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Are you busy !?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tomskinner
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most of the trades round here i speak to are slow
if your busy the phone always rings with leaks or breakdowns that need doing yesterday
if you are slow the phone just does not ring
 
My biggest expense these days is not the cost of plumbing materials but the price of diesel and only so much of that can you add on to the price.
 
Had a couple of months of doing nothing except doing prices and scratching around taking silly little jobs for something to do. Seemed that I wasn't getting any of the jobs I was pricing for. I was getting ready to move into the box still in my garage from the last boiler I fitted but then, suddenly, I got 3 big jobs and a couple of little ones all come in at once. Seems I'll be ok 'til September. Reckon that story probably familiar to most of you (maybe not right now, but at some point).

I reckon it's worth sticking it out. Things are bad for almost everyone right now and there are some good things about being a plumber. I sometimes feel really good about jobs I've done. I'm my own boss. I don't have to go to the same soul destroying office every day. I'm not a sparkie.

There was a guy earlier in this thread talking about training to work in the NHS. My other half is a midwife and it seems to me that working for the NHS is at least as stressful as plumbing without any of the advantages.

Guess it's good if a load of people leave the trade mind - leaves more work for the rest of us!
 
Jeez this is a depressing thread, I'm just curios as to how you guys generally get your work, is it by advertising in the local paper? Websites? Rated this or that type websites? What do you do to promote your businesses? I personally have never believed that work generated solely by word of mouth will ever earn you enough income to cover the monthly mortgage, even British Gas advertises. Most of my installation work is for electric boilers nowadays, last year I fitted around 30 Thermaflows compared to around 10 gas boilers, I've taken 2 electricians on who do all the wiring. There must be 1000s of Powermax boilers and other boilers with concealed flues up and down the country all waiting to be ripped out or at least have inspection hatches fitted. There must be blocks of apartments with these boilers in the hallway cupboard all waiting to be upgraded by the end of the year. So why not go out and leaflet some of them? Don't get me wrong I'm not tryying to tell people how to suck eggs as you have to do what you see is right for yourselves, but rather than sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring do something positive to make it ring. If I'm quiet I will be doing something business related that is going to generate work....
 
Ivor Bates said:
If I'm quiet I will be doing something business related that is going to generate work....
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😀 If I'm quiet I'm doing something family orientated that generates memories I'll cherish ... 🙂 ...! Depends where your priorities are I guess 😀
 
Depends if you can afford to do that though Diamond.

I can't. I luckilly keep very busy. If it went quiet, I reckon it would take me about 5/6 weeks before the poop really hit the fan. After that I would be selling things and begging the inlaws.

I earn OK money but like lots of people in their 30's. I'm strapped up with a big mortgage, a car on finance, and credit cards for stuff we bought in our 20's that we really didn't need.

I work a lot of hours. Just finished a report for a client and it's gone midnight. Luckilly I enjoy being a plumber. I couldnt stand being in a hosiptal all day. No offense meant, but that would just depress me.

Tomorrow I'm working on my own, but most days I'm with the lads who I get on well with, and have a good crack. I'm home by 5pm (even if I do have to do paper work) and I'm the boss. No one tells me what to do. Which is just as well, as I'd tell them what to do if they did.
 
Totally agree Danny, regards being able to afford to do it or not! I was mid 30's before the penny painfully dropped that 'money' meant jack ... Too late though alas!! Lost a great deal back then but still had money! Once I picked up the pieces my goal has always been wrapped around people not things, if that makes any sense? I make enough to get buy but it's taken me more than a decade to get to where I am, no debt! AND I count myself SO fortunate to be honest! I'd hate to be a slave to debt! No disrespect to anyone who finds themselves there!
 
I'm in Torbay and it's the same. Very quiet no queues in Plumb center more staff than customers. Every day I see more plumbers vans with local numbers I have not seen before. At least we have Toolstation branch now so that saves me money on fittings and sundries.
 
I'm reduced to eBaying at the moment ...

Not complaining though - nice to be at home and doing other things for a change.
 
Advantages of plumbing,after 24 yrs i cant think of any,for me plumbing was bearable when i was earning a decent amount,which i have done in the past,but i think when the money dries up whats the point..
I know a couple of really successful plumbers who love it ,up at 6am work till the sun goes down,loads of properties,free hols off the merchants,range rover,etc,etc.

In the end it all boils down to wether you enjoy plumbing/heating /gas work,i haven't for a long time,now's a good a time as any to get out...I went for a couple of interviews for admin/manager roles,but the thought of working away again put me off....
As for the nhs both my ex and current partner work in the nhs ,love there jobs,hrs, wages paid on time,and the fact you can take those skills anywhere round the world and settle with your family...
And not only that i'm nearing 40 its a challenge to to go to uni and do something else,use my brain for the first time in 20 yrs,work in a different enviroment,meet different people,its exciting...

