Back to HomeWe get it, not everyone's sure how much they should be budgeting for, and what's a fair price for trade work in various niches. We've created this guide to give you some insight into basic costs, as well as some variables that may affect your quote.
Economic Factors
Supply & Demand
Location
The Trades
TimeMore Costs to Consider
The cost of materials.
Selecting and physically picking up the materials.
Administration costs.
Miscellaneous costs, such as waste disposal.
Contingency costs, which covers accidents or unexpected surprises. (Contingency costs are not always added. If they are, it will always be tied into the initial contract and at the tradesperson's discretion.)
Calculating The Tradesperson's Labour Rate
While labour rates will vary depending on what kind of job the tradesperson is doing, there are a few key points to keep in mind.
Did the tradesperson have to collect or order the materials and parts? If so, expect extra hours for collecting materials and parts.
Do they have to dispose of an old item or general waste? Disposals may require skip hire or taking items down to a refuse site in which charges are typically applied for building and renovation materials. This also takes time.
Does the tradesperson charge by the job or hourly? Some contractors prefer set job rates because it enables efficient, competent, and highly skilled tradespeople to charge the same price as their less efficient competitors, but get the job done in a fraction of the time.
Customers Buying Materials
Often customers will say, "I'll get the materials", in an attempt to save on cost. However, there is a downside to this. What if the wrong item is bought, or a piece is missing? Is it fair for the customer to pay the job rate for a second visit because of this? After all, it wasn't the tradesperson's suggestion for the customer to purchase the materials themselves.
If you were dining in a restaurant, would you take a supermarket-bought steak and ask the chef to cook it in the hope the dish's price will be reduced? We didn't think so.
There are exceptions, for example, buying bathroom tiles or particular light fittings. A good tradesperson will advise you on what type and how many to purchase.
Breaking Down Costs Yourself
Is it reasonable to expect a painter & decorator to paint a three-bedroom house, matt paint and glossing for £500? The answer would be a resounding NO. We hope you'll take notes of the points raised in this guide to help manage your project finances.
But do keep in mind a low quote may not necessarily be a bad thing. The tradesperson could be super quick without compromising quality and can get four times as much work finished in one day than another tradesperson. On the other hand, a high quote may suggest quality workmanship.
The only way of truly knowing if a quote is a good quote is by getting at least two of them and spend a bit of time breaking down the cost yourself, taking into account all the points mentioned in this costing guide.
Finally ask, yourself how much does your own employer pay you per day? Irrespective as to what sector you work in. While also considering what you would get for over-time, working Bank Holidays, and unsociable hours? Coupled with the expertise and skill to perform a specific task, it shouldn’t be too difficult to work out what a reasonable figure a tradesperson should be charging.
Due to the many variables at play, we feel it irresponsible and unfair to tradespeople if we were to advertise on our platform what we believed a reasonable rate was. We do hope however, this information helps you select the right tradesperson for your repair or renovation.
Connect with us
