Replace gate post

IslaView

I just had my gate fixed as the original post attached to the wall split in 2 due to strong winds. The guy replaced the post, re-hung the gate and replaced a few screws here and there to make it sturdier.

His quote for what took him an hour is £150. Does this seem right? I understand there is a cost for the post, but I feel I may have been charged too much. 

Section62

IslaView said:

I just had my gate fixed as the original post attached to the wall split in 2 due to strong winds. The guy replaced the post, re-hung the gate and replaced a few screws here and there to make it sturdier.

His quote for what took him an hour is £150. Does this seem right? I understand there is a cost for the post, but I feel I may have been charged too much. 

If he quoted you £150 before he started work, and you agreed to this, then you've been charged the right amount.

Whether you could have got the work done cheaper is hard to say, as you'd also have to take into account a cheaper trader might have done an inferior job.

If it helps, his charges won't just cover the 1 hour he was there - he'll need to cover the cost of time to purchase materials, travel, and admin, and the possibility that doing this job meant it was the only thing he could do in a half (or even full day). £150 sounds quite reasonable to me, unless there is more to the story.

Belenus

What, if anything was agreed before the work started?

Where in the UK are you?

£150 does not sound very unreasonable to me. He had to travel to and from your home, he had to travel to the supplier of the post and he had to pay for the post and other materials used.

Ebe_Scrooge

What sort of post?  A wooden post that was concreted into the ground and also screwed into the wall?  It sounds a bit steep, but after you've factored in the cost of materials as well as his travelling time, it's probably not too far off the mark.  With anything like this, you've also got to bear in mind you're paying for the tradesman's skills/experience.  OK, hanging a gate is not all that difficult - but then it could be argued that if it's really easy you could have done it yourself

IslaView

Nothing was agreed before. He came to look at it and said he'd be back to fix later that week, but I ended up chasing him for about 4 months before he finally came and did it.

As for traveling etc, both he and where he would get materials are within 1 mile of here. 

If it still sounds reasonable then fair enough. I'm new to all aspects of home improvement, so don't quite have an idea of the cost of things 😂

Belenus

From a distance it isn't easy to know how much time in total he spent on the job. He may have had to hang around the timber merchant for quite a while waiting to be served and waiting until the correct post was located and given to him.

For future reference it is usually best to agree a price in advance, preferably in writing.

Welcome to the often expensive world of home ownership. 

Bradden

#Surely the time to agree prices is before he starts work? Now it will just look like your trying to get out of paying him.

Ebe_Scrooge

Belenus said:

Welcome to the often expensive world of home ownership. 

Agreed.  And welcome to the advantages of learning a few basic DIY skills for the inevitable future repairs that are part and parcel of home ownership :-)

ObserverOfLife

Perfectly reasonable imo. I had a neighbour to fit a new post and hang my gate on it early last year. Took him couple hours and it was £180 (Inc material and mates rate but it meant he missed out on another alldayer job. 

TELLIT01

Timber costs are incredibly high at present and seem to be increasing by the week.  A good quality post itself could easily cost over £30.  Add travel time, admin etc to the cost with an hourly rate of around £30 per hour (more in some areas) and the costs quickly add up.

As others have been said, the time to query the cost is when the quote is provided, not after the job is done.

FreeBear

TELLIT01 said: an hourly rate of around £30 per hour (more in some areas)

Multiskilled handyman is more likely £50-100 per hour. Electricians, plumbers, and other building trades are going for £150-250 or more.