How do you negotiate prices with plumbers, handy men, builders etc?

martinthebandit

I have said it before (and some people disagree) but good tradesmen/women don't work for bad customers.

You may think there are a lot of dodgy tradesmen (I don't) but there are just as many dodgy customers too.

Doozergirl

martinthebandit wrote: »

I have said it before (and some people disagree) but good tradesmen/women don't work for bad customers.

You may think there are a lot of dodgy tradesmen (I don't) but there are just as many dodgy customers too.

Agree, we learned quickly, but not quickly enough, that many people expect something for nothing. I have subsidised enough small building projects now.

A home is someone's biggest investment and yet they look for the cheapest price? When you find a cheap price, you find someone that doesn't give a toss and can't get subcontracted by a decent builder.

Decent subbies hate working piecemeal for homeowners that don't pay or expect the earth. They work for good building contractors and/or pick their customers carefully - and those customers come via recommendation.

As much as the key to getting a good tradesman is to get a recommendation, the tradesman is equally using that recommendation for customers. They know who is recommending them and what they are like, so can make a half-decent guess at whether that customer is going to be okay to work for.

Recommendations are important, from both sides.

If I want a decent new subbie right now, I have to wait. No one is available in the short term. I'm coming to the end of a huge project now and having to book some people back in right now for the summer!

marksoton

Doozergirl wrote: »

If I want a decent new subbie right now, I have to wait.

Amen to this. I live and die by my sub contractors and the relationship i have with them. My client will never see the hard work i put into this but they will ultimately gain from it.

slopemaster

phill99 wrote: »

If someone asks me for a lower price...
I find it insulting as they refuse to value experience, training, expertise, professionalism and skill.

I'm right with you so far...

phill99 wrote: »

IHowever, if you want to go with an eastern European who today is working as a roofer, tomorrow as an electrician and the day after as a waiter, then you go right ahead....

But you're wrong here. The proper tradesman with the skill and experience is just as likely to be east european.
And the chancers come in all shapes, sizes and nationalities

martinthebandit

Fast, good and cheap, you can have any two,
Fast and good, won't be cheap.
Good and cheap, won't be fast.
Fast and cheap, won't be good.

DRP

Agree with the various trades here that it isn't a good idea to go with the 'cheapest' - it'll end up a crappy end product that the customer won't be happy with.

However, paying more doesnt always mean you get a good result either. Plenty of friends & family (& myself) who have paid top whack and had poor service.


1. Get 3 quotes if you can.
2. Find yourself good people by experience and recommendation, and hold onto them...

glasgowdan

A tradesman's price is usually fixed. If a customer trie to haggle my price down I'd walk away, and have done. Where you can haggle is with national firms like Everest or British Gas, where their initial quote usually includes a huge chunk extra just because they often get away with it. They have salespeople who will try and get the work to get their commission and may be able to offer 'special' discounts!

In my experience, the worst lasy sole traders are the brits, particularly those in suburban areas. They usually come out the same day you call because they haven't got much work to do, and they treat customers as sources of income and not much else.

eddddy

LiveOnce wrote: »

Hi all,

Plumbers, builders, handy men are notorious for ripping people off. How do you go about negotiating prices with them so they don't over charge you and can get a decent deal?

I feel like I need to learn this but not sure how to play the game.

Any tips please?

You don't negotiate.

You get quotes from 3 or more tradespeople for a job, and make a decision based on on a whole package of factors.

Those factors include recommendations, reputation, helpfulness, price etc.

If you think one or more of them is trying to rip you off - you don't try to negotiate with them, because you don't want them to do the job anyway.

Derboy

eddddy wrote: »

You don't negotiate.

You get quotes from 3 or more tradespeople for a job, and make a decision based on on a whole package of factors.

Those factors include recommendations, reputation, helpfulness, price etc.

If you think one or more of them is trying to rip you off - you don't try to negotiate with them, because you don't want them to do the job anyway.

ABOVE IS SPOT ON.

Price is one factor, reputation and how comfortable you are with the trades person are two others. I got a quote for tiling recently. Quote was reasonable, but the guy ummed and ahhed about tiling on top of underfloor heating so I decided to go with someone that had more experience in that area but paid a bit more for it.

always_sunny

can't you post the job in sites like https://www.mybuilder.com and get quotes and review them based on past work feedback?