Reasonable wage for builder/tradesman

Legacy_user

What would be a reasonable wage for a builder and tradesman?

a.turner

£150 to £200 a day is good money in Essex, I'd have thought £200 to £300 is more like it.

snowcat75

Subject to common beliff there are builders and trades in Essex that haven't got much on, they have a tendency for fisherman's hand to justify there (wanted) prices....


I would NEVER get a builder trade or anyone else for that matter on Day or week rate..... Get them to price the job, if you wish say its straight labour with materials supplied.. Day rate will have you shafted, 7hrs a day if your lucky, tools down at lunchtime on Friday and generous tea breaks.....


Dot let desperation be a drive to get the job, your likely to be overcharged and have less than a decent job.....

ceredigion

snowcat75 wrote: »

I would NEVER get a builder trade or anyone else for that matter on Day or week rate..... Get them to price the job, if you wish say its straight labour with materials supplied.. Day rate will have you shafted, 7hrs a day if your lucky, tools down at lunchtime on Friday and generous tea breaks.....

The problem with your theory is, You put the builder on a price but the builders staff and any subcontractors will be on day rate. So the builder's price will reflect an early finish on Friday etc, and the premium for taking all the risk. The client is buying certainty but that comes at a cost.
Personally I don't care either way ,clients choice
. But a client suppling the materials and me on a price for labour only is probably not going to happen and if it did it is going to be the most expensive combination possible.

Doozergirl

The thing is that 'builders' don't do everything.

You need all trades.

The South is more expensive because things are more expensive down there. When you add the cost of a B&B to an average day wage, there's no difference.

I'm also not hugely convinced by London prices. The people we've hired in London have been on the same wage as our Birmingham guys, making the Londoners a lot cheaper!

What we have found makes the difference is waste removal, parking, the general logistics of space to work and store materials in (making things slower and more complicated) and the price of beer.

Fire_Fox

Potential pitfalls ....

gabriel73195 wrote: »

Valuer says there's not more than 3 - 5 weeks work on it.
Because I borrowed the money I need to get it done quick so I can pay it back and rent it out

Letting a property is no guarantee that the rent will be paid.

If something does go awry, how are you going to get the project manager back from the other end of the country, at a day and time that suits both the tenant and you?

A tenant does not have to permit the landlord access to their home. The landlord has to give proper notice, and the tenant has the right to refuse. This applies to repairs and maintenance not just inspections.

gabriel73195 wrote: »

If I advertised for a builder offering £1,000 per week cash paid regularly in places like Newcastle, Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and arranged a bed and breakfast would this work?

Are you definitely going to be better off once you have paid the project manager's accommodation?Who is going to pay for their travel costs back and forth each weekend, their meals and so on?

Why cash? Are you hoping to find a project manager who will defraud the Inland Revenue or Dept. Work and Pensions, yet hoping they will not scam you?

gabriel73195 wrote: »

I am happy to pay good money for good work, I also know a few reasonable and competent trades in the area I just need a king pin, someone who knows how to manage them and speak their language and be a builder/project manager.

gabriel73195 wrote: »

My thinking is that whilst I can probably find people for £1k or £1,250 per week here they are not going to be saying "WOW" and biting my hand off but if I offer the same money to someone up North it might be a bit more appealing especially as it adds up to a lump sum of £5k for a months work and isn't particularly demanding. It's indoors, I'm an easy going person etc

'Ooop North' is a big area. There are very different levels of unemployment or building work in different towns and cities. No doubt that also applies to 'Down Sarf.'

£5K minus travel home each weekend, food and drink, income tax, business overheads ....

They would be managing/ coordinating tradesmen that they have not selected and have never met. They won't know how easy going you really are until it is too late.

gabriel73195 wrote: »

I possibly have enough trades from my last forey and I think I've gotten lucky and it would be fair to say the tradesman I know are probably at least average to good. Which for a relative newbie like me is quite good going.
.

You make your own luck even as a beginner. By doing plenty of research, asking the really good tradesmen for recommendations, not rushing into jobs. Your current plan is shooting yourself in the foot.

snowcat75

gabriel73195 wrote: »

Good advice but what's " fishermans hand" is that an old ssex expression that I don't know about?
Do I come across a bit desperate? Ok so if I do that's because I have already bolloxed up this refurb. Yes I started the project a year ago and didn't allow for unforseen work and didn't have the money for it and was trying to do it myself with a few tradesman.

I'm now back with a proper amount of funds with more funds than I need but this time I have to get the work finished because the bank want me to convert the small loan into a mortgage in a short period of time. Their valuer told them the job won't take too long and I can't get a mortgage unless it's finished and tenanted and that means I can't pay the loan back....which means they have my title. EG I borrwed the money on the title of the house as it's mortgage free

That's why I've got no second chances this time around.

(Fisherman's hands) ie exaggerate, Iv known plenty who have allegedly work stacked up, but not enough to put in a five day week;)….

snowcat75

ceredigion wrote: »

The problem with your theory is, You put the builder on a price but the builders staff and any subcontractors will be on day rate. So the builder's price will reflect an early finish on Friday etc, and the premium for taking all the risk. The client is buying certainty but that comes at a cost.
Personally I don't care either way ,clients choice
. But a client suppling the materials and me on a price for labour only is probably not going to happen and if it did it is going to be the most expensive combination possible.

Or perhaps he kicks the trades !!!! tells him not to take the P!55 and there not going home till XYZ is done.

It doesn't matter, if its a price for the job its the price that's paid and agreed by both party's, Day rate has completely movable goal posts..... for both client and trade..... Iv employed enough people over the years to know that giving anyone a free reign over productivity and hours simply doesn't work....


There is no reason why supply of materials should be more expensive , I have done it plenty of times where trades have not been VAT registered so I can reclaim, and also The work iv been carrying out is too unique to have someone pick what he always gets from the local merchants, as long as that's what's agreed then there's no problem.