Plumber hourly rate

.jacksparrow. · 07-06-2014 10:09am

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Clearly your choice to work so many hours/week though in fairness.

Self employed people do get holidays both bank and annual. You should be allowing for this in your quotes. Yes you don't get them in the same way a PAYE worker gets his holiday pay but if you're not getting them you've yourself to blame.

As for running costs of vans phones. How do you think a PAYE worker covers his costs and doesn't get to write the vat off on diesel and other expenses either.

I just had a quick read but it seems there's more than one person on here running their company badly.

As for the op. It seems like a fair price tbh. A tradesman would charge per hour or part thereof.

How can you include bank holidays in a quote ?

Most people can get a bus or train to work.

How do you propose I get to 5 different places a day with a van full of tools, without using a van ?

kippy · 07-06-2014 10:58am

roy rodgers wrote: »

€30 an hour. lets work that out.13.5% is vat, then union rates are at 21 or 22 an hour, than you have insurance, rgii subscriptions, van, tools maintenance, diesel, road tax, d.o.e, phone bills, admin costs, office staff. and thats all before a profit.
most companies work on a profit of 10 to 20% so they can survive a rainy day. but plumbers profit margins are more like 3 or 4%

when you work it all out you be a mad man to do this job. its 24/7 people expect the work to be done for nothing

80 quid an hour is excessive.

Egass13 · 07-06-2014 11:01am

kippy wrote: »

80 quid an hour is excessive.

Where's it say 80 ?

kippy · 07-06-2014 11:11am

Egass13 wrote: »

Where's it say 80 ?

Sorry was mentioned earlier in relation to the cost the op paid

Egass13 · 07-06-2014 12:06pm

kippy wrote: »

Sorry was mentioned earlier in relation to the cost the op paid

€80 euro an hour is excessive , however that's not the same as an €80 call out charge which includes the first hour or part there of.

.jacksparrow. · 07-06-2014 12:07pm

kippy wrote: »

Sorry was mentioned earlier in relation to the cost the op paid

Out of that 80 Euro, you would be lucky to come away with 30 in your pocket.

How much is a car service?

Let's say 120.

Takes less than an hour. You bring your car to them.

Parts maybe 20.

Is 100 excessive?

kippy · 07-06-2014 12:56pm

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Out of that 80 Euro, you would be lucky to come away with 30 in your pocket.

How much is a car service?

Let's say 120.

Takes less than an hour. You bring your car to them.

Parts maybe 20.

Is 100 excessive?

Totally different business'

.jacksparrow. · 07-06-2014 1:06pm

kippy wrote: »

Totally different business'

What's that got to do with anything?

Both are providing a skilled service to the public which the public can't do themselves.

shane 007 · 07-06-2014 1:09pm

kippy wrote: »

Totally different business'

Oh right so mechanics are worth more of a charge than a plumber!
Hmmm....
Plus you drive your car to them. We drive our van to you.
.....mmmmH

PlanIT Computing · 07-06-2014 1:11pm

dpofloinn wrote: »

Holy fcuk E80 an hour and part there of .Is that after call out charge and less fittings? Most companies I worked for even in the good times were never more than E30 an hour and E10 to E15 for an apprentice

Are those companies still in business?

.jacksparrow. · 07-06-2014 1:20pm

shane 007 wrote: »

One could only compare like for like, depending on your job, your qualifications, experience & the training you have grafted for.
Are you shocked to hand over €50 to your GP for 5 mins of his time or €200 to shake a consultant's hand?

What most people miss is that self employed people have enormous on-going costs. For example, I pay my accountant €2,000 per year, my vans costs on average €10,000 per year, insurance another €1,150, phones €1,500, just to name a few.
So you tell me how does all those expenses get paid for if I don't charge for them?
Perhaps if I was signing the dole for €400 plus my medical bills paid for, school allowances, etc then I could charge cash nixer prices.
What people fail to realise is that a trades person's day rate is not going into his pocket.

Don't forget with a gp you go and you tell him where your pain or problem is simple enough for him after that.

Unfortunately most of the equipment we work on doesn't tell us where the problem is straightaway!

Egass13 · 07-06-2014 1:51pm

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Don't forget with a gp you go and you tell him where your pain or problem is simple enough for him after that.

