Pay for plumber's time to shop for basic materials?

JustAnotherSaver

I should tell me employer that

brightontraveller

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

And yes, i know they're doing nothing at all because i've heard plenty of the conversations - last nights football, this coming weekends football, what was on the telly last night, what so & so argued with their wife about, who is conning who etc etc etc.

And whilst your earwiging them your not doing anything :rotfl:

The other big factor with this post is there location sure every street corner has a plumbers merchant and there is absolutely no traffic at all in London it also only takes 5 minutes to get right across it ? They may well have simply used all there materials on board keeping the other clients happy....

The fact there late could well have been at an emergency water peeing through the ceiling of some blind, bed ridden OAP…? But poster probably right they should have left that client to get to them on time…
Any type of emergency work is very hard to be at next appointment on time.

bsod

or it could have been they'd just rolled out of bed after a hard night on the pop, and needed to find a hot bacon sarnie shop and play angry birds for a bit before getting some pipe out of the van

missprice

bsod wrote: »

or it could have been they'd just rolled out of bed after a hard night on the pop, and needed to find a hot bacon sarnie shop and play angry birds for a bit before getting some pipe out of the van

People are also paying for the skill involved, if these same people don't like to pay for a skilled worker to go shopping for their specific job, they can always arrange for materials them self.

Although a fair bit of skill is involved in knowing what to buy, but we shall slide over that small inconvenience.

And I can tell you that my OH in his previous job, spent an age waiting in various plumbers merchants. Waiting for someone in the company to agree that what they needed was in fact needed. When you're spending a couple of grand of someone else's money, they often take their sweet time confirming that.

Rolandtheroadie

What was the job OP?

Do you think it could have been done by a competent DIYer?

If yes, it may be cheaper to look for a handyperson type locally who is likely to be cheaper. (Unless any of the work requires specific qualifications for legal/safety reasons).

pc1271

I would expect to pay for materials, but a plumber shouldn't need to be out shopping for copper pipe and basic fittings for individual jobs. He must spend more time shopping than doing actual plumbing.

missprice

pc1271 wrote: »

I would expect to pay for materials, but a plumber shouldn't need to be out shopping for copper pipe and basic fittings for individual jobs. He must spend more time shopping than doing actual plumbing.

Do you know how much copper pipe costs?
Would you leave it in your van overnight ( presumably every night) with the commensurate insurance costs, or would you lug it into your house every night?

Do you have any clue what size copper pipe you would need in your house, do you know how much copper pipe you would in fact need for each job.

bsod

missprice wrote: »

Although a fair bit of skill is involved in knowing what to buy, but we shall slide over that small inconvenience.

.

3 metres of pipe and a stopcock please, no skill there.

plumbers get paid well for their skills (bending and soldering pipe) already, perhaps they should add planning and forethought, efficiency, and timekeeping to them if they want these high hourly rates.

missprice

bsod wrote: »

3 metres of pipe and a stopcock please, no skill there.

plumbers get paid well for their skills (bending and soldering pipe) already, perhaps they should add planning and forethought, efficiency, and timekeeping to them if they want these high hourly rates.

Then diy so you don't have to pay the plumbers high prices.
3metres of copper pipe is not cheap.
If they do 'say' 4 jobs a day and each job requires 3 meters of pipe, they can go in the morning and buy 12 meters. What if then one customer says oh its OK I got someone else in.
Oops 3metres left in back of van overnight or carried into the house.
Maybe all the next weeks jobs require plastic pipe and therefore you have 3metres of copper pipe sat just costing money.

Alternatively an emergency call comes in and requires 2metres of pipe that very morning. Somehow the plumber has to get to a merchant before the last job to buy the needed 2 meters.
Is it their lunchtime you expect it to be done just so it won't cost you a penny more?
Are plumbers allowed to eat?

Eta not all jobs require so much pipe or any stopcocks.
Does one big or small van have to now house at least 3 items of any given size at all times?
Is this also to be stocked any free day the plumber has?

bsod

missprice wrote: »

3metres of copper pipe is not cheap.

If they do 'say' 4 jobs a day and each job requires 3 meters of pipe, they can go in the morning and buy 12 meters. What if then one customer says oh its OK I got someone else in. Oops 3metres left in back of van overnight or carried into the house.

Maybe all the next weeks jobs require plastic pipe and therefore you have 3metres of copper pipe sat just costing money.

Are plumbers allowed to eat?

waxingsatirical wrote: »

£65 +VAT per hour.

x 8 hours = £520, just enough for a bacon sandwich, a caffeine hit, and some stock

http://www.screwfix.com/p/copper-pipe-15mm-x-3m/98683 £4.99

http://www.screwfix.com/p/15mm-stop-!!!!/31490 £3.99

http://www.screwfix.com/p/compression-blanking-nut-15mm/55441 £1.08

https://www.greggs.co.uk/deals/ £2

Total £12.06 plus £78 delivery