hit and miss fencing,

[simonm]

We had to do 17 meters a day for Atkinsons and that was bloody hard graft! we did a 64 foot run a few weeks ago of vertical lap and it took us 2 days. once the posts and rails are set fixing pales is easy. Sometimes better mixing concrete on site works out about £1.80 per hole compared to £8 using postmix.

[onyx landscaping/fencing]

I would be looking for £25/mtr

[doobin]

Realistically speaking, any time a customer says 'I will supply the timber, you just quote me for your labour' you should tell them to do one. They want to have their cake and eat it, and 90% of the time they are penny pinching timewasters best avoided.

 

Let some idiot who hasn't invested in all the tools do it with a spade and hammer for £10/m cheaper and make a hash of it.

[normandylumberjack]

Realistically speaking, any time a customer says 'I will supply the timber, you just quote me for your labour' you should tell them to do one. They want to have their cake and eat it, and 90% of the time they are penny pinching timewasters best avoided.

 

Let some idiot who hasn't invested in all the tools do it with a spade and hammer for £10/m cheaper and make a hash of it.

 

Did you read the original post?

[Matthew Storrs]

Realistically speaking, any time a customer says 'I will supply the timber, you just quote me for your labour' you should tell them to do one. They want to have their cake and eat it, and 90% of the time they are penny pinching timewasters best avoided.

 

Let some idiot who hasn't invested in all the tools do it with a spade and hammer for £10/m cheaper and make a hash of it.

 

I don't see the problem if the customer supplies the timber, in many cases I prefer it as you don t have to faff around collecting materials and getting them on site and if the timber rots in 5 years time then its their problem. The trouble is making sure the customer gets the right stuff and enough of it to eliminate downtime/delays.

[doobin]

I don't see the problem if the customer supplies the timber, in many cases I prefer it as you don t have to faff around collecting materials and getting them on site and if the timber rots in 5 years time then its their problem. The trouble is making sure the customer gets the right stuff and enough of it to eliminate downtime/delays.

 

I'm cool with it when working on day rate. The rotting thing is not a problem anyway, I make sure they know that a 5 year guarantee on the posts is just that- the labour to replace them is not covered. All my suppliers will deliver direct to site.

 

My point is that a customer who thinks they're the big spiv, the project manager, ringing around hassling Jewsons, Coomers, Chandlers and every other builders yard going for 'your best trade price' for thirty yards of materials before doing the same to every fencer in the area for a labour price only, is a poor prospect.

 

You can guarantee that a customer like this will order the wrong stuff and keep you waiting, meaning your rate in real terms is much less than you quoted for. And that's not on. Either I have control of the job and a defined spec to work to, or some other mug can have the hassle. Or I work day rate, which I do quite a bit of.

[doobin]

Did you read the original post?

 

Coupled with the username, I did smile to myself. But we've all got to start somewhere. I wouldn't hire a plaslode though, I'd buy a small compressor and cheap air nailer.

[Matthew Storrs]

I'm cool with it when working on day rate. The rotting thing is not a problem anyway, I make sure they know that a 5 year guarantee on the posts is just that- the labour to replace them is not covered. All my suppliers will deliver direct to site.

 

My point is that a customer who thinks they're the big spiv, the project manager, ringing around hassling Jewsons, Coomers, Chandlers and every other builders yard going for 'your best trade price' for thirty yards of materials before doing the same to every fencer in the area for a labour price only, is a poor prospect.

 

You can guarantee that a customer like this will order the wrong stuff and keep you waiting, meaning your rate in real terms is much less than you quoted for. And that's not on. Either I have control of the job and a defined spec to work to, or some other mug can have the hassle. Or I work day rate, which I do quite a bit of.

 

Day rate can be a good way particularly with smaller faff type fencing jobs particularly in gardens/around houses etc where unforeseen circumstances crop up or the customer changes their mind about certain aspects. I so often find they take longer than expected whereas big runs you can crack out pretty quick and meter rate tends to work out more favourable for the contractor.

I prefer to pick up the materials myself over supplier delivering them, firstly you can check the quality as they are loaded on to you trailer but often the delivery lorry can't get in somewhere so you end up double handling stuff, and then there's all the nick nacks , gate hangings, different bolts etc which I prefer to see when I'm buying to make sure they are exactly what I'm after.

That said by the time you have done all of the above you can waste up to half a day going to collect materials and what not. Specially round here where its at least 30 mins if not 50 to the nearest supplier:001_rolleyes:

[s.varty]

 

You can guarantee that a customer like this will order the wrong stuff and keep you waiting, meaning your rate in real terms is much less than you quoted for. And that's not on. Either I have control of the job and a defined spec to work to, or some other mug can have the hassle. Or I work day rate, which I do quite a bit of.

 

Agree:thumbup1: had a customer in the summer that insisted on buying the materials, when they arrived the boards (450) were 6" to long, no rebates in the posts for the capping , he spent 2 days off work cutting the rebates and boards because I refused to. Funnily enough though he gave me a £50 tip? But as said if the customer buys the materials at least your not at fault if the posts rot etc.

[doobin]

Day rate can be a good way particularly with smaller faff type fencing jobs particularly in gardens/around houses etc where unforeseen circumstances crop up or the customer changes their mind about certain aspects. I so often find they take longer than expected whereas big runs you can crack out pretty quick and meter rate tends to work out more favourable for the contractor.

I prefer to pick up the materials myself over supplier delivering them, firstly you can check the quality as they are loaded on to you trailer but often the delivery lorry can't get in somewhere so you end up double handling stuff, and then there's all the nick nacks , gate hangings, different bolts etc which I prefer to see when I'm buying to make sure they are exactly what I'm after.

That said by the time you have done all of the above you can waste up to half a day going to collect materials and what not. Specially round here where its at least 30 mins if not 50 to the nearest supplier:001_rolleyes:

 

You're right about quality- you have to watch them otherwise you end up with bent posts, etc. My suppliers are pretty good, they know that if stuff isn't up to scratch it will be coming back at them. They're also pretty flexible re delivery, unless it's to the yard where we have a loader I always spec hiab delivery so it can be swung onto the transit or dumper to get it closer to the job.

 

Meter rate is definitely better for a contractor, but only if the contractor has control of ordering the materials.