Unfortunately most of the equipment we work on doesn't tell us where the problem is straightaway!

And all the gp does is refer you to a hospital or specialist! Money for old rope

Egass13 · 07-06-2014 1:55pm

PlanIT Computing wrote: »

Are those companies still in business?

The company I served my time with are still very much in buisness and I'd be surprised if €80 was all they charged per tradesman

hedzball · 07-06-2014 2:13pm

This thread has made some painful reading...

The comment of €140 an hour is just hilarious.. If that was the case I'd only work 1 week a month..

I must get one of these tax free vans that run on air that the people are convinced we have...

DGOBS wrote: »

Mother-in-law had a guy out Saturday to rep lair her stairlift.

Callout €140 (€160 for Saturday)
Repair took about 10 minutes (dirt on the contacts between chair and charger), so he offered to service it, then charged another €140 for the service…..€300!
Took under an hour, don't even know what took that long, a motor, board and battery! (service what??)

Think I'm in the wrong business

I am in that line of work myself (I'm actually a sparks was interested in the thread)

Is it a Handicare(freelift) ??

Call out of 140 was more than likely including batteries.. Did he have to travel far? Being fair the lift was probably dead (as it happens when the client doesn't turn them off) There are two batterys in them.. If they have to be changed it is a bit of a dose but no longer than 20 minutes by right.. The service on the board sounds a bit of a cock and bull to me unless he changed the board.. and if that was the case €300 wouldn't even cover it at cost!

'hdz

wytch · 07-06-2014 7:09pm

A quote I really like

"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."

A man by the name of Red Adair

kippy · 07-06-2014 8:10pm

wytch wrote: »

A quote I really like

"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."

A man by the name of Red Adair

Its a nonsense quote tbh.

Egass13 · 07-06-2014 8:16pm

kippy wrote: »

Its a nonsense quote tbh.

How is it ?

07-06-2014 8:23pm

kippy wrote: »

Its a nonsense quote tbh.

That quote is perfectly relevant to the plumbing and heating industry as it is to other industry's where the unskilled are allowed to flourish;).

Egass13 · 07-06-2014 8:26pm

gary71 wrote: »

That quote is perfectly relevant to the plumbing and heating industry as it is to others industry where the unskilled are allowed to flourish;).

I think it's relevant to practically anything . Pay for price, and your gonna pay twice ,As they say.

07-06-2014 8:51pm

I'v never understood this know your place blue collar bashing.

You'd think there would be more interest in giving tradesmen a platform to do the job they studied hard for instead of happily promoting the price is right attitude whist ignoring the quality of the work being done, there wouldn't be so many fake tradesmen if people stopped feeding them, has nobody ever wondered why there are so many fake tradesmen in the first place

.

Talk to me about over charging when everyone is working to the same standard as myself(and other professionals)then I'd be happy to have a real conversation at least we'd have a chance to compare like for like, but to complain about pricing when those who I (and others) are being compared with are not doing a similar job then the argument is a nonsense.

scudo2 · 07-06-2014 9:50pm

Let's not forget all the Self-employed trades men/women who have lost their business, homes and marriages.
Self employed + been an employer is not a bed of roses.

We've all been through good and bad times.

jimf · 07-06-2014 10:16pm

scudo2 wrote: »

Let's not forget all the Self-employed trades men/women who have lost their business, homes and marriages.
Self employed + been an employer is not a bed of roses.

We've all been through good and bad times.

and you also have the worry of where the next job comes from
thank god I don t have a mortgage and herself is working if not I think I would have a lot of sleepless nights

kippy · 08-06-2014 9:23am

shane 007 wrote: »

Oh right so mechanics are worth more of a charge than a plumber!
Hmmm....
Plus you drive your car to them. We drive our van to you.
.....mmmmH

No, just that they are totally different business' with totally different overheads.
A mechanic working on his own will have an expensive premises, sometimes with rates etc attached, as well as far more expensive equipment and software than any plumber. Indeed they may have annual subs to pay as well.
Its not as easy or cheap to set up a garage on your own as opposed to set up to be a plumber.

kippy · 08-06-2014 9:29am

gary71 wrote: »

I'v never understood this know your place blue collar bashing.

