Why it pays to get 3 quotes....

blue_monkey_2

Not a scam or anything but I wanted to tell you why you should always get 3 quotes for the work you want doing.

We have decided to get some work done on our garden as my son is disabled so I cannot get out with him during the holidays or when hubby is at work, I want it nice for the spring when they can get out there and play in a garden that is safe and they can ride their bikes and get interested in wildlife.

Job 1 is to have some decking done because the patio area we have is falling to bits so it is decking or having it re-patioed, quite a large area and so we decided to have it decked - which will be done last to be honest, when we can save the money again.

Job 2 is to have the uneven garden taken up and levelled, some patio and a path to be laid and the lawn that is left to be returfed - as well as leaving me an area to plant some wildlife friendly plants.

We did know that it would cost a lot and have been saving like crazy to pay for it.

Anyway we had a chap come around and give us a quote. Usually I would only get one quote - probably because I feel bad that the tradesman might be offended if he found out but I had the paper out and decided that I'd get a few quotes to see what the difference would be, if any, and I could choose who was best.

Quote 1 man came out, showed me loads of pics of work he has done before and gave advice on how it should be slightly different to the plans I had given him, the price came in: £3,000 for part 1 of the job and £3,300 for part 2 of the job, these prices included VAT and he was a registered and Ltd company.

Quote 2 man came round, no pics to show me but quote came in: £4,500 and £9,200 for part 2 of the job and the bloke is not VAT registered and self employed.

Quote 3 we are still waiting for.

Each time I look at the 2 quotes I think !!!!!!! Does Bloke 2 not want the job? Maybe it is too much for him? If so then why did he not say? There is only 5-7 days work in job 2, with materials for job 2 costing 1.5k, possibly 2k at a push (and we have found the slabs we want for £600 for 100 sqm so could save money there) that means bloke 2 is charging us over 7k for a weeks work....... I keep on wondering whether I should ring him and ask if he got his sums wrong somewhere.

I wanted to give the work to someone local that works for himself but 9k, for a job someone else can do for 3.5k, is just ridiculous!!

So, always get 3 quotes for the work you want doing and see what the tradesmen has to offer first. I still cannot believe it.

peter_the_piper

As you've only had 2 replies it would pay you to get a third, you don't know if 1) is too cheap or 2) is too dear. No 1 might be cutting corners and No 2 might be doing more than you think.

blue_monkey_2

Yes, I've had 3 but just waiting for the 3rd to arrive in the post as we speak but probably hampered by the snow.

I am not sure if there are any corners to be cut to be honest and the work is as it says, rotovate, level, slab and turf it, there may be some earth to remove but very little because of how the garden is. We could do it ourselves but it'll take hubby weeks and I need it by the Easter holidays and because my son has autism he will not understand that the garden is not for playing in. I've been saving so we can afford it for them but I won't be ripped off. Bloke 1 knows the 2nd part of the job depends on the 1st part being done well.

Maybe No2 will hire equipment and No1 already has it. Either way I can't really ring him and say 'look, did you get that price right as Mr x said he'll do it for 6k less'. I'd prefer it to be broken down: Labour and materials, No 3 said he will do this so it is why we are waiting for it.

9k for a weeks work is just ridiculous though. Even if it he is paying 2k for materials then that is 7.5k labour charge for a weeks work by a self employed gardener. For a 40 hour week (quoted by chap 1) that is almost £200 an hour by chap 2. He is having a laugh. I know how many slabs and the materials I need and am happy to buy them myself and get them delivered to the house, but maybe that then hides the true cost of his labour. My husband said 'maybe he is making money on the slabs' and I do not think that is right, the cost of the parts should be just that and the labour should be for his time. I could get the parts for the job for 2k tops, which means he is charging 7.5k for labour. How much work would you expect for over 7k?

competitionscafe

blue_monkey wrote: »

I know how many slabs and the materials I need and am happy to buy them myself and get them delivered to the house, but maybe that then hides the true cost of his labour.

Could you not do that then and get quotes for the labour only?

Also, have you tried Which local?
http://www.which-local.co.uk/

If you are not a subscriber perhaps someone on the boards is and could do a quick search there for you?

CHR15

A lot of tradesmen will NEVER refuse a job.

I have spoken to some in the past who have been quite open and said if the job is too small or too difficult, they will simply give a massively overpriced quote.

makes little sense to me as you are unlikely to ever call them again.

kr15snw

Agree with chr15, my brother does this as a gardener. If the job is too much for him / he doesnt want to do it he over prices. Then if he gets the job, ah well the extra cash is worth it.

Personally I dont get it

blue_monkey_2

Ah, so it looks like he intentionally overpriced. Seems like a waste of his and my time when I could have asked someone else. That's a shame really, I'd rather someone be honest when I asked if he could do landscaping. That is interesting, I'd give someone elses name so that the job could be done.

hollydays

Biggest mistake I ever made-selecting a tradesman from the newspaper.
He was so inept,I could have done the diy better myself-don't do it.decent tradesmen don't advertise in the paper.

Also,just because a tradesman agrees a cheap quote,doesn't mean he will finish the job in a timely fashion.Chances are ,his grandfather will become ill,he will become sick himself or he will just disappear for a few days when you were expecting him to do some work.

Little_John

Wow £13700 for a single job and the guy isnt VAT registered? he must only do 4 or 5 jobs a year to keep bellow the threshold for becoming VAT registered.

Maybe a call to HMRC would confirm this.

blue_monkey_2

Well, I think wherever you get people from to do work for you there is a danger they might not finish the job. The company who have given us the good quote are local and are a registered company with trading accounts. Would they have this if they were dodgy? The company I have called after a recommendation have not even bothered coming around to give me the quote yet. So not fairing too well in that respect so far.

We had another guy come and quote for patio-ing it previously and he wanted 5k and not VAT registered either.

I myself did wonder the same about the VAT and doing such high priced work.

hollydays

I know lots of good tradesmen now who are legitimate,but they are terrible at getting a job finished.Hope you get the job done well.