£75 p/h - reasonable for a plumber?

dil1976

abwsco wrote: »

It was £75 per half hour. Plus he charged her £75 to go and get the tap. She lives on her own and her tap was stuck with water pouring out. Think she panicked.

Oh yeah sorry, still ridiculously expensive unless the cost and time frame was explained beforehand.

abankerbutnotafatcat

Thanks everyone. We cancelled the appointment telling him truthfully that we'd got someone who could come out sooner (he couldn't come out until next Wednesday even at that price). We made an appointment with the guy recommended by our electrician for tomorrow so fingers crossed!!

keystone

abwsco wrote: »

It was £75 per half hour. Plus he charged her £75 to go and get the tap. She lives on her own and her tap was stuck with water pouring out. Think she panicked.

when probably what it needed as a new washer at best or a new headgear/cartridge at worst. 15 minutes work.

The guy ought to be hung, drawn and quartered. Much as I despise Dom and his wretched programmes this is one I would like to see him go after.

Cheers

keystone

dil1976 wrote: »

Oh yeah sorry, still ridiculously expensive unless the cost and time frame was explained beforehand.

Oh yeah sorry, still ridiculously expensive [STRIKE]unless[/STRIKE] even if the cost and time frame was explained beforehand. There corrected it for you.

Actually no even then its not just ridiculously expensive its theft IMO.

Cheers

dil1976

keystone wrote: »

Oh yeah sorry, still ridiculously expensive [STRIKE]unless[/STRIKE] even if the cost and time frame was explained beforehand. There corrected it for you.

Actually no even then its not just ridiculously expensive its theft IMO.

Cheers

To a extent I agree, but if the cost is explained clearly to the customer and they understand everything clearly before any work is undertaken then I can't really see a problem.

Yes it shouldn't be allowed but unfortunately it does happen.

abwsco

keystone wrote: »

Oh yeah sorry, still ridiculously expensive [STRIKE]unless[/STRIKE] even if the cost and time frame was explained beforehand. There corrected it for you.

Actually no even then its not just ridiculously expensive its theft IMO.

Cheers

She's learnt a hard lesson and originally posted after the event to see if it was the going rate. Stupidly she never asked the rates beforehand and just got the bill at the end.

Not sure if she ever did follow it up with anyone or even if she could. I know TS were mentioned to her.

vax2002

An Employment agency will charge you £31.50 an hour, they will have several plumbers on the books

Russe11

vax2002 wrote: »

An Employment agency will charge you £31.50 an hour, they will have several plumbers on the books

And the recourse when you have a issue with the quality of work or other is?

Agencies might well do plumbers at those rates, but you will need to be offering full days i'd of thought, not a couple of hours.

namecheck

ormus wrote: »

for 75 quid per hour ill come down from bolton and do 8 hrs, and then stay in a travel lodge overnight.

You would get more work than you could cope with!!!

(I know several people who travel to the S/E for work - because we have to pay so much more down here, for tradesmen and buying the property in the first place).

tigeress289

dil was spot on about the fees tradesmen pay on the websites. As for the price, I dont think it was over the top for a one off call out. There is one big company in London charging £80 and their vans are everywhere. Getting a decent tradesman to start with is cheaper in the long run. There are just so many chancers who have killed the building trade and it will get worse. But people just want the cheapest quotes. I worked on job last year where I asked a painter his name and he told me he was Ivan and he had been here 3 days. He then painted straight over a bluebottle that landed on the paintwork and left it in the paint. The boss however, was charging top rates to the customer. A year on and they dont use them anymore and had to repaint everything they done. Some learn the hard way. As for the remarks about being a plumber, it takes years and no solicitor will every become one,doing some nvq course. I have a friend who after 3 years on a course, has gone back painting. He was totally out of his depth when faced will real plumbing problems. That £75 might be the only job that day. Take out the running costs to be self employed and make no mistake, he wont retire with some fantastic pension. A lot of decent tradesmen are going to the wall at this time, so dont get carried away the figures quoted. I have been asked to look at a leaking toilet that is also loose, in camden this morning. I dont know what I am going to have to do but my first concern is where do I park, what parts will I need and how much do I charge? No guarantee I get the job. If I dont get it ,who pays me for my time and expenses. There is 2 sides to every story. Sorry to rant but I dont see the figures as changing the plumbers life. Ask Boris what he gets an hour and thats for a MORON.