£2500 per square metre ;-(

becs

Well I guess if a woman who knows what she wants and knows what needs to be done to achieve it and therefore can't be palmed off with any rubbish about needing this that and the other constitutes a PITA, then I guess that's me. My last plumber I think would testify that this wasn't the case, the only reason he couldn't do it again for us was because we'd moved so he was now over 40 miles away and didn't need the work for a small job. I get fed up with trades that behave in such an appalling fasshion simply because I'm not a dumb woman they can con. I just know more about building than most having lived with parents whilst they built a new house and then years later had a 2 storey extension done. Thanks for the opinion though, it's nice to know that even in these times when a woman has knowledge she's a PITA.

Canucklehead

becs wrote: »

Well I guess if a woman who knows what she wants and knows what needs to be done to achieve it and therefore can't be palmed off with any rubbish about needing this that and the other constitutes a PITA, then I guess that's me. My last plumber I think would testify that this wasn't the case, the only reason he couldn't do it again for us was because we'd moved so he was now over 40 miles away and didn't need the work for a small job. I get fed up with trades that behave in such an appalling fasshion simply because I'm not a dumb woman they can con. I just know more about building than most having lived with parents whilst they built a new house and then years later had a 2 storey extension done. Thanks for the opinion though, it's nice to know that even in these times when a woman has knowledge she's a PITA.

Hi...I'm a female too...just trying to give one reason why a tradesperson might quote £5000 for a '£500' job...there are, of course, others. The OH doesn't differentiate by gender and appreciates a potential customer who understands what is possible and is decisive as it makes it easier all round.;)

P.S. Is this the job to which you have referred ?

HTH

Canucklehead

Alan_M_2

becs wrote: »

Alan M do you think £5000 labour charge to fit a bathroom is not being ripped off then? I only ask because I had virtually the same job done at my last property the year before for £500. I guess for £5000 my plumber was obviously going to be charging a very high daily rate or else moving in for a month!

*edited to say that this quote was purely fitting of new suite, not providing any items, not tiling, not flooring*

If you had one quote at that rate, I'd suggest the guy didn't want to do any work for you (for reasons I'm not privy to).

If you had 5 quotes at that level, it suggests the work you wanted undertaken warranted it, and it was the going rate, therefore not a rip off.

Over the years I ran a contracting company I turned away as many jobs as I took on. Sometimes they were such a nuisance I would simply say I didn't want to do it (this usually got a look of shock that I'd turn business away).

Sometimes the job was really straightforward but the customer was a complete nuisance, you wanted the work, but the people were going to make it difficult...that bumped up the price and finally there were those people that were just plain obnoxious and lived on a different planet....then I'd put in a price so high that it was ridiculous. Most of these got the message..but occassionally they'd accept so you can put up with the nonsense as you're being compensated for it.

Rip off is a two way street.

Alan_M_2

becs wrote: »

Well I guess if a woman who knows what she wants and knows what needs to be done to achieve it and therefore can't be palmed off with any rubbish about needing this that and the other constitutes a PITA, then I guess that's me. My last plumber I think would testify that this wasn't the case, the only reason he couldn't do it again for us was because we'd moved so he was now over 40 miles away and didn't need the work for a small job. I get fed up with trades that behave in such an appalling fasshion simply because I'm not a dumb woman they can con. I just know more about building than most having lived with parents whilst they built a new house and then years later had a 2 storey extension done. Thanks for the opinion though, it's nice to know that even in these times when a woman has knowledge she's a PITA.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....

I came across many people, who after having fitted one bathroom, thought they knew more than me after 10 years of fitting bathrooms....I used to politely suggest they clearly had so much knowledge they didn't need me at all and could do it themselves......

Reading between the lines your plumber did that by way of a £5000 labour figure rather than saying he didn't want to do it thanks very much.

Alan_M_2

Canucklehead wrote: »

P.S. Is this the job to which you have referred ?

HTH

Canucklehead

Ahh, so I was on the right lines......

I'ts 5 years since I wound down my fitting business. With all the new Part P regulations on top of all the other requirements it became non financially viable to operate. Basically people wouldn't pay for it.

