Average hourly rate for plumber

[Palsonly 10]

I think that it is way over the top. It seems as if two people came along to do a one man job and you paid for them both. Not good! They ripped you off.

[jza80 10]

I think that it is way over the top. It seems as if two people came along to do a one man job and you paid for them both. Not good! They ripped you off.

 

Can you read simple words? Are you wearing a blinker?

[bs4124 10]

How did their quote compare with the other quotes she got for the work?

[Peggotty 10]

She didn't get any more quotes and she paid them cash. She now knows she did wrong but whats done is done. She says she will be more careful next time.

[DerbyTup 10]

I paid £60 an hour, agreed up front, for a local tradesman to attend to a central heating problem.

 

He came with his sidekick - a Turkish kid who was thick as a brick and didn't know one end of a screwdriver from the other - never mind knowing anything about central heating.

 

Anyhow, the guy himself was good as gold. He gave me some good advice and helped eliminate the problem. He made two visits, both times bringing his daft mate with him, but he only charged me for his time.

 

I was pleased with his service and he charged me just for 1.5 hours which is the time he spent here on the job. No call out or fuel or anything else.

 

Sounds to me like the OP was ripped off but hopefully he/she has learned from it.

[barleycorn 10]

Yesterday my sister had a plumber do a small job in the kitchen. There was actually 2 plumbers - a man and his son in law. The cost of the materials was £40. The plumbers also changed a washer on the bathroom tap. They charged her £160. I think this was far too expensive. What do others think.

 

It took a little over an hour to fit a new stopcock and change a washer on a bathroom tap. She lives in Sheffield 10.

 

£40 for a stop **** and a washer seems a wee bit steep to me. I think £4 would be closer to the mark.

 

jb

[gnvqsos 10]

£40 for a stop **** and a washer seems a wee bit steep to me. I think £4 would be closer to the mark.

 

jb

 

Yes a good **** can be bought from Toolstation for £3.78,and a washer is well washers.£4 should be adequate and the job would take a plumber no more than two hours.I really cant see the need for two men except to intimidate the customer.It does give plumbers quite a bad name.

[Peggotty 10]

Surestop stopcock + washer for bathroom tap.

[retired 10]

Anyone thought it might have wanted a lead to copper connection? Cannot use the brass ferrule now and solder it a big fancy compression thing. Not £40 though.

[gnvqsos 10]

Anyone thought it might have wanted a lead to copper connection? Cannot use the brass ferrule now and solder it a big fancy compression thing. Not £40 though.

 

Lead locks are under a tenner,even in places like B&Q.

[harvey19 541]

Bit off topic but in the mid 1960s the hourly rate for a building trade skilled man was 6 shillings and 8 pence.

Wonder what this would equate to today ?

[neepsendlane 11]

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.

Not only the back Retired but the wrists and knees,

I can spot an old bricklayer a mile away.