Gas is where the work is these days - true or false?

[RTR]

I've heard people say quite a bit recently that a lot of the work for plumbers, gas engineers etc is in gas...i.e. that is where the greatest demand is...can anyone tell me why this is the case? where is the evidence that backs this up? does it depend on the company, or is it the case across the industry that people need plumbers or gas engineers for gas work?
isn't there as much demand in other areas of a plumbers' or gas engineers' work?

Cheers

 

[bright spark]

There's enough work to keep ye going in either.
I know a few lads that just do toilets, showers, drains, taps etc and they're kept going.
Other lads stick t d boilers. Whatever suits.
80% of my work would be purely boiler service, fix or installs. D rest plumbing. Do mainly commercial.

 

[snowhead]

The most likely source of these "Rumours" about lots of gas work is the Training companies.

 

[Scott_D]

People see bathrooms as a builders job
Small plumbing as a DIY/handy man job

 

[SimonG]

Don't touch gas. Booked up into a September.

 

[Scott_D]

Don't touch gas. Booked up into a September.

What is the bulk of your work?

 

[Dilalio]

It's all about your professionalism. As a sole trader, I have customers who come to me for everything... if I don't do it, they trust me to put them in touch with someone who does.

 

[cr0ft]

More work in gas. Simple reason - every boiler swap you do (if it works) should mean 10 years of servicing for you too!

 

[Welder]

Well my experience is exactly the opposite so it simply demonstrates that you should take anything 'ont tinterweb' with a huge pinch of salt...

As already advised, what is most important is your attitude and your integrity. When people learn they can trust you, you will be their first port of call regardless of the job on offer.

For what it's worth, it is my opinion, based on more years than I care to admit, that you can earn a fantastic living by doing smaller jobs - the jobs others deem 'too small' or simply can't be bothered with. Answering the phone, returning calls, turning up when you say you will or at least letting people along with doing a good job will deliver you a fantastic and rewarding business. In my 1st year I turned over over £90k by doing thousands of silly little jobs like tap washers...

Success is not defined by whether you 'do' gas or not - despite what some gas installers feel ...

 

[cr0ft]

Should rephrase that. There's more money per hour in gas or there should be if you are charging it out properly. Hour by hour, a good gas engineer should be able to earn more than someone who just does plumbing. That's been my experience in the local Lincