Starting out in plumbing

[Waffles]

I am at a point in my life where I seriously want to change my career from IT where I earn about 50K to doing some form of Plumbing/ bathroom/ Kitchen fitting and am trying to find out if I need any qualifications to do this.

I have renovated and installed 2 bathrooms in my house doing all the work from building the stud walls, Wiring (I know wiring in a bathroom, It was signed off by an electrician), Plumbing, installation of the Sanitary ware and shower cubical, Tilling (Floor and Walls). I have also replaced Immersion heaters and toilet filling valves.

So I know this does not make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I am thinking of starting my own business in domestic Plumbing with Bathroom/ Kitchen fitting.

There is a 5 day course in plumbing and Bathroom fitting that is £495 at Construction Skill College that is appealing. Any thoughts on this?

Also, If doing bathroom fitting where do you stand with regards to electrics? By this I mean simply loosening the plates to fit tiles behind them. Can you move the sockets or do you need to be qualified to do that?

Any Idea on what kind of money I can expect doing this?

Thanks for any pointers

 

[kay-jay]

Certainly not 50k that's for sure. There are many FULLY QUALIFIED plumbers who are also gas safe registered engineers who struggle to break 30k

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[tamz]

You will be luck to clear a tenth of what you are on now in your first year.
A £500 course will learn you nothing. You would learn more watching you tube!

I am at a point in my life where i am starting to hate plumbing / heating / gas and all the other stuff i do. Not the actual doing the job but I have seen it and done it and my bones and body ache for the experience, people (customers) are a pain in the backside and the profit margins are being squeezed to ridiculous levels. It is nothing more than a rat race.

The grass is seldom greener.

 

[Hybrid]

If you jack in a dry, safe, comfortable office job where you earn 50k for a job where you will be wet, dirty and will pick up injuries for life,I think you are you're crazy

 

[PlumbBobBob]

that course for £495 will be nothing short of a course for the diyer who wants to do the odd job around the house, not for someone looking to get into plumbing full time. you will be hard pressed to earn anything near your present salary, it will be very hard graft to build up a regular customer base.

 

[cjg]

its a joke.....yes, if not take the rose coloured glasses off mate, your walking away from 50k. for pain.cuts,hassle,loooong hours for a lot less money, think i am jokeing try it!!!!

 

[Guest123]

You can make a good living in Plumbing, but it takes years and a hell of a lot of very hard work and be prepared to cut off your time spent with your kids and family.
In reverse I enjoy IT and building PC's in particular and I'm a mod on a computer forum. Would be nice to trade places mate!

 

[SimonG]

It's a big difference from doing a couple of bathrooms for yourself in your spare time to actually making a living from it. But in saying that you've probably seen more than they will show you on that course.

 

[justlead1]

If you intend to trade in a City the parking alone is a nightmare, security is another. With IT. skill and " stretch of the imagination" a nice living can be made. Plumbing is normally restricted 9 to 5. Where as IT.can be performed at any hours, give you and yours a life. That can be tuned to daylight. To earn good money via plumbing = quantity = fitness = while you are young. Getting old means less money. This equation does not balance. Think hard before jumping

 

[Guest123]

Good to see you back justlead1. Hope all is well.

 

[Best]

At your job, you will not loose money any week, but at plumbing, you will have varying money each week & sometimes none! Nothing usually beats a set salary.
No offence, but I would have known more about plumbing, heating, & other trade skills when I was a teenager than you will after any fast training, so you will still be a novice.

 

[Hybrid]

Changing a few bathrooms gives you as much insight into plumbing as changing some ram gives me insight into IT.
Honestly mate it would be a bum move, quality of life and wage will suffer.

 

[Waffles]

Hi all thanks all for the insight.

 

[secret squirrel]

Got to be a wind up

 

[Best]

Got to be a wind up

Have been thinking same. Although there are people in well paid jobs who think they can actually have less stress & earn reasonable money becoming a plumber.
Maybe "Waffles" is Waffling! :grin:

 

[GQuigley67]

that'll be shining bright....

 

[Waffles]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

 

[Resolute]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

The problem is the competition you'll face from experienced and established plumbers. You'll also find that plumbing is extremely stressful to.

If your after changing career for less stress have you thought of a driving job? Bus drivers earn about £23k and less stress there.

Good luck in your chosen path though.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

sorry but there is stress in bus driving, i should know i was one for 23 years lol. although the wage level you put is about right.

 

[plumman]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

The last 2 years have been very hard for me, I now run a site with 6 plumbers on go in meetings, tool box talks ect ect, I get just above HALF what you get now, own van tools ect, Stress! come talk to my family, If you wont something payed good less stress HGV, people have put some true and good points across.

 

[AWheating]

hi and welcome to the forum waffles.

i would be try to avoid any sort of fast track type training course that will cost you alot of money and give you very little in return. You need to get to a good local college and do a city and guilds or simular. You may have to do it two nights a week after work over a couple of years but it will atleast give you an industry reconised qualification.

