How much should a tradesman charge a day?

Lots of tradesmen have a personal phone and a work phone. Many more now have a card machine too, another cost.

They can't "claim expenses" for diesel, insurance etc. from anybody except add it to what they charge a customer.

Not sure what you are saying about an accountant, work a free week to pay him?

A tradesman needs a good van, its not a luxury.

No matter how you spin it, on €1400 a week you would need to allow about €400 to cover all the overheads, so ~€50K a year is not out of the way.

You've generalised, so meaning has become lost. Lot's of indiciduals within professions are a law to themselves.

Your beef is you don't value their experience enough. Out of interest how much do you put on a standard hard working labourer? not cash, above board, 200 a day? Is there any tax pension in that 200 or PRSI? Most the lads break their bodies labouring. Oh it's just a consaw!

BTW did you offer to pay the lad for the qoute or did he ask?

No they are not.

I have overheads like a car and car insurance etc.

I also have overheads like van and van insurance etc.

You only have overheads like a car and car insurance etc.

I have double your overheads.

Totally ridiculous comparison.

Where did you get this idea that a quote with full breakdown of materials & labour is mandatory by law in Ireland? Yes, there is a whole branch of law concerning contracts. But contracts take many forms or no form if desired by the parties. For example we use a mechanic to service vehicles, I trust him to charge a fair amount for parts and a fair amount for his labour based on work over the years. Neither of us could be arsed about quotes as you describe, by law or otherwise. He just gets on with it, does the work, gets paid and everyone is happy with minimum of paperwork.

A con saw is a very simple tool to use in the op mind, go work one for a day in the wet and all that goes with it, most lads on ground work earn their money. With the the time Ray has spent here typing he would have the hole dug and pipe laid and saved a fortune. Recently in the local village a guy got a quote to cut his garden hedge and all waste removed at a price. Decided he was being robbed with the quote and hired a small hedge cutter and proceeded to cut away. Fell off the ladder and hurt his back over reaching and took two days to cut the hedge and had to pay for the second days hire and one day to clean up and had to get skip bags to put cuttings into and pay to take away.then had to go to the physio for six weeks with the back and pay him. The guy that quoted the job would have done it in one day with all the tools and importantly the knowledge and 3 times cheaper that all the hardship the cute fella got.

I fully know what is deductible thanks.

If a tradesman brings in €70K a year then its very easy to see where €400 a week goes, roughly speaking:

Pension alone could be €100

Van depreciation / tax / insurance / maintenance / CVRT etc. €100

A decent illness insurance €20

Diesel €70

Accountant €20

That is over €300 before advertising, card machine, tools, phone, work gear, bad debts, public liability insurance etc. etc.

More a breakfast roll and lucozade man myself.

Its not just the con saw either.

You need to go to the hire shop, pick it up and return it after.

You need fuel in an appropriate container.

You need a dust mask, googles and ear plugs.

You need a second person with you in case things go wrong.