Average hourly rate for plumber

[pottedplant 10]

The lady was ripped off.

The sad thing is that it is working people ripping off people who can not afford it.

 

Even worse if they are ripping off their neighbour.

 

I am not a plumber but £120 labour for an hour sounds a lot to me.......perhaps £60 I would have thought?

Edited November 13, 2012 by pottedplant

[jza80 10]

The lady was ripped off.

The sad thing is that it is working people ripping off people who can not afford it.

 

How did you know that? one man might be working on the job while the other when to the shop for the parts? she said it was one hour and a bit. £40+ for parts

Bill= £160

fuel £5

vat £30

parts £45

tax @20% £20ish

2 man one hour + makes £60 or £30 each is that really unreasonable for a skill trades man? i havnt put call out charge on it

[Peggotty 10]

Anyway - theres no way she would have these men do any more work for her and she certainly would not recommend these men to anyone else. Their reputation will catch up with them sooner or later.

[big_g 10]

Depends on how they charge. A little over an hour may be charged as two hours - £30 each per hour. How much over the hour was it?

 

To me that is a bit steep but depending on the person and how established they are it could be the going rate.

 

Did your sister know what was to be done beforehand? I would have asked for an estimate for the work. I always say to someone that I've got someone else coming around to give me a price.

Edited November 13, 2012 by big_g

[dafodil 10]

How did you know that? one man might be working on the job while the other when to the shop for the parts? she said it was one hour and a bit. £40+ for parts

Bill= £160

fuel £5

vat £30

parts £45

tax @20% £20ish

2 man one hour + makes £60 or £30 each is that really unreasonable for a skill trades man? i havnt put call out charge on it

Well how do you know that!

[jza80 10]

Well how do you know that!

 

everyone pays tax and vat, is the law

[leelister6 10]

You should always ask for an estimate up front. Most tradesmen can give you a ballpark figure for common bread and butter jobs like tap washers etc without seeing the job and if there is a problem when they actually see the job (difficult access for instance) that will take extra time, they should discuss any extra work/expense involved.

[gnvqsos 10]

everyone pays tax and vat, is the law

 

No they dont,VAT exempt for turnover below £70K!

[jza80 10]

No they dont,VAT exempt for turnover below £70K!

 

Including parts it will be hard not to turnover £1500 a week

[gnvqsos 10]

Including parts it will be hard not to turnover £1500 a week

 

You need to stop wriggling when you are contradicted:hihi:.

[retired 10]

Plumbers are a trade who have always been the most expensive tradespeople in the building trade and never short of work.

 

It has become a lot simpler in recent years with plastic pipes and speedifit etc but it is also a technical job with responsibilities. They are expected to be always available at short notice for what is only a small but potentially a house destroying job.

 

I personally think they are milking it a bit but I have to also give it to them. They are not frightened of competition but rather the opposite. If one gets away with say £30 an hour the others follow suit. Not like the stupid wet trades I am in. Hard slog, can,t work in the rain or cold and your fellow competition is so desperate and jealous that they will gladly undercut you to get the work and the punters know it. Come 40 and your back has gone with the tons of bricks, blocks and concrete you have laid.

 

Plumbers want paying to diagnose the problem and quote and so they should. Me, I have to diagnose problems on the excuse of a quote and after telling the punter what the problem is (saving the next bloke to diagnose) I have to quote and then let the punter "think about it" while they get other wet trades with no business sense to compete.

 

But yes for this particular job £160 seems to much. They have got away it and you simply spread the word and do not employ them again.

 

My current plumber is off here (JB), £35 per hour (ouch), I begrudge paying it but on the other hand here is there when I want him, on time, very good at his job, polite. I never have to ring him back and he looks after me. My last plumber bodged his £25 per hour work and it costs me dearly so JB in comparison is cheap.

 

Find a decent plumber, look after him and he will look after you. Just need to find one first but there are plenty on here with good feedback.

[bs4124 10]

You haven't said if the plumbers quoted her a price first which she agreed to. Also £40 for parts infers more than a straight forward job. These jobs could have warranted two people, £160 wouldn't sound too expensive then. If she didn't ask about cost before she engaged the workmen I hope she has learned a lesson and will ask next time.