During this time you can either try and find a plumbing company to give you a training position or get yourself a less stressful job which will cover your bills and try and find a local plumber willing to give you a chance to help him/her on some jobs for free. Or even if you have the confidence some small jobs for yourself from family and friends for example.

I tell many people that ask about this trade that you need to ignore any stories you have read in the papers or advertisements, its a skilled job like any other and it takes time to become qualified and experienced enough to start earning a good wage. Its the same as any skilled job be it a trade or a IT position etc. The truth is the state of the entire construction industry is very bad, i know of many qualified plumbers who can not find work and have taken jobs else where. One qualified plumber i know stacks shelves in tescos currently to make ends meet.

I would not want to say dont enter the trade, but do so with your eyes open. Stress is in every job in different ways, so make sure your not swapping the stress from your current job for the stress of being an over worked under payed tradesman.

 

[Waffles]

HI AWheating thanks for the constructive information. Finding a college that does NVQ in oxfordshire seems to be quite hard. I found one that is at weekends but that means none stop work for 20 weeks!!! I have definitely had a bit of an eye opening moment. thanks all for the comments.

 

[secret squirrel]

its not a wind up! OK I am on good money but the stress is unbelievable. I am in a situation that means I am not sleeping at night, am constantly stressed and is starting to impact my family life. All I want to make sure of is that I can cover the mortgage and bills and understand that making anywhere near 50K is unreasonable. But surely but leafleting, creating a website, local magazines should start generating a customer base? What about contracts with Estate agents for Maintenance or Property managers who rent does no one have these as a customer base? Do these not generate decent income?

I have been running my own business now for 2.5 years and if it wasn't for my partner earning excellent money I wouldn't be plumbing now!

Running your own business, customer base, leafleting, advertising you will not have a customer base in a year,

If your having sleepless nights now wait until the phone doesn't ring! or the phone rings and it is changing a toilet syphon, tap washer and a set of taps. By the time you pay for your leaflets and either get them delivered (£30 per 1000) and your weeks work is only £200 (if your lucky).

Delivering them yourself, then if your not delivering because your working your work dries up because you've stopped delivering leaflets, get someone to deliver them £90 per 3,000 you need to earn £120 to break even on the deal.

Then no company wants to employ a fast track plumber, no experienced plumber wants to help you because they're training there competion. I've landed on my feet here luckily and have a couple of good friends I call on.

Your knowledge (to start) is wholly inadequate, tools you need, van, advertising, costs are way more than you expect.

If you bring home £10k in your first year then I think you've done well, net loss of £40k.

My first year, oh, thats right made nothing. Every penny I earnt went to buy something else that I needed.

I may come across as being negative or bitter, this is not the case. I stand in my suppliers watching people come and go in this industry. I've done a few posts on starting out you may find these interesting if you can find them somewhere...

Think very very hard before you walk away from your current job! in the current economic climate plumbing is not the way to go. If you do take the plunge genuinely good luck to you

 

[cjg]

I have been running my own business now for 2.5 years and if it wasn't for my partner earning excellent money I wouldn't be plumbing now!

Running your own business, customer base, leafleting, advertising you will not have a customer base in a year,

If your having sleepless nights now wait until the phone doesn't ring! or the phone rings and it is changing a toilet syphon, tap washer and a set of taps. By the time you pay for your leaflets and either get them delivered (£30 per 1000) and your weeks work is only £200 (if your lucky).

Delivering them yourself, then if your not delivering because your working your work dries up because you've stopped delivering leaflets, get someone to deliver them £90 per 3,000 you need to earn £120 to break even on the deal.

Then no company wants to employ a fast track plumber, no experienced plumber wants to help you because they're training there competion. I've landed on my feet here luckily and have a couple of good friends I call on.

Your knowledge (to start) is wholly inadequate, tools you need, van, advertising, costs are way more than you expect.

If you bring home £10k in your first year then I think you've done well, net loss of £40k.

My first year, oh, thats right made nothing. Every penny I earnt went to buy something else that I needed.

I may come across as being negative or bitter, this is not the case. I stand in my suppliers watching people come and go in this industry. I've done a few posts on starting out you may find these interesting if you can find them somewhere...

Think very very hard before you walk away from your current job! in the current economic climate plumbing is not the way to go. If you do take the plunge genuinely good luck to you

atrue and honest statement

 

[gravytrain]

i agree with all the posts on here. i started on my own 3 years ago and in my opinion the
economy is worse now than then, and is not set to get any better soon
last tax year i actually managed to earn enough to pay tax, a grand total of £39 for the whole year
which will give you some idea of how much my earnings were.

i understand about wanting to leave a stressful job, maybe you could just get a less stressful IT job ?