You'd think there would be more interest in giving tradesmen a platform to do the job they studied hard for instead of happily promoting the price is right attitude whist ignoring the quality of the work being done, there wouldn't be so many fake tradesmen if people stopped feeding them, has nobody ever wondered why there are so many fake tradesmen in the first place.

Talk to me about over charging when everyone is working to the same standard as myself(and other professionals)then I'd be happy to have a real conversation at least we'd have a chance to compare like for like, but to complain about pricing when those who I (and others) are being compared with are not doing a similar job then the argument is a nonsense.

I've seen plenty "professionals" (In that they are fully qualified) charge through the nose for work and do a crap/dangerous job. Its pretty much why I am very wary to hire any professional unless I have had them recommended to me by someone.
There are lots of people who appear to be "professionals" who don't seem to know what they are at but still charge top dollar for the privilege. I've seen enough of it in the past decade.

So for me, you also need to heavily vet the "professionals" as the standards that they should be adhering to are not always adhered to.
I've no issues paying for good work but I do have issues when I get told that professionals are worth the money just because they are professionals.

People are worth the money when you get good, safe and well done work and I have absolutely no issues paying for it.

I suspect that people like yourself in the trade will admit that there are shoddy standards at play within their own profession, so it's very difficult for the man on the street to have any faith in the profession at all.

Sleeper12 · 08-06-2014 9:37am

I can see this will go on & on so I'll leave you with "pay peanuts & you'll get monkeys"

I have the same clients for 25 to 30 years. My business is word of mouth. I charge €75 inc vat for the first hour (not every hour). When they recommend me to their friends its the quality of my past work they talk about.

shane 007 · 08-06-2014 9:50am

kippy wrote: »

No, just that they are totally different business' with totally different overheads.
A mechanic working on his own will have an expensive premises, sometimes with rates etc attached, as well as far more expensive equipment and software than any plumber. Indeed they may have annual subs to pay as well.
Its not as easy or cheap to set up a garage on your own as opposed to set up to be a plumber.

I wouldn't agree. I can buy lifts for about €1k. Diagnostics can be picked up for small money too.
I have Powerflushing equipment that cost me €4.5k along with analysis equipment.
The only difference is premises & there are cracking deals with them ATM.

kippy · 08-06-2014 10:17am

shane 007 wrote: »

I wouldn't agree. I can buy lifts for about €1k. Diagnostics can be picked up for small money too.
I have Powerflushing equipment that cost me €4.5k along with analysis equipment.
The only difference is premises & there are cracking deals with them ATM.

Small money for diagnostics?
The independant garages wouldnt agree.

kippy · 08-06-2014 10:19am

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I can see this will go on & on so I'll leave you with "pay peanuts & you'll get monkeys"

I have the same clients for 25 to 30 years. My business is word of mouth. I charge €75 inc vat for the first hour (not every hour). When they recommend me to their friends its the quality of my past work they talk about.

Thats what i have no issue with. Your obviously great at what you do.

08-06-2014 10:41am

kippy wrote: »

I've seen plenty "professionals" (In that they are fully qualified) charge through the nose for work and do a crap/dangerous job. Its pretty much why I am very wary to hire any professional unless I have had them recommended to me by someone.
There are lots of people who appear to be "professionals" who don't seem to know what they are at but still charge top dollar for the privilege. I've seen enough of it in the past decade.

So for me, you also need to heavily vet the "professionals" as the standards that they should be adhering to are not always adhered to.
I've no issues paying for good work but I do have issues when I get told that professionals are worth the money just because they are professionals.

People are worth the money when you get good, safe and well done work and I have absolutely no issues paying for it.

I suspect that people like yourself in the trade will admit that there are shoddy standards at play within their own profession, so it's very difficult for the man on the street to have any faith in the profession at all.

Err.. Your preaching to the converted;) like myself there are are others on this site who are professional, you will find we have nothing to hide are happy to be scrutinised and pay for ourselves in the long run.

The only point I don't agree with is your description of a professional, as anybody in any environment who wilfully does dangerious work :mad:isn't a professional.

