a wage for a newbie?

[dave knight]

Hi all.

Just wanting to pick your collective minds really. I'm just about to start working in the real world after finishing my training at BTSC. I'm C&G L3, and now going to work towards my NVQ's and ACS. I've not had any work experience yet due to concentrating on getting the course done asap.

My query is this: What kind of money (roughly) should i be asking for, for jobs?

I understand that each job is different etc, but i have a number of potential jobs lined up, and currently have no idea where a good starting point would be in regards to quotes. I don't want to take the micky by asking the same as a time served plumber, but i also don't want to be selling myself short.

I know its not a straight forward answer but any help would be greatly appreciated. Maybe you employ someone of my experience level, and as such, know a rough wage.

thanks for your time.

 

[Onyourtime]

Well dude I am a plumber and I charge around $5-$10 per hour for fixing the leaks.

 

[traineedrip]

I roughly work out how long it will take me, then halve the labour if i think an experienced plumber will be twice as fast.
So customers pay the same im just under their feet longer and im not upsetting other plumbers with cut prices.

 

[dave knight]

I roughly work out how long it will take me, then halve the labour if i think an experienced plumber will be twice as fast.
So customers pay the same im just under their feet longer and im not upsetting other plumbers with cut prices.

So what's your rate then? I've never used a plumber or had the chance to work with one yet, so I have no idea lol. A friend who has experience in construction industry, all be it not plumbing, reckons £100 a day based on 8 hour day is reasonable.

 

[traineedrip]

Local plumbers charge anywhere from 35 to 45 p/h or 175 - 220 a day rate. This is the south east and Id imagine expensive compared to other areas, it really depends on the area, job, length of job. Day rate would come down on each extra day until a week would come out at £600ish.

The above is purely domestic, you wouldnt get that on site im told.

 

[justlead1]

Hi. Although you hear plumbers charging £30 to £40 per hour. I can assure you the hours in a day they get paid for are not always 8 or if they are they have done 12. Plus things like taking out a bathroom suit and fitting new, a good plumber may be finished in a day, you may well be there for a week. Which makes that what you are asking, difficult to answer.

 

[dave knight]

Hi. Although you hear plumbers charging £30 to £40 per hour. I can assure you the hours in a day they get paid for are not always 8 or if they are they have done 12. Plus things like taking out a bathroom suit and fitting new, a good plumber may be finished in a day, you may well be there for a week. Which makes that what you are asking, difficult to answer.

That's why I was just after a rough guide. To give me a starting point. I have a lady who wants me to quote her for fitting new bath tub and new sink. She's buying the bits. So I need to be able to come up with a price.

 

[Resolute]

Is it a complete bathroom suite swap or just sink and basin? Also are you gonna be doing the tiling too?

 

[philtheflush]

ive just finished my tech level 2 and gone out on my own i charge £30 FIRST HOUR £20 THEIR after i have to pay the same bills as a time served plumber . and if i take longer than i should take i only charge for what it should have taken by a time served plumber

 

[dave knight]

Is it a complete bathroom suite swap or just sink and basin? Also are you gonna be doing the tiling too?

Just bath tub and kitchen sink as far as I know. Will find out exactly what she's after tomorrow.

ive just finished my tech level 2 and gone out on my own i charge £30 FIRST HOUR £20 THEIR after i have to pay the same bills as a time served plumber . and if i take longer than i should take i only charge for what it should have taken by a time served plumber

Cheers for the info. Much appreciated

 

[tamz]

ive just finished my tech level 2 and gone out on my own i charge £30 FIRST HOUR £20 THEIR after i have to pay the same bills as a time served plumber . and if i take longer than i should take i only charge for what it should have taken by a time served plumber

But how do you know how long it would take a time served plumber. Not all time served plumbers are speed merchants but they have the experience to know what to do without thinking about it.

As Justlead says most decent plumbers will swap a bathroom in a day no problem. When i was an apprentice i could do a bathroom swap on a Saturday as a homer and still make the football at 3 because i had probably been on ??? more than 50??? similar jobs so knew what to do without having to think.

Like for like bathroom swap £200 - 450 inc materials depending on suite, area and customer. Shower is extra.

 

[REDSAW]

£20 per hour?????

try justifying to your customers in a couple of years time that your rate has gone up 50% above the rate of inflation to £30 per hour. i think that all you have worked for in the last 2 years to build a customer base will all but dissapear imo.

i live in notts and can easily charge £40 per hour, you may think a bit steep but i still have customers comming back for more. the only thing is i may not be as busy as you on £20 per hour, but i only work half as hard and use less fuel in doing so. however, if thats all you need thats your business. after all, a set of bath taps that take an experienced guy 4 hours to remove will still take you 4 hours.

a rate of £32.50 per hour seems the national average for s.emp and what people expect and if in 2 years you up your rate to £40, thats only a 25% increase not 50%. so you should keep the majority of custards.

if your just setting up charge the £30 on hour and £150+ day rate, if you feel you could have done it quicker knock an hour or so off as good will.

then again, i know a tech cert c&g guy who has been on £50 a day for the last 2 years gaining exp.

 

[dontknowitall]

I did some work for a neighbour acting as a "friendly neighbour" - ie free of charge.

They refused so I asked for a donation for my 50 minutes of work. When they had taken out £45 and looked for another note I told them to stop. People expect to pay a reasonable amount for a good service.

Most people like a good service done by a person they can trust. Money is secondary and usually around 5th on the list of priorities (not just in plumbing and construction).

After all, when you buy a drill do you buy the cheapest you can find or the best you can afford or justify for the amount you're going to use it? Do you go for a certain make or don't you care? Do you go for one with good batteries? The list goes on and money is not the top of this list.

 

[tamz]

Watch this from about 3mins 50
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cFtOhY6i0o]YouTube - Catherine Tate Show Nan dead tv & at the doctor's[/ame].

 

[Dannypipe]

One thing I would like to add, not all plumbers can change a bathroom suite in a day. I would never make a promise to a client of 1 day.

For a start, I'm not super quick, I am super thorough and more fussy than many plumbers. (what I like to call lashers!!)

Secondly, you can always get something unexpected pop up at times. I don't care how many times you've done it. I work in the south east, full of very old properties. Who knows what you may find?

Finally my hourly rate for a call out is £45 first hour, £35 per hour there after. I work on a day rate of £200.00 (so get me there for a day and I'm a bargain).

It's hard to make good money in this game when you first start out. I'm 10 years in and it's only just starting to happen for me.

I know I've rambled, but my point is, not every experienced guy is quick, quick quick.