How Many Jobs

[jaydebruyne]

How many jobs do you guys clear on an average 8 or 9 hour day? Obviously it hugely depends on what the jobs are but general plumbing stuff like the list below (as well as picking the parts up):

2 x bristan shower heads replacement
Immersion replacement
Reactive - no hot water
Bar mixer replacement
Reactive - Leaking tap
Toilet handle replacement
Kitchen tap replacement
Kitchen tap & concealed shower valve replacement

 

[gasmanrob]

I'd say you've earnt your money after that list. Don't really do day to day plumbing anymore.

used to complete between 7-10 services in a day or 2-8 breakdowns all local say in a 15 mile radius

 

[jaydebruyne]

I'm looking forward to the challenge. These are spaced out between SE, SW, E and W London. Hopefully traffic won't be a nightmare

 

[Millsy 82]

I wouldn't get through that in a day. Unless they were next door to each other and not 1 problem.

If that's what your being asked to do then I would expect to phone the office in the afternoon and let them know that you won't make it to some.

Don't rush it and make mistakes also if you do that every day then expect them to want that every single day.

I used to get through between 6-10 boiler breakdowns/servicing/ fitting parts based in Cheltenham and Gloucester so no where near as much traffic as London and that used to be a struggle some days.

 

[WaterTight]

at my current pace i'd be happy to space that list over half a week and consider myself busy.

 

[Rickster123]

I find that a boiler a day keeps the bailiffs away!

 

[cr0ft]

We aim to complete 4 small jobs in a day bringing in a minimum of 8 hours of work (we charge 2x for the first hour). Some days we will do more some we will do less. As long as the average is around 4 the sums add up.

I wouldn't dream of asking one of my staff to do 8 jobs in a day tbh.

 

[plumben]

Id probley allow 2-3 days for that allowing for traffic/collecting material/ waiting round for customers to let you in
and for the unforeseen problems

 

[Millsy 82]

We aim to complete 4 small jobs in a day bringing in a minimum of 8 hours of work (we charge 2x for the first hour). Some days we will do more some we will do less. As long as the average is around 4 the sums add up.

I wouldn't dream of asking one of my staff to do 8 jobs in a day tbh.

Most of the companies I have worked for allow 1 hour per job including travel time so 8 jobs a day. Some times when your servicing it's easy to do but other times if you have to strip boilers apart it not possible. I think I have only had 1 job where I got an average of 5 jobs a day but travelled around 200-300 miles a day.

The worst one I worked for was 9 jobs a day and most about 20 minutes apart! No wonder nobody ever stayed to actually fault find on the boilers and just guessed.

I take my hat off to you and if I could find someone down here the same and offered decent money I would be working for them within a shot!

 

[lame plumber]

earned £400 for 2 jobs by 1300 today for a boiler repair and immersion swap, so I went home

 

[stevetheplumber]

e w sw and e youill be lucky to drive to them all in a day without doing the work

 

[jaydebruyne]

earned £400 for 2 jobs by 1300 today for a boiler repair and immersion swap, so I went home

I don't even earn that in a week :/ in the end, my 1st two jobs were swapped with a job replacing 2 rad valves on a communal system in a block of flats, 1 was a standard 15mm valve and the other went on 1/2 inch steel pipe. Only managed to do that, a reactive to radiator issues and replacing a bar shower mixer by 4pm. I was willing to do 2 others but the custards wanted to reschedule. But I know I'm probably gonna get pulled up on it

 

[Neil K]

I find that a boiler a day keeps the bailiffs away!

If I could get that I'd be happy

 

[lame plumber]

Got told tonight my quote for a new heating install was cheap, dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jaydebruyne]

e w sw and e youill be lucky to drive to them all in a day without doing the work

Tell me about it! Soon as you get to one job you're thinking about the next job

 

[WaterTight]

We aim to complete 4 small jobs in a day bringing in a minimum of 8 hours of work (we charge 2x for the first hour). Some days we will do more some we will do less. As long as the average is around 4 the sums add up.

I wouldn't dream of asking one of my staff to do 8 jobs in a day tbh.

Hi cr0ft. Do you mean your minimum labour charge is for 2 hours? And most people go for it?

 

[lame plumber]

the joy of SE and no mortgage is around one oclock you think about do I need to work anymore , however, being as there is no pension plan, I'll be doing this well into the old dotage, but its got to be better than watching your old missus dribbling

 

[Rickster123]

Got told tonight my quote for a new heating install was cheap, dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those words make me shiver! Did you reply instantly with .....PLUS VAT!

 

[WaterTight]

I find if you get really close to their face and say the price like you're in ultra slow motion whilst frantically eyeing their every flinch or twitch...

"The price is fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."

*no look of horror*

".....hunnnnnnnnnnnnnnn"

*no look of horror*

"...nnnndred thouuuuuuuuuuuusssssss...."

 

[jaydebruyne]

I find if you get really close to their face and say the price like you're in ultra slow motion whilst frantically eyeing their every flinch or twitch...

"The price is fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."

*no look of horror*

".....hunnnnnnnnnnnnnnn"

*no look of horror*

"...nnnndred thouuuuuuuuuuuusssssss...."