I get to inspect a lot of gas boiler and unvented cylinder installs so I'm sorry to say there are a lot of spoofers working in my industry(nobody to stop them) talking about price is to me silly as it's not same for same, if quality of work or safety(as unvented and gas boilers can go KABANG) generated as much interest/posts as price paid then we'd be sucking diesel, but nobody cares.

I would love to have seen safety and quality of work done resonate in the same manor as price, but it's all about the money honey:D.

People have to take responsibility for the disproportionate level of fake tradesmen as home owners are happy to feed them or happy to live in a environment where tradesmen are not policed, sadly I have often over the years seen dangerious installations in cresh's or schools where are most vulnerable are put at great risk, but nobody cares.

I feel very sorry for anybody looking to employ a tradesmen as it's a free for all out there and can be very difficult(but not impossible) to find somebody who will just do what they say they will and do it right.

Funnily enough to make things even harder, assuming that those who seem to know the most by saying it the loudest, maybe a mistake, as it can be more of a indicator that their not even qualified:eek: which is where I have to be really careful as I have a big mouth:cool:so I can often get mistaken for a spoofer:o

Sleeper12 · 08-06-2014 10:41am

I did say that was my last comment but one more popped into my head.

My plumber friend has printed on the back of his van: "we repair the plumbing jobs your husband has done"

Thought it might lighten the mood.:)

Egass13 · 08-06-2014 10:41am

kippy wrote: »

No, just that they are totally different business' with totally different overheads.
A mechanic working on his own will have an expensive premises, sometimes with rates etc attached, as well as far more expensive equipment and software than any plumber. Indeed they may have annual subs to pay as well.
Its not as easy or cheap to set up a garage on your own as opposed to set up to be a plumber.

Kippy I'm assuming your view of a plumber is akin to Mario , running around with a pipe wrench and jumping on turtles (maybe not the second part) . But the modern plumber who specializes in several areas would have a lot of very expensive equipment . Powerflushing equipment , analysis equipment , gas detection , ir cameras , etc the list goes on and runs into the tens of thousands . I'd suggest you get up to speed and a bit more educated on the profession , before you argue with the professionals.

08-06-2014 11:04am

In London I once watched a Aga Range being delivered by a high end installer, the installation was amazing, 3 installers all in uniform moving in tandem, specialist van with lifting equipment, specialist lifting equipment for the installers to get the range in, they were very very good at what they did, even at the end they polished the old copper pipes they connected on to.

The customer got what she chose to pay for and the installers were well paid for their meticulous attention to detail.

I don't think think they'd find as much work here as anybody can fit a range with bits from B and Q and for much much less than these particular plumbers.

shane 007 · 08-06-2014 11:17am

Question: If somebody from the 1950's suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain to them about life today?

Answer: I possess a little device, in my pocket, that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man.
I use it to look at funny pictures of dogs & get in arguments with strangers....

.jacksparrow. · 08-06-2014 11:19am

kippy wrote: »

Small money for diagnostics?
The independant garages wouldnt agree.

And what are self employed plumbers?

Are they not independent?

Sleeper12 · 08-06-2014 1:47pm

Some plumbers work for companies & are paid a wage. A self employed Plumber is "self employed. They get no paid holidays, bank holidays, sick pay, unemployment pay etc. these are the bad points about being self employed. There plenty of good things too

DGOBS · 08-06-2014 4:01pm

You know, being following this thread, and the truth is, I have never met a rich plumber or one that doesn't struggle to pay the bills at some point during each year.

gifted · 08-06-2014 5:20pm

This thread is well past it's sell by date...:rolleyes:

Ye're all millionaires anyway

scudo2 · 08-06-2014 7:35pm

DGOBS wrote: »

You know, being following this thread, and the truth is, I have never met a rich plumber or one that doesn't struggle to pay the bills at some point during each year.

I know of a X large housing estate plumbing contractor in his 50's who use to have a large work force, now living in a hostel.
Need I say any more ?

esox28 · 08-06-2014 8:03pm

scudo2 wrote: »

I know of a X large housing estate plumbing contractor in his 50's who use to have a large work force, now living in a hostel.
Need I say any more ?

