right labour rate?

dave9

Hello,

I'm having an internal concrete block wall built to divide a large room, and new doorways made in an existing wall.

A builder has given me an estimate based on a labour rate of £150 per day. Is that the right rate for this type of work in north of england?

Thanks for any advice.

skintandsad

I would think £150 per day is reasonable.

I would however be wary of an "estimate". You would be far safer to get a fixed quote for the work, based on the job to be done, not the amount of days to be worked (I can't comment on your personal builder - but it is not in a builders interest to stretch work out if they have a fixed price!).

HTH

PS. are you using a builder that is recommended to you? It is safer to do so, and also not do a "cash" job as there is little comeback if you are not happy

dave9

Thanks for the response skintandsad.

Yes this builder will do a fixed-price quote. He's also fully booked for months so he must be in demand!

Barneysmom

£750 a week, phew, I'm in the wrong job!

markie1980

Barneysmom wrote: »

£750 a week, phew, I'm in the wrong job!

£150 per day minus tax, NI, the days you spend quoting, invoicing, running around after customers, vehicle running costs, tax, mot, insurance, public liabilitiy insurance, the days that jobs run over for no particular reason.... etc etc

I could go on for ages but you get the idea - that £150 per day soon averages out to £not very much per day.

I'm not having a go, just pointing out that not all of that £150 is profit.
Mark.

Barneysmom

I see what you mean but you can't really count tax and N.I as we all pay that, and we all have to pay for transport too wherever we work.
All the above things have to come out of my £10 an hour, which leaves me a lot less than your average builder.

cocobean12

£150 is about the going rate for a professional builder. Be prepared for lots of mess and dust, its inevitable for that type of work! ;0)

handyandyman

£150 a day is a standard rate for a builder joiner without premises.

I understand what barneysmom is saying about tax Ni and travel but running a business and being self employed does cost money, I did some external doors at £150 a day and came out with £2 an hour by the end of the job?

The £150 has to cover all eventualities and by the end of the year it normally balances out to make a reasonable living. But I did make more money and have an easier like working for a company,

Being Self-employed just offers more flexibility and challenges.

sparky883

Re;barneysmom Why don't you re-train and get a skill,Then you will be worth more than £10 an hour? Why do people always times a day rate by 5 and then decide thats the weekly wage? Its just not true! Sometimes i would rather be guaranteed your £400 per week (40 x £10) than have to "chance it" being self-employed.

Noel80

No holiday pay. No sick pay. No pension plan. No guarantee of work.

A good builder will make a good living but it's not easy. £10 an hour is not a lot these days but it's nice if you know it's getting paid in every week. If you're running a businesses and doing everything for yourself than you're entitled to more than £10 an hour, I think.

Barneysmom

No, you're right, I guess we're all in the same rusty old boat right now?
I'm an electrical/electronic/mechanical engineer and have been in my trade for 20 years. It's narks me that the men I work with are paid 5-10k more than me, but it doesn't pay to make a fuss.........

There's a shop down the road from me that fits doors complete for £49.50. I don't know how they do it, it seems too cheap? When you take into it the cost of all the hardware and the door they can't be making much.