Roofer call out charge

Twee.

Does anyone have any experience with call out charges for a roofer to get an estimate for work to be done? I was quoted nearly €300 just for call out to give an estimate. I understand charging to cover costs of calling out but that seemed unreasonably high to me.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058350806/roofer-call-out-charge

It's possible the 300 will be considered in final bill. But not guaranteed.

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058350806/roofer-call-out-charge

Be very careful with engaging anyone for roofing work. Competent or reliable companies (trades/building) generally don't charge for estimates. Thats my experience now but in 2024 it maybe it's the new norm.

VanHalen

I used homedeal.ie to find a roofer for a repair job. Several contacted me within hours and came out to quote for the work. None wanted a call-out charge.

Twee.

Yes I've have a few warnings about roofers so I wanted to check I wasn't going mad! No mention of cost being deducted from bill, and in fact the charge was only mentioned at all once the appointment time was confirmed. I cancelled anyway as their attitude was terrible. As I said I'm not against the idea of a call out charge for a professional for that seemed sky high. I would have thought <€150.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058350806/roofer-call-out-charge

In my experience and I'm sure others will say I'm talking sh1te, if someone charges before even knowing what the job entails avoid them. I just had a new 160 foot well bored and the contractor came out twice before quoting me and all work is done and I'm paying him in full 2 weeks after completion and will recommend him to anyone who asks because people like that are the ones you keep in your contact list.

Kurooi

Had 3 roofing companies around last year and none would ever dream of charging me a call out.

300 euro is insanity, it doesn't even make sense for this dude to accept any work, just drive around and look, he can make 10 grand a day that way no crew no equipment no nothing.

Twee.

Ok I can sleep easy tonight knowing I didn't do a professional out of their hard earned pay 😅

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110104#Comment_122110104

Just have a few spare pots ready until you find a good roofer!

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110071#Comment_122110071

Do you think that you aren't paying for the contractor to do the site visits? The price is built into the quote, no professional works for free.

I know someone who used to be a plumber. They had to charge €100 for a call out to cover their van, insurance, taxes, tools, maintenance and make a wage. They gave it up when people complained because another lad with no insurance, not paying taxes and claiming the dole could do it for €20 and usually make a balls of it.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110389#Comment_122110389

Okay then, you find me a contractor who will drill a 160 foot well in the arsehole of Meath under €5300 . No I don't think it's "free" but I do know what the actual cost was in advance without being charged a rip off call out fee to find out how much it "might" cost before getting a final bill.

Maybe the plumber you used to know could have taken a leaf out of this companies book. Also, when I get my water treatment system serviced it is a €90 call out charge which means they do actual WORK for the hour they charge me for, not just for coming out to say how much more they will charge me.

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110389#Comment_122110389

Quoting is a cost of business, just like advertising is. No customers, no quotes, no work. Charging up front to quote is a bad vibe.

Twee.

Bad vibes is right, the message they sent me after I cancelled was not nice. Very glad not to have that person in my home.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110534#Comment_122110534

Quoting is a cost. So if they don't charge up front then it's added to everyone else's bills.

Which is fairer. Paying for the quote or adding extra to the people who do take out a contract to cover the price of the non paying quotes?

Hey2.Hey2

Admittedly, quoting for a job involves a cost - but this is the cost of doing business and is covered by the profits of work won by those quotes.

Let's try another tack, you should pay upfront for all those online motor insurance quotes you get trying to find a lower premium. It's exactly the same principal - it cost money to develop those systems and takes money to keep them running so, following the logic of your argument, you should pay up front to use them …

Mickeroo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110791#Comment_122110791

They probably would have given you the "Oh it's worse than we thought, it's going to cost double the original quote" once work was started. Consider it a bullet dodged.

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122111136#Comment_122111136

By that logic, why not charge the customer for advertising etc? Both quotes and advertising are essential outlays to win new business.

The price of both are covered by the gross profit margin on the work.

Hooked

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110791#Comment_122110791

Lucky escape! Some absolute CHANCERS out there! My cousin spotted lads removing a chimney (blank the roof) across from her - and asked how much to run up onto her roof and clear off moss and grass from ONE CHIMNEY TOP!

1200 quid. And he said it with a straight face. For 10 mins work . Will ya F off.

THey charged nearly 4 grand to the house across the street for the chimney removal. In at 9am gone by 3pm. WOW

Juwwi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110791#Comment_122110791

What part of the country are you in l know a very good honest roofer ?

Toby22

roofer in the extended family and they have never ever charged for a quote, don’t even add it on to the final bill if they get the job. You did well to stay clear

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110071#Comment_122110071

Can I ask who this was (even by PM if easier). Wonder would they travel to Galway for same.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122164669#Comment_122164669

He's a local chap just outside of Mullingar so He wouldn't take on work beyond a 20-30 mile radius I'm afraid.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110071#Comment_122110071

That make no sense tbh. Whether somebody charges for quote inspects or not, in neither case are they quoting without knowing what the job entails.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122111332#Comment_122111332

I think you misunderstood. The $300 was a charge to call out and quote. Some charge some don't, but whether they do or not makes no difference after they have quoted.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122111136#Comment_122111136

Amazing the amount of people not grasping that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122111566#Comment_122111566

Advertising is an overhead. It's a cost of doing business that is spread over all jobs. The cost of quoting is not really the same. It's a specific cost that you incur based whether you choose to quote for a specific job or not.

You obviously can treat it like an overhead and simply increase your rate up to absorb the costs. Or you can charge for it and operate on a reduced rate. But either way somewhere the client pays in both cases.

I don't see the point in charging for small residential jobs. But in certain situations it's pretty standard. eg ECIs, competitions etc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122162986#Comment_122162986

Just because they don't charge directly, doesn't mean they don't charge. It's built into their rate.
If they were to charge separately, their rate would be lower and the incoming fees the same.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122188043#Comment_122188043

So you think quoting without seeing what the job involves is acceptable. I had a well drilled recently, do you think they could have quoted me without seeing what the job involved? If you do then I would wonder how they would know what was a suitable accessible area to drill it due to power lines, phone lines, septic tank and ground stability for a well drilling truck.

I had solar panels fitted and the same applies, how would they know if they would fit on my roof? If my consumer unit was able to handle it, were the tails up to standard? Where to place inverter and batteries. Some quotes might be acceptable without seeing the job but if someone quotes without a site visit I avoid them, maybe I am in a minority but it's the way I do it.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122190586#Comment_122190586

Where has anybody mentioned quoting without seeing the work? The fact you keep repeating that suggests you’ve misunderstood something.

As I said above, whether somebody charges to quote or not has nothing to do with quoting without seeing. It has nothing to do with the topic.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122191914#Comment_122191914

Maybe I am misunderstanding this post by you saying what you said.

"That make no sense tbh. Whether somebody charges for quote inspects or not, in neither case are they quoting without knowing what the job entails."

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122191927#Comment_122191927

Which part of that do you not understand? It's pretty either straightforward. In neither case…
But your misunderstanding was in your first post, so it's not down to anything I said.

In my experience and I'm sure others will say I'm talking sh1te, if someone charges before even knowing what the job entails avoid them…

The part in bold is irrelevant to the thread. The thread is about people who charge a call out fee for their time coming out to inspect work, in order to prepare a quote. The alternative to doing that for free, in the hope that it leads to work. Both approaches have pros and cons. But in case cases they see the job before they quote.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122192427#Comment_122192427

And as I said in my first post "I'm sure others will say I'm talking sh1te" and you are one of them. I'll agree to disagree to stop derailing the thread.