Am I selling myself short?

[muttley9050]

A few threads ive read here seem to compare wages with construction. Now im not in arb work,but consider myself a woodsman in the making. I trained as a bricklayer and after a carpenter, dislike the industry so getting out of it now. After a year of training to be a brickie i would not call myself a briclayer id call myself an improver and would probably lay less than half the bricks as the others on the team. I laboured for 3 years before starting training, so understood job well, and for first 2 years of apprenticeship i got to work 1.5 hours before everyone else so i could load out bricks, nock up muck etc, so i had time to learn. Iwas also always the last on site. And all this for £60 a day Self employed on cis(12 years ago)

My wages went up slowly with my speed and skills, but speed and skills take time to learn, and we were in a massive building boom when i trained.

F.w.i.w. i think ushould ask for a small rise but dont expect the earth, your young and learning, and in a few years youll be earning well. I would pay an improver now £60-70(they dont need saws and expensive ppe, maybe £150 a year on basic gear). So im guesing for you about 70-80. and remember you are an improver and not experienced enough to call yourself "a climber".

Thx

James

[Paul Cleaver]

employers who pay climbers £60.00 a day are always looking for climbers!! - get your experience then move on

[richardwale]

I used to have a labourer working for me (landscaping) and he was the hardest worker I've ever had. I paid him 70 a day (cash) he did his own tax etc, and I would pay him a bonus at the end of certain jobs. £100 here and there and sometimes more. You could ask your boss if he was happy with your work and based on the reply see if there was room for a raise or an incentive that would earn you more money. If he says no, look for something else.

[Andy Collins]

Don't be afraid to ask for a more for your labours, I think £60 is too cheap. I like the "improver" status idea, and agree with the reasoning behind it. You are improving as you do more and more, so a good case to put forward. To put your position in perspective, as a groundie s/e back in 96 I was getting £80 aday, I got a fiver extra a day for each ticket or assessment I passed. A climber of your level (approx) back then was on £100 a day, we were paid well, with good incentives to learn more and progress, it helped us and made the company all the better. So maybe suggesting similar to your "boss" may help you?

[hedgesparrow]

£120 has to be your minimum thats £15 per hour for an 8 hour day then add on the cost of the things you need, fuel, travel, insurance, Personal Insurance, etc.

I started gardening last year and here the going rate for the most basic gardening service is £15 per hour, thats if the gardener turns up on a regular basis. I do much more and turn up on time and when expected after a good and busy first year will be increasing my rate.

 

In answer to your original question are you selling yourself short.

If you are a trained and qualified abor my answer would be a most definate yes. I did my CS30/31 &32 back in the day and wish I had carried them on as the rates some of the unqualified tree gangs are charging up here is mental.

If your current contract doesn't allow you to negotiate on this, move on. You will always find work.

re gardining work i quoted to do a contract looking after a fair bit of work. quoted £12 hr as would have been a day a week. undercut by £2 a hour. so i think what do i charge to get more work if being undercut by this

[hedgesparrow]

£1k a month just does not pay your way if you are paying for everthing you use. and you are only working for one person who seems to be doing not bad by you what is he being paid by customer for total job. go and find some work on your own if you have the tickets and insurance etc bet you make more than £60 per day taken a tree down for someone. and as others have said whereabouts in country are you even if its just the county. may have offers of work as one post has done. but with no county those who may wish to offer you a trial can not as do not know

[Gardenmac]

re gardining work i quoted to do a contract looking after a fair bit of work. quoted £12 hr as would have been a day a week. undercut by £2 a hour. so i think what do i charge to get more work if being undercut by this

 

Hedgesparrow up here guys are charging £30 per visit for 2 guys (£15 per hour each) to simply strim the edge of the lawn and run a mower over it sometimes in 20 minutes and people are paying it. I took flyers out and talked to people and started by charging per visit for smaller gardens and by the hour for larger gardens with an agreed number of hours either weekly or fortnightly.

I've had one or two poachers come in and try to undercut and I've told my customers its their choice to have either a reliable tradesman who turns up on time does more than expected and present a good quality garden or pay people to do half a job and spend half the time.