Hahaha that's hilarious, I snorted my coffee hahaha

 

[lame plumber]

Those words make me shiver! Did you reply instantly with .....PLUS VAT!

nope, I stated this was only an over the phone quote, need to see the actual property before verifying it was suprised though as I had estimated a 3 bed install at £5500 as its a reasonable little earner, and he said others were twice as much, so I'm having a peek and a revision of my costs

 

[hammers4spanner]

Im on Lame plumbs thinking when it comes to work these days charge more do less ,

Not really interested in doing how many jobs can i do ,if i can get away with it one job would do and the price would be as much as i can get away with

 

[jaydebruyne]

Im on Lame plumbs thinking when it comes to work these days charge more do less ,

Not really interested in doing how many jobs can i do ,if i can get away with it one job would do and the price would be as much as i can get away with

It might be cos I'm a newbie but I like to do as much as possible, makes me feel like I've had a good day ... I'm sure time and experience will soon change that

 

[WaterTight]

don't be a busy fool.

 

[REDSAW]

i'm happy doing 3 jobs a day.
sod that, i'd rather be home with my feet up than killing myself.
cant beat the odd day where you got 6 done and a grin on your face with 5-600 in your pocket tho.

 

[jaydebruyne]

i'm happy doing 3 jobs a day.
sod that, i'd rather be home with my feet up than killing myself.
cant beat the odd day where you got 6 done and a grin on your face with 5-600 in your pocket tho.

What types of jobs would pay you like that redraw?

Just curious. At the mo my boss is paying for me to get gas safe (1 day a week at college for 6 months). I know what he's paying me isn't top dollar but we are both getting something out of our arrangement. Me, experience. Him, a cheap plumber. But I will be going solo in a couple of years once I get a bit more experience under my belt and I've given back some time in repayment for paying for my gas safe.

 

[PlumbersMate]

I don't even earn that in a week :/ in the end, my 1st two jobs were swapped with a job replacing 2 rad valves on a communal system in a block of flats, 1 was a standard 15mm valve and the other went on 1/2 inch steel pipe. Only managed to do that, a reactive to radiator issues and replacing a bar shower mixer by 4pm. I was willing to do 2 others but the custards wanted to reschedule. But I know I'm probably gonna get pulled up on it

so you're expected to do all that each day and you don't earn £400 p/wk, what wanchors are you working for?

 

[lame plumber]

tescos pay more than £400 a week to shelf stackers

 

[jaydebruyne]

so you're expected to do all that each day and you don't earn £400 p/wk, what wanchors are you working for?

The guy I work for is a nice guy. But at the end of the day he's a business man and his aim is to earn money, not worry about how I feel. Apparently (as one guy told me who has worked for him for over 10 years), he'll push you and push you to get as many jobs out of you as possible. BUT, he has given me a chance and is paying for me to become gas safe when nobody else was willing to. So I can't complain, even if I am driving around like a crazy man trying to rush from job to job! I just wanted to know if 8 jobs was normal or if I was just being really bloody slow not being able to complete my list - Needless to say the responses have made me feel so much better - thanks everyone

 

[jaydebruyne]

tescos pay more than £400 a week to shelf stackers

Are they hiring?

 

[WaterTight]

my hope is that once you can do jobbing and if you're a nice enough sort, you can rest assured that even if you end up old and with no money you can get by comfortably by spending a few leisurely hours a day being well paid by a long and hard earned clientelle for decent work that is done properly and unrushed.

 

[REDSAW]

my missus worked at tesco once, evening shifts at £11.50ph weekends @x2.
that was 3 years ago and i heard morrisons pay more!!!

 

[jaydebruyne]

my hope is that once you can do jobbing and if you're a nice enough sort, you can rest assured that even if you end up old and with no money you can get by comfortably by spending a few leisurely hours a day being well paid by a long and hard earned clientelle for decent work that is done properly and unrushed.

To be able to work unrushed sounds like a dream. As soon as I get into a place I can hear the clock ticking.. tick to tick toc.... I don't like working like that. I like to take my time, do things right (not to say I don't now, but I'm new and I want to learn and take things in, not just do do do).

 

[WaterTight]

My worry is that when I do less work and clock of earlier I'm more inclined to be lazy, eat too much drink too much in between.

 

[cr0ft]

The guy I work for is a nice guy. But at the end of the day he's a business man and his aim is to earn money, not worry about how I feel. Apparently (as one guy told me who has worked for him for over 10 years), he'll push you and push you to get as many jobs out of you as possible. BUT, he has given me a chance and is paying for me to become gas safe when nobody else was willing to. So I can't complain, even if I am driving around like a crazy man trying to rush from job to job! I just wanted to know if 8 jobs was normal or if I was just being really bloody slow not being able to complete my list - Needless to say the responses have made me feel so much better - thanks everyone

A good business man would realise that his staff are his best asset and that over-working them leads to mistakes and ****ed off staff that want to leave, like in your case it seems!

4 short jobs each day is an achievable amount all plumbers will be capable of and it will earn a business enough to keep you employed. They get a good balance between work and home time, they don't feel they have to rush and quality of work doesn't suffer. That means we get more customers in the longer term and grow quicker.