Am I over charging?

[dave1]

Bases in Essex and North London areas.
I've quoted a few jobs and not got them, a combi swap with new timer and room stat to be fitted, logic plus 30kw around £2000

A cloakroom install, customer supplying sanitary ware and tiles, 16m2 tiles, plastering and pipework to be buried in floor and walls, floor made good and tiled. Around £1700

 

[TFGplumbing]

^^ that sounds like a nice install Shaun

 

[ShaunCorbs]

^^ that sounds like a nice install Shaun

yep was recommend, so nearly had a blank chq within reason, and dont have to cram it into a week just to get the price down

and there will be pics on the 28 compact because a few people didnt know how to work on them little helpful tips

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Do I get an award for starting this?

You get to ring the bell!

 

[leek]

I lost a job the other day, the woman wanted top spec of everything, got me on Pinterest to show me exactly how she expected to look, decided she would supply the sanitaryware herself as she was so particular, so I quoted for labour only for a cloakroom and bathroom, included everything but sanitaryware, so tiling, tanking, plastering, electrics etc, she wanted to come with me as she thought the 'standard of my work looked so high', think all In including skip it was coming in at about £10k for the two rooms, but her handyman mate was doing it for £3k less. Good luck to him.

I went over what I had priced and there just wasn't much in it profit wise, enough that I was happy with it but by no means anywhere near the £3k she was shaving off. Just a bit irritated spent to long with her trying to sort everything out for her.

The last boiler install I did was a w/b 32cdi last week and changed 2 rads at the same time which the client supplied and I charged £2650, did power flush it through as well, but took 3 days with a mate helping me on one, so although it looks like a lot of money when you break it down it's really not.

 

[Millsy 82]

This is why I now give people a rough idea when they phone up.

If they say they want a combi swap I give them a rough idea of a basic swap so if they have had another price and they are just looking for the cheapest they then say oh so and so said they can do it for x amount. Saves time and hassle.

With bathrooms its a lot trickier as there are so many more variables so I still price up roughlythen if they like that I will go further into it.

 

[hammers4spanner]

All i say on bathrooms on average bottom end 3 grand average 5 grand after that get an appointment with your bank manager .

Most people think its a joke when i say that however it is not

 

[ShaunCorbs]

All i say on bathrooms on average bottom end 3 grand average 5 grand after that get an appointment with your bank manager .

Most people think its a joke when i say that however it is not

+1 but i hate bathrooms

 

[dave1]

Just had another one, I quoted for a combi swap, customer wants to keep the same flue and no powerflush. Just received a text this morning, I've had it all done for £300 all in.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Just had another one, I quoted for a combi swap, customer wants to keep the same flue and no powerflush. Just received a text this morning, I've had it all done for £300 all in.

Maybe your in the wrong postcodes?
Some post codes i won't work in if i can .

 

[dave1]

Maybe your in the wrong postcodes?
Some post codes i won't work in if i can .

This was in a pretty nice rural area. I don't have a problem if I'm beat on a price, but when it's for money like that it's hard to understand and then I start to doubt my pricing.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Are you quiet with work ?
maybe they are finding extras?

 

[dave1]

Are you quiet with work ?
maybe they are finding extras?

I've not long been running on my own, so the diary is booked one to two weeks in advance at the moment which I don't think is too bad.

I'm not going to flog myself and not earn money, I've spent a lot of money investing in my business and I'm planning to make it work by charging a fair but decent amount of money. I don't see the pint in running around doing tons of jobs for little or no money.

 

[TFGplumbing]

My strategy to combating this problem is not to compete with them on price, often that share of the market offers nothing but problems.

Cheap engineers and cheap customers go hand in hand; you can't win this people over they will always want a cheap 'arsehole' job until something goes wrong.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I've not long been running on my own, so the diary is booked one to two weeks in advance at the moment which I don't think is too bad.

I'm not going to flog myself and not earn money, I've spent a lot of money investing in my business and I'm planning to make it work by charging a fair but decent amount of money. I don't see the pint in running around doing tons of jobs for little or no money.

Well you have just answered your question , your booked out 2 weeks in front so you have a customer base which says your not to cheap.

 

[Masood]

Just had another one, I quoted for a combi swap, customer wants to keep the same flue and no powerflush. Just received a text this morning, I've had it all done for £300 all in.

All in?? Not including boiler, surely???

 

[Millsy 82]

I had a phone call last week from a couple who wanted a price to remove 4 radiators and then fit 4 new ones after the plasterer. I said i couldnt price them without seeing the job but i could come and remove the rads at hourly rate and tben give them a price for the rest.

I asked what they wanted and gave them an estimate of just below a grand for 4 new rads, new rad valves throughout carrying out a flush etc. She emailed me back saying they would like me to do it but they have had a quote £140.00 cheaper. I replied asking what the other person has priced for and is it exactly the same and saying its not worth me doing for less as I would be working for minimum wage.

They repliedwith saying they want me to do it and they paid the deposit.

Try and make the customer see that what you are offering is the best.

 

[dave1]

All in?? Not including boiler, surely???

No boiler, labour parts ie pipe firings etc an registration

 

[Masood]

No boiler, labour parts ie pipe firings etc an registration

Sadly for some people that's a decent days wage. They're too short-sighted to realise that you can't run a business working for day rate, or they're seriously desperate for work, or they're doing privates, or they're unregistered.

My advice would be to go the other way. I used to worry about whether I was overcharging, then after some excellent advice from this forum I put my prices up. Now I do fewer jobs but earn more with customers who respect and put higher value on my skills.

It's all about perceived value. People will pay more for a biscuit wrapped in a McVities wrapper than a Sainsburys one. But they are made to the same recipe on the same production line. Package yourself as a premium option. You'll be surprised.

 

[on31ll]

We are all in this job to make money end of. Make your money on a reputation and you will not go wrong. I work for myself have 2 lads working for me now. Although alot of my stuff is commercial i still do a fair amount of domestic. You will win with some people you will loose with some people.

Classic example is today of a plumber i see down the merchants. I did alot of running round today clearing loose ends etc so been plumbys about 4 times today and id say for about 3 of the times i went in there was this plumber in there propping up the counter and everytime i went in he was telling people how he wont get out of bed for less than £300 but hes stood in the plumby merchants all day so that cant be working for him everyday.

Where as i charge a fair and good price that im happy with and im booked till end of jan. if the customer doesnt want to pay the price your happy with then dont loose anytime move onto seeking the next. Yer it hurts to be kicked down but in business if you let that effect you then it will burn your head out. What would you want to be busy making the money your happy with or busy on a job thinking im not doing my best work here because i had to knock £200 off my price ???

Just laugh at the jokers. Even better ask if you can go in and have a look at the job the other people have done ! And laugh hardddddd