Back then I used to bill out £300 a day in labour and an extra £100 a day if a laborer was required. I needed to operate at those figures to cover the masses of overheads that were being imposed by the red tape, PAYE, national Insurance, holiday pay, sick pay, running vehicles, being adequately insured, contingency etc etc etc

People would want me to commit VAT fraud by paying me cash to save them money (absolutely no benefit to me), but of course they'd want all the certificates and proof if insurance etc.....

Yup....looks like you're a PITA customer.

becs

It was kind of that job Canuklehead although ended up not moving soil stack, not having the bodyjets etc so as to make it simpler, the £3500 plumber then said there would be "additional" costs as to what he couldn't or wouldn't specify!
The previous job that was £1000 included removing what was there already including a stud wall so the actual plumbing bit was £500.
Alan M I have a "little knowledge" as I said from having been around building work with my parents (also godfather is a property developer so have been on many sites at varying stages of build) Also FIL is a qualified plumber who is sadly not able to work anymore because of health, so he knows exactly what was involved and timescale.
All I wanted was a plumber who was prepared to do more than just a dead straight forward swap out of one suite for another identical that they could do in less than 2 days, anyone who wants to try and improve a property by changing layot maginally can forget it because it seems there are no plumbers out there who want to do anything beyond the minimum. Thank god we found a carpenter who was more than happy to do anything we required with stud walls etc or who knows where we would have been. And electricians we had were fantastic as was tiler, just the plumbers letting the side down I'm afraid. I'm sure it's not the case for every plumber just seems to be the case where we are. Maybe the recession is making them less choosey about cherry picking the jobs now.

becs

Alan_M wrote: »

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....

I came across many people, who after having fitted one bathroom, thought they knew more than me after 10 years of fitting bathrooms....I used to politely suggest they clearly had so much knowledge they didn't need me at all and could do it themselves......

Reading between the lines your plumber did that by way of a £5000 labour figure rather than saying he didn't want to do it thanks very much.

Alan M we clearly did have enough knowledge because we did end up doing the job ourselves with FIL giving instructions. Have to say we are delighted with our bathroom so think it was perhaps a blessing in disguise! I would have respected these plumbers far more if they had just said straight up that they didn't want the job rather than put in ridiculoius quotes.

becs

Alan_M wrote: »

Ahh, so I was on the right lines......

I'ts 5 years since I wound down my fitting business. With all the new Part P regulations on top of all the other requirements it became non financially viable to operate. Basically people wouldn't pay for it.

Back then I used to bill out £300 a day in labour and an extra £100 a day if a laborer was required. I needed to operate at those figures to cover the masses of overheads that were being imposed by the red tape, PAYE, national Insurance, holiday pay, sick pay, running vehicles, being adequately insured, contingency etc etc etc

People would want me to commit VAT fraud by paying me cash to save them money (absolutely no benefit to me), but of course they'd want all the certificates and proof if insurance etc.....

Yup....looks like you're a PITA customer.

Thanks! £300 a day is what I would expect to pay, does that mean then that in your opinion starting with a basic empty shell, to plumb in a shower and fit tray (not door because we did that after tiling) fit wc where basin was and sink where wc was (next to each other) and to put taps on the side wall rather than end wall of bath in exactly same situ would be 16 days work?

clairehi

IMHO v high quotes are often because the tradesman has more work than he needs and/or does not particularly want the job, so is prepared not to do it unless you pay silly money.

I had 10 guys round to quote for alterations and new kitchen, not because I was wasting people' time deliberately (I explained to them all on the phone what the job would involve) but because it took that many to find someone who would do it for a sensible price, and wasn't dodgy. several did not bother to quote at all which was a bit frustrating but understandable if they had other more profitable jobs on the go.

GRS_3

Architects often quote so that they get the job. Please look past the honourable profession impression that these guys give as quite simply they are just in business the same as anyone else. You see technically the Architect is correct for giving you this advice as the cost IS what he says but the builder will want to include profit in these things. If you work it out on a cost basis you may be close to what the Architect is saying. We come across this problem so many times and it only leaves people disappointed. An Architect can have low morals as well as anyone else and unfortunately on the face of it you seem to have suffered so that the architect could get the job. I totally agree with getting the 5 quotation but could I also suggest you try to get recommendations from friends or colleagues as 5 quotes from the yellow pages could very easily come from the same person or people. Sorry don't want to be a doom monger but please please check and take references up rather than just believe them, this counts for architects, surveyors and builders alike.