What do you think of this plumbing and tiling bill ?

CAUTIOUSCLAUDE

This concerns a building renovation related plumbing job in the south east (not London). Job is less than half an hour from plumbers home and I'm querying the **labour element only **. Day rate is £130 per day no VAT, newly qualified plumber is approx £85 per day. Happy with these day rates.

I have been charged 96 plumber days and 30 junior days for the following. I was only occasionally on site. Sigh. No carpentry in price except for installing units. Is this too many days ?

Job list
1) Bathroom 1: Normal bath with taps at end to thermostatic valve + filler + shower hose. In Loo changed to wall hung loo, new shower tray, new sink plus unit beneath. Positions remain the same.
2) New shower room: loo, sink, fitting combined shower tray and door kit.
3) New ensuite with wet room style shower and glass shower door and side panel, bath with thermostatic valve, filler and hose, two sinks on console + 2 units underneath.
4) New twin tanks in loft
5) Shower pump installation
6) All new plastic pipework for hot and cold water and drainage
7) Pipework to kitchen monobloc + sewer pipe.
8) No heating work or boiler work
9) Some sewer services for the above but this was shared with builder.
10) Tiling. 2ft square Porcelain tiles requiring rough cut and fine cut. Took ages to do each cut and some ended up in the bin. Total tiling area 70m2, grout supplied.

How many days do you think this lot would take ?

Buellguy

So 15 grand then.
Depends on how much work they actually had to to, what state everything was in beforehand, how many days were they on site (i.e if there were 2 of them were they on site for 48 days??)

keystone

Job like this should neither be costed nor contracted at day rate. Anyone who contracts on that basis that is a mug - sorry. It's a licence to print money and take as long as they want and it looks like they have. 126 man-days is utterly absurd. Based on your very limited description and without seeing the job it looks like about £5k labour maximum.

Cheers

phill99

This time keystone, I don't agree with you. I think £15k is OTT. But I also think £5k is under. I would suggest around £9k is nearer the mark.

However, putting tradesmen on day rates is just stupid.

southcoastrgi

oh dear, day rate is too low & you have paid for it by them taking too long, plus a decent plumber/fitter would A: charge more per day & B: not take anywhere near as long as this, so a valuble lesson learnt always get a quote & don't get the cheapest guy in the misaprehenction that you will get a decent job on the cheap.

keystone

phill99 wrote: »

This time keystone, I don't agree with you. I think £15k is OTT. But I also think £5k is under. I would suggest around £9k is nearer the mark.

The truth is we are both stabbing in the dark because neither of us have seen it. Either of us could be correct but it could be in between.

However, putting tradesmen on day rates is just stupid.

Quite.

Cheers

booty40uk

Some people just deserve what they get. Why the hell would anyone in their right mind have work like this done on a day rate??? If i were you i would change my user name to extremelyuncautiousclaude and thats being polite.