Transition to self employed (wages etc)

[Khriss]

Just remmeber those brickies aint working much in Winter - many sites are closed when frost hits brickwork . No concrette slabbing or formwork and often the contract is miles away from home turf . Grass is always greener etc etc .. K

[donnk]

12 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

A good brickie on £150!?

 

My mates are on a big site in Norwich they're on £450/thousand £14/m on block work. On good straight runs they will be doing a damn sight more than £150/day, probably doubling it.

not all brickies want site work as its variable and you have to crack out the numbers day in dayout. Also have to travel to sites a long ways. Not everyones cup of tea.

 

some prefer more reliable local work and 150 is the going rate in midlands. obviously some more some less depending on skill and speed etc

[Ian C]

12 hours ago, Khriss said:

Just remmeber those brickies aint working much in Winter - many sites are closed when frost hits brickwork . No concrette slabbing or formwork and often the contract is miles away from home turf . Grass is always greener etc etc .. K

Plus don't forget when the next recession hits, which it will and the sites shut all these well paid trades wont be earning a bean, horses for courses!

[Khriss]

Exactly that Ian. Most slow downs or house price collapses slam the door shut on building firms within a week. At least all We need is a bloody good week of storms and we are quids in. K

[benedmonds]

An example of why rates are low. Priced this job yesterday but was I was too expensive. A local firm who I don't know, but have a nice web site priced fell and grind £450 including VAT.

 

It is a straight forward job,fell and grind 2 conifers.. It would take a team of 3  with two 3.5 ton trucks a chipper and stump grinder a day. 

You would easy have a load of logs and a load of chip.  I can't see how it could be done quicker or cheaper...

 

Edited March 21, 2018 by benedmonds

[MattyF]

Go and have a chat with a local firms and see if they have work for a self employed climber .. some thing I regret not doing far earlier in my own career.. and best thing I did when I finally got around to it though was being self employed but was more focusing on getting my own local work than subbing.... subbing just got me dirty great trees that no one else wanted to do in city’s going over 10 gardens and being stuck on the m25 for 3 hours every night... mind you being employed at times was not better once the bosses realised what you could bring them in so there was no rest there either.

[WesD]

8 hours ago, Ian C said:

Plus don't forget when the next recession hits, which it will and the sites shut all these well paid trades wont be earning a bean, horses for courses!

 But then they won’t want their trees and hedges worked on either, knock on effect. 

[Tom D]

4 hours ago, benedmonds said:

An example of why rates are low. Priced this job yesterday but was I was too expensive. A local firm who I don't know, but have a nice web site priced fell and grind £450 including VAT.

 

It is a straight forward job,fell and grind 2 conifers.. It would take a team of 3  with two 3.5 ton trucks a chipper and stump grinder a day. 

You would easy have a load of logs and a load of chip.  I can't see how it could be done quicker or cheaper...

 

How much did you want for it Ben?  I’d have been 5-600 for the trees and 150 fro the stumps. Always hard to price from a pic, but I think that would be about right.  There’s plenty guys up here who would do it for 450 too though.

 

Ive said this before on here: imagine there are 100 customers in your area thinking of having work done. Of these 15 are just wasting your time and will never actually go ahead with the job, they just want to know how much it will be. Another 20 will think it should cost less than half your quote, the next 30 will get 3+ quotes and go with the cheapest no matter how un professional they seem. The next 20 will get 3 quotes but will take your professionalism into account,  the  next 10 will only care about professionalism and not worry about price, and the last 5 will simply get one quote and accept it regardless of price.  You obviously want to be working for those who value professionalism over cost, or the one quote guys, and avoid the others. So when you loose work like this don’t feel bad, let the other guys do it safe in the knowledge that while they are working for £450 you will be making real money on another job.

[benedmonds]

15 minutes ago, Tom D said:

How much did you want for it Ben?  I’d have been 5-600 for the trees and 150 fro the stumps. Always hard to price from a pic, but I think that would be about right.  There’s plenty guys up here who would do it for 450 too though.

 

Including VAT Fell 2 conifer trees in rear garden to ground level (£575)

Grind stumps (£250)

Total: £742.50 including discount if all work completed

[Mark Bolam]

I think you’re about spot on Ben, as is Tom’s take on things.

Pursuing the right customers is key, it took me years.

I’ve now got plenty who I don’t even price, just bill them at the end.

 

Tougher for you lads running bigger outfits, though. Much tougher.