Anyway good luck to everyone.....
 
Missile, can't you use your experience to do something Plumbing related? One of the guys on here now tests water systems for contamination like Legionares Disease etc. which is a good career.

I'm quite sure that instead of learning in a college, that you could apply yourself and your plumbing skills and TEACH in a college. Good conditions, holidays, pension etc.

I personally can't see myself coming off the tools now. I had a litho printing company and a computer business but I always came back to plumbing. Sitting in an office or factory surrounded by 4 walls drives me nuts.
 
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Pipes Plumbing said:
Pretty quiet for me too, so much so that I've just taken the offer of a part time contract doing some project management for a retailer...
Half decent income for the hours, so if the proper work doesn't pick up at least I can cover my outgoings and not end up homeless or in poverty.
Worked out quite nicely really, flexible contract so I can work it around my main business as and when required.

Was starting to get a bit down about it all, but spoke to a few of my local guys and they're in the same boat - Especially the guys specialised to boiler servicing, one of them was down >75% on last year. He reckons that loads of his regulars have stopped servicing (non essential spend), and will just waiting for breakdowns before calling anyone out - Allways the cheapest they can find too. Not a good place to be...

Last thing I ever want to do is walk away from this business but I have to keep busy or I'll go bonkers without constant work or learning to keep me occupied! - Boredom threshold of a fish with ADHD me, and daytime telly makes me want to punch someone! 🙂

Hope it picks up soon, but guess we've got a tough couple of years ahead!
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yep well said chum, had a bit of luck for the next 4 months ive picked up a total refurb job on a Load of flats, thank the great maker, i even thought about signing on:49:we'll see what happens after the job ends??????
 
I think this thread is showing the reality of the trade at the moment not a case of depressing thread . theres no point moaning about being undercut as you have to lower your prices to try get work .Work harder for less money annoying and not best place to be but thats the reality of it .
Realistic pricing is what its about at the moment you cant expect to get £350 labour for straight swap boiler change these days because someones going to come in at £250 which is still good wage for days work .
Been reading on here that plumbers are moaning about poor rates but if there is less money out there then you cant expect top earnings anymore . Councils are skint,countries skint and europe skint so realism is dropping rates to get those pennies out of purses !
 
Not sure I agree. Moneys still out there. The people that call aren't jobless or skint or else they wouldn't call for a job. Just shrewd customers trying to get a bargain. Most of my customers are retired and well off. I actually dislike quoting for younger couples, specially when the husband thinks he nows what he's talking about. And how much for cash blah blah.
 
things are quiet in mersyside but keep going am doing a fair bit of work replacing pipework and boilers on vacant properties prior to re let thanks to the local thieves taking what they can for the scrap trouble is the haste in removal makes the job a lot more work than a fresh install because they dont even bother shutting down the water and sometimes even the gas also some of the tales the landlords tell yiu of how they cant claim on the insurance because they have made claims be four and the increase in premium is so vast it would not make it viable they would sell up but no one is buying i feel a bad bad for them sometimes but remind myself that they had a field day a few years ago charging extortionate rent to immigrants like the polish who came and flooded the jobs market it wasnt their fault because they herd tales of riches hear and to travel as far as they did for work when some of our lads wouldn't get out of bed to do any type of work
 
Dont think i've ever done a boiler swap for £350 or even £250,although i can remember talking to a lad who was installing a WB 42cdi for £150,why install a premium product for peanuts,its ridiculous...
 
been quiet,ticking over,just started getting busy,how long that lasts,is anyones guess,have seen a change this year ,with pricing jobs,poeple nailing you to floor,how much for cash,can you knock the price of the scrap off the price,and these poeple asking are minted,they seize the moment,and i think the next two years are going to be tough,also had a L/Lord who i,ve done a lot of gsc over the years ,saying he,s had plumbers offering to do gsc for £25 a go!,for him.
The days of the late 1990,s are long gone,when you were turning work away,in the end were all in the same boat,anyway off for apint,watch the game
 
the £**** (just realised this is the open forum!) jobs are still there as i have done some. problem is purely peeps not spending unless they have too. occasionally get the tight gets moaning on the cost but they do that with the price of beans too.imo.
 
occasionally get the tight gets moaning on the cost but they do that with the price of beans too.imo.[/QUOTE]
That's just part of the trade, and it gets very boring.
 
im looking for a reliable plumber for a new build in Sudbury suffolk starting in a few weeks.
 
I always go through a quiet period over Christmas and again during school holidays.
 
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