Scudo don't be telling people that I told you in privacy.

when I first started in the p and h game two or three weeks ago, my first boss told me as we were driving a ddistance to a job "son you'll never be rich been a plumber but it will give you the opportunity to do other things"

Now at the time I taught other things were the like of following inter Milan to 5-6 games over in Italy every year, going to two Wrc per year and a family holiday to USA per year, which he managed to do.

Now atm I thinks he ment progressing my professional endevers to gas work, domestic and commersial oil, solar thermal qualifications plus any on going further assessments.

I haven't time to go to that many scoccer matches what with going to 5-6 rugby games.

scudo2 · 08-06-2014 8:41pm

esox28 wrote: »

Scudo don't be telling people that I told you in privacy.

when I first started in the p and h game two or three weeks ago, my first boss told me as we were driving a ddistance to a job "son you'll never be rich been a plumber but it will give you the opportunity to do other things"

Now at the time I taught other things were the like of following inter Milan to 5-6 games over in Italy every year, going to two Wrc per year and a family holiday to USA per year, which he managed to do.

Now atm I thinks he ment progressing my professional endevers to gas work, domestic and commersial oil, solar thermal qualifications plus any on going further assessments.

I haven't time to go to that many scoccer matches what with going to 5-6 rugby games.

TG I only do servicing now.
It gives me 3-4 free months in the summer to spend all the cash in the attic !!!!

Next year things will be tight as the old Scudo will need tyres.

hedzball · 08-06-2014 8:41pm

scudo2 wrote: »

I know of a X large housing estate plumbing contractor in his 50's who use to have a large work force, now living in a hostel.
Need I say any more ?

Is his name Joe

Sounds like Joe to me..

A langer too..

'hdz

scudo2 · 08-06-2014 8:55pm

hedzball wrote: »

Is his name Joe

Sounds like Joe to me..

A langer too..

'hdz

NO.

Sorry but I can't name anybody because it can happen to anybody.
Life can be nasty.

I came close 16 years ago.

Now things are good but I never take it for granted as hopefully I still have to feed myself +3 for the next 30+ years.

Egass13 · 08-06-2014 9:20pm

scudo2 wrote: »

TG I only do servicing now.
It gives me 3-4 free months in the summer to spend all the cash in the attic !!!!

Next year things will be tight as the old Scudo will need tyres.

I was having trouble sleeping , neck pains . So I ended up having to take all my money out of my pillow case and buy a new van for July , I'd no where else to keep it so it was the only option I had . The public don't understand the struggles we face

scudo2 · 08-06-2014 9:26pm

Egass13 wrote: »

I was having trouble sleeping , neck pains . So I ended up having to take all my money out of my pillow case and buy a new van for July , I'd no where else to keep it so it was the only option I had . The public don't understand the struggles we face

Did you get a good trade in on your 141?

Dtp1979 · 08-06-2014 9:30pm

scudo2 wrote: »

Did you get a good trade in on your 141?

Good one

Egass13 · 08-06-2014 9:34pm

scudo2 wrote: »

Did you get a good trade in on your 141?

Lost a few grand , but so what !

jimf · 08-06-2014 10:53pm

where ye getting all this feckin cash from lads or maybe I shouldn't ask

08-06-2014 11:03pm

jimf wrote: »

where ye getting all this feckin cash from lads or maybe I shouldn't ask

It's the clean up afterwards in just the speedos that generates the real cash.

Egass gets paid tons to keep his cloths off where I get paid to put them back on:cool:, double if I'm really quick, it's amazing how quick you can get to used to screams of revolution;)

Egass13 · 08-06-2014 11:14pm

gary71 wrote: »

It's the clean up afterwards in just the speedos that generates the real cash.

Egass gets paid tons to keep his cloths off where I get paid to put them back on:cool:, double if I'm really quick, it's amazing how quick you can get to used to screams of revolution;)

I'd be buying a 92 fiesta van if I had to rely on my stripping money

.

scudo2 · 08-06-2014 11:26pm

Egass13 wrote: »

I'd be buying a 92 fiesta van if I had to rely on my stripping money .

Useless as a taxi, Ger more income, get a Scudo !

The amount of drunks that wave at me late at night is unbelievable.
I should just ffeck them in the back !!

Plumber hourly rate

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