.

 

[breezer]

tell him you are busy

 

[Biggles..]

dont mix buisness and pleasure, never work for family or friends. I learnt the hard way.

 

[Rob]

Just sittin at home doing feck all will leave you better off than starting this job.

People think that because that know a plumber they never have to pay for things like that ever again!

 

[Agile]

There is a simple solution!

Just make it clear that you ALWAYS charge full prices to family and friends so they may want to consider getting someone else to do it for them.

You could easily get a full time job doing things free for your friends.

However, because you are starting its not fair to charge on a time basis because you are going to be slow. The usual day rate for an experienced person is about £150-£200 so if you charged about half that it might be about right until you gain enough experience to do things a lot quicker.

Tony

 

[SUPERPLUMBER]

Thanks Tony,

thats the most sensible insight into my dilema out of the chaff that has accumulated on the topic.


Ive tried to break down the job into what is plumbing and what is generaly diy.

Simply pulling up the lino and removing the floorboards are reletively simple DIY tasks and shouldnt take too long. However draining the central heating, re-routing the pipes and refilling could take a few hours.Is this a good idea or am i oversimplifying the job.

to make thinks even more complex, theres alot of other work about in the house which hes asked me to quote for, suchas tiling several rooms so im not too worried about short changing myself if i can secure a few weeks work in other areas.

Thanks again for sharing your experience

MM

 

[noseall]

never ever work for free.

always charge as it is the fairest way, for both parties.

 

[SUPERPLUMBER]

thanks noseall

i think youre right, if we go down that route for small jobs, it becomes an expectatation of a freebee should the biggy arise...floood,boiler new CH.

thanks for all the goodwill and experience from the posters.