Are we reasonabLe on price

[easy-lift guy]

Dean, I believe I would be putting that customer on my Christmas list for at least a nice card or a Christmas pudding. Customers like that are and should be treated like Gold.

easy-lift guy

[Rupe]

Thats a good story, and goes to show what we have all been saying for years, except its usually us justifying ouselve to the client not the other way round.

 

I generally reckon I get paid half of what I should be getting, so if I price a job at £500 (and probablly only just get it) I should actually be getting 500 clear profit in my pocket after all other expenses, instead I get the 500 and then pay for everythign out of that and am left with whatever is left.

 

Thats why its so funny when people want to move into this trade becasue they only see the dayly earnings, and forget how expensive a hobby tree work is!

 

Good for you though Dean, I bet you felt good going home that day!

[Tom D]

I have been saying this for years, if you wanted to be a tradesman and took a cold hard business decision as to which trade to take up, tree work would be at the bottom of the list. The fact that I like being outside and not under someones kitchen sink is what keeps me from being a plumber.

 

Most trades are easy to learn, and get the associated quals, CORGI etc, the cost of equipping yourself is minimal compared with tree work less than £1k for top quality tools. And you can charge the same rates or higher as a tree surgeon who may have £100k worth of kit.

 

Why do we do it??

[felixthelogchopper]

I have been saying this for years, if you wanted to be a tradesman and took a cold hard business decision as to which trade to take up, tree work would be at the bottom of the list. The fact that I like being outside and not under someones kitchen sink is what keeps me from being a plumber.

 

Most trades are easy to learn, and get the associated quals, CORGI etc, the cost of equipping yourself is minimal compared with tree work less than £1k for top quality tools. And you can charge the same rates or higher as a tree surgeon who may have £100k worth of kit.

 

Why do we do it??

 

Speaking for myself, I'm in it for the glamour and the groupies

[alex_m]

There are good people in the world! (not the sky bloke ha!)

We got £40 in tips today, perhaps because it was raining all day...

[arbmark]

Speaking for myself, I'm in it for the glamour and the groupies

 

is this the all the friends youve made on mumsnet?

[felixthelogchopper]

is this the all the friends youve made on mumsnet?

 

Jealousy is a terrible thing in a person. Don't knock it 'til you try it.

[pie eater pete]

I don't miss being in the building trade. One of my fave jobs was laying fresh drains at a school and having to clear out a backed up drain! Bloke I was working with had lost the rubber gauntlets...put me right off sweetcorn!

[tommer9]

Its shocking that we are so undervalued

 

My thoughts exactly.

[Pedroski]

I wonder how many hoops we have to jump through compared to say a corgi registration or an electricians tickets, I bet it's a he'll of a lot more

 

Don't underestimate what it takes to be a decent plumber. Talking about 5 year appreticeships, and if you want to work for a company a lot are wanting 5 years plumbing experience. Same sort of thing for decent electricians. And they don't all get paid a lot more than people like us. All of us in the same boat when it comes to getting money. Including brickies.... hard to get £100-£120/day at the moment for many.