Gas engineer day rate

[FAB249]

When pricing a heating job what day rate do you allow for a heating gas safe engineer? thanks

 

[fixter1]

i charge 220 a day labour

 

[Rodreguez]

200-250 a day depending on certain factors

 

[obseen16]

average round my way is £200 a day.

 

[Barry98]

mars bar bet fab249 thinks there paying too much for some work done.

any takers ?

 

[Bartdude]

mars bar bet fab249 thinks there paying too much for some work done.

any takers ?

I agree bod,I'd say £500 a day is fair

 

[Barry98]

£500 cheap at half the price that bartdude

 

[desrob]

£500 cheap at half the price that bartdude

your on it, bod...

 

[tamz]

When pricing a heating job what day rate do you allow for a heating gas safe engineer? thanks

Heating jobs are generally not priced on day rates. Some can fit them much faster than others.
Say for arguments sake, you and your neighbour were getting the same work done in the same type house by 2 different contractors and both were paying similar amounts.
You get 2 guys in who take a full week to do the work as they have to think it through because they maybe do 10 a year.
Next doors guys finish in a day because they have done 1000's and can do them without thinking.
Both jobs are done to a similar standard.
Who got the best value for money or least inconvenience and should the guys who did it in a day charge 1/5th of the labour cost?

 

[aceservicing]

Like they say you get what you pay 4 in life

 

[gaspastemania]

It also depends on what area you live in the country and to a degree how desperate you are for work . Where i live i cover devon /cornwall and it averages about £800 for a standard pack . Can do this in a day easily but when i do private ones i slow them up so customer does not feel ripped off .

 

[plumbandplumber]

What's a standard pack?

 

[gaspastemania]

5 to 6 rads ,no vertical flue ,everything pretty straight forward.

 

[REDSAW]

wot, on yer own. re-pipe etc?.

 

[tamz]

I used to could do 6 or 7 rad combi system (2 of us) and be back in the house for 2. All done in copper. 5 systems a week. You get used to it. I pace myself and do them in 2 days now

 

[Dannypipe]

Blimey is all I can say.

 

[tamz]

There are a lot of guys who can do that. You just learn how to read the job walking in the door. Last words you speak to your mate is probably boiler or rads? as you get out of the van. There are quick ways to do everything and you learn over the years.

 

[Blackcatgas]

I used to could do 6 or 7 rad combi system (2 of us) and be back in the house for 2. All done in copper. 5 systems a week. You get used to it. I pace myself and do them in 2 days now

flipping heck

 

[gaspastemania]

Totally agree with tamz ,use to do them everyday rip them out then full install feet up jobs a good un by mid afternoon .Took an apprentice on then when he got into routine would do two a day ,longer days but worth it big £££££££££'s . As soon as you see what type house it is you know what dy it would be . I think heating packs is one of the easiest jobs in plumbing to be honest .

 

[Dannypipe]

Is the quality there with a full install and boiler change in under a day?

Personally, I hate rushing. I like to do things at my own pace and ensure everything is 100% perfect. I'm very particular and won't stand for cut corners.

Genuinely interested. Should probably add, most of the installs we do are on large renovation projects. Big homes, more complicated setups and you're often talking 5 weeks from start to finish. So different end of the scale (probably not as much money in it ironically).

 

[Puddle]

In old days of cylinders,when used to be lots of installs,used to be 3 to do in a day,one on boiler,one on cylinder and one on rads,all pulling together to move furniture and carpet

I have done combi plus rads in a day with two of us,I do boiler ,while mate lifts carpets and boards,notches and hangs rads and I follow behind,with pipework and valves,then at end both putting back stuff,both have to know what they have to do,can not imagine doing it with some of the young ones today,no disrespect,never finished by 2pm though and would not like to do two in a day,have to do it the day the clocks go back !!,have done 4 boiler changes in a day once,one was straight pipework swop,two Volkera's and two Saunia Duvials,that was a 7.30 to midnight day,non stop,little stiff the next day,so was my wallet,could not bend it !!!

 

[Dannypipe]

little stiff the next day,so was my wallet,could not bend it !!!

Love it!

I'm going to nick that one...just thought you should know!

 

[Resolute]

Love it!

I'm going to nick that one...just thought you should know!

The wallet or the line?

 

[tamz]

The quality has to be there as the work was inspected by a clerk of works. Anything not up to standard (even missing pipe clips, flux marks or a squeaky floorboard) and you had to fix it in your own time for free or if someone else was sent to fix it then it was deducted from your money.

First heating install on my own was when i was 2nd year apprentice as we were really busy so i got the chance on my own. Orlit steel framed and concrete house. Back boiler (fireplace to cut out) 8 drop feed rads and sidewinder coil. Finished easily in 4 days on my own. By the next year 1 was on a system and a boiler change (bbu) in 4 days (still had collage). Before my time was out i could do 2 in a week + a bbu on collage holidays. Your best friends become a rip snorter and a kango.
When i first teamed up with another guy i found it didn't work out to plan. You think as you can do it yourself in 2 days then 2 men should be able to do it in a day. It don't quite work like that and you need to speed up more until you find the right neighbour as you can't carry passengers. I've had guys with me who i binned after 10 minutes.
As puddle said you both have to know exactly what to do without stopping to ask.

The old houses in Edinburgh (and this is now where i am most) are a pain but can still be done in a day with 2 of you easy enough if you go for it. The 1" or 7/8" floorboards take longer to lift and up here all the old houses have deafening between the boards (filled with ashes) and they can be a pain to get pipes through as the gap is sometimes less than an inch. The walls are also 27" thick solid stone, usually whin or craigleith stone so even the best core cutter takes a good half hour + constant drilling to get through.
You learn how to do things quickly without necessarily cutting corners. I must have done maybe 5000+ heating jobs so i know just about every quick (and a lot of bad) ways there is to do things and have made just about every mistake that can be made. Us older guys were doing it when heating was in its peak times and there was some serious money to be made if you were good and fast. (Next time you are crawling under floorboards just remember the guys 30 years ago who cut all the holes through the dwarf walls)

For example quick way hanging rads.
You don't need a tape. The bottom of the slot hole in the bracket is the right height for the bottom of the bracket from the top of the skirting for stelrads. (If you use different rads cut a wooden rod). Lean the rad against the wall, mark the centres of the brackets, use a bracket to mark the height each side, mark 1 side in the holes and 1 side in the slots. Drill it and screw it up and level the brackets. 3-5 mins max. You also start timing yourself on everything and trying to better it.

Respect to Puddle. 4 swaps in a day. Never did that one. 2 is the most i have did but if i had the chance i would still go for it for the holiday in Barbados