 

[gaspastemania]

Secret squirrels post is very good example of how hard it can be at the nmoment . You whole business basically revolves around your phone ringing and as stated if it hardly rings that week then your in spot of bother and pressure on to find that wage packet.

Not sure if its going to be any better either this year with all the negative news reports on the economy all rather annoying !!

 

[Plumbus]

Stick with the job or similar as said before, save some money, go to college for a few years to complete 6129 level 2, move on to level 3 and pick up a bit of experience along the way. Plan in your head an exit route and whilst you're learning you'll have something to take you mind off the stress as the training is a good laugh with the right group. If you try it without any qualifications or fast track then you'll find it hard going.
Also, delaying this way hopefully UK Plc will be in a better place to start.

 

[sparra1100]

am the same as everyone else been there done the same lost loads and still trying to pay £8000 for my gas which took 18 months to get qualified customers were you have to work round them ,you get there having paid £10 on petty and there not in or got someone else theres y plans ,s plans loads of little secrets you carnt teach and take years to pick up to make life easier nighmare of a job wish id done hgv now ad think long and hard before you give up a good job mate if you think you got stress now mate wait till your in this game

 

[jtsplumbing]

Stress !! you`ll know what stress is when you can-not pay your bills, or customer will not pay up, ive been in this game for over 30 years all ive got out of it is bad back and knees, 50K a year your having a joke, reading to meny fairy tails, think about working 7 days a week all the hrs god sends, winging and wineing coustomers calling day & night, sorry but if you can-not handle the stress pushing buttons sat in the warm, then you will never servive in the plumbing game, :86:

 

[PlumbBobBob]

well said jts

 

[GQuigley67]

what we really need is a business partner who knows all about marketing, advertising, accounts, customer service etc....let them deal with the customers/admin and let us get on with the stuff we are good at !! i.e plumbing and heating haha. Seriously though when your on your own you are doing all these things not just plumbing, these are all skills in their own right, something i didnt really anticipate myself if i am honest

 

[cjg]

yep. how many times have you liked to have said (go away--take a long run on a short pier--are you taking the micheal) and other words to the customer because they just think you have a magic stick/spanner that works in a flash for you ! ps. if you have one let me know where i can buy one to! keeping your cool is some times soooooooooooooo hard to do.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Yes!! magic stick you can buy them from Gas Safe, after you have done the 2 day course and got a certificate to use it. :greedy:

 

[cjg]

o thanks !!!! thats where i went wrong, i didn"t do the 2 day course, must book on first thing LOL

 

[310]

will u give us a job m8

 

[Welshbeef]

Hi I'm currently doing the 6129 plumbing course full time which is 4 days a week and work with a plumber on my day off for free to start off. Now he pays me which is great. This is deffo the way to get qualified, have heard of terrible stories of people being ripped off on these short courses. Will be qualified hopefully by April time and hopefully getting some work whilst getting level 3 part time. Good luck what ever you do. Just one thing to be aware of tho, I believe the 6129 will be coming to an end either this year or next, and new qualification will require you to have a job before you can enrol.

 

[SteveB43]

sadly so, stick to day job whilst training eve's weekends if you can, build up experience
This country does'nt allow you to change career path's (high cost of living, transitional costs, rip off merchants at every turn.... and likely soon clobbered on regulations and qualifications reqd)
US, Europe is easier, Just ask all the East Europeans that are here.....

 

[WaterTight]

Not that you need yet another person confirming what you stated you understood 25 posts ago but ...

You can earn 50k in plumbing, of course. I was on a fast track course with a guy who did his 6129 in order to know what he was talking about while running the couple of already profitable plumbing companies he was in the process of buying. I guarantee he is earning at least that. He also came from a background in IT although I think he earned rather more than 50k. I think he understood a pay cut was on the cards but he didn't like the industry he was in and had always fancied doing something "real." For pretty much everyone else it's quite unlikely.

I got into plumbing because I fancied earning more than the minimum wage, working for myself (I don't do bosses) and perhaps being able to afford to rent a flat for just myself (no dependants or family.) I saw those goals as reasonable. I'm approaching the end of my second year of trading on my own and am on the cards to be doing just that this summer. It's a lovely little job if you've not got many bills to pay, no kids to feed and no high standard of living to support. I can earn in 2 short days what I used to spend a 40 hour week earning. But to support a family you've either got to have been doing it for donkies years or have enough money to invest in getting things going and paying people to work for you.

 

[Nat]

I am quite suprised at all the negative comments about our industry.

Whilst I think its right that its certainly not a bed of roses and it can knackered your body if you look after yourself and try not to burn yourself out it can be a rewarding job both emotionally and financially.

Money isn't everything and if you dread going into work everyday its not worth the 50k. In fact, in my opinion, its not worth 500k.

Don't get me wrong this is a very tough profession to learn and you'll never know everything but if you are getting the work, people ate happy with what you do and you are getting paid its happy days.