Builder's dailyhourly rate - does this sound right?

northcoombes

Hi there

We are currently building a double storey extension in Reading, Berkshire and have an excellent builder who comes highly recommended. He is a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen and works mainly alongside one labourer.

My question has to do with his daily rate - £350 + vat for him and his labourer (in the past on smaller jobs he has said his hourly rate is £30 per hour and the labourer is £20 per hour.

Does this sound about right? I thought it was a bit high but am not sure of what the rates are.

Any advice?

Thanks
Michelle

macchicken

Get a price for the job as a complete unit. Materials, labour, everything. Get a timescale, and get something in writing to say if the job goes over how much extra it will cost you.
Then get another quote from a competitor. try and get a reccomendation from someone.
Work is getting thin on the ground be smart about it.

northcoombes

Yes we did that and we also had it costed independently therough Travis Perkins so that we could compare the different quotes.

The daily rate I am asking about is for extra jobs that are arising (not in the general build). For instance he fitted some laminate floor in the existing house and also had to put in two steel beams into the new roof which weren't originally on the plan. It is on these extras that he is charging £350 per a day for labour. He is a lovely guy and everyone that has come here has complimented the high standard of his work, his neatness, punctuality etc. I know good builders are very hard to find so I want to do the right thing by him but also what is fair to my pocket.

sparky883

Work is getting thin on the ground be smart about it.

What does that mean? Take advantage while tradesmen struggle??
And when work is not "thin on the ground" Can we do the same to you??
Or will you be moaning about our prices then??
See My Point??

I see nothing wrong in his price as long as he is doing enough work to cover it.

lincroft1710

£50 an hour for 2 men does not sound excessive, providing they keep on the job.

filey1

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£50 an hour for 2 men does not sound excessive, providing they keep on the job.
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All I can say is that I would like to move to your area my husband is a bricklayer with over 30 years experiance in building with a cscs skilled worker card and gets £15 per hour for him and £6 for his labourer.

Clive_Woody

northcoombes wrote: »

Hi there

We are currently building a double storey extension in Reading, Berkshire and have an excellent builder who comes highly recommended. He is a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen and works mainly alongside one labourer.

My question has to do with his daily rate - £350 + vat for him and his labourer (in the past on smaller jobs he has said his hourly rate is £30 per hour and the labourer is £20 per hour.

Does this sound about right? I thought it was a bit high but am not sure of what the rates are.

Any advice?

Thanks
Michelle

If he's claiming for VAT I would make sure you don't pay cash.

You can't beat a recommendation, you might find somebody cheaper but you've no idea what you are letting yourself in for.

lincroft1710

Filey 1 - I wish your husband would move to my area, I'd certainly be richer!!!! He'd be inundated with work at those prices.

Bishop_Basher

£20 an hour for a labourer!?
Nearly £800 a week!:eek:
I'd wager he is clicking a few quid off you there.
But, there is nothing worse than doing 'extra' work and he (like we all do) is charging a premium for it.
Better the expensive devil you know, if his work is top notch, then you should expect to pay for it.

Li0nhead

Bishop_Basher wrote: »

£20 an hour for a labourer!?
Nearly £800 a week!:eek:

Sorry but remember the costs to the builder employing someone. Employer tax contributions, Public liability insurence, illness, employees transport costs, tools for employee to work, PPE equipment etc. Also the builder will be getting a bit of profit out of it too, like any business does.

If someone is getting paid £8 per hour a company cannot charge £8 per hour for them because they would be operating at a loss. Dont know exactly but i would guess it costs a company a 3rd to 1/2 on top of a persons wage to emply them.

Airwolf1

My brother-in-law is a chippy, it is his own business. He charges £20ph labour, but does add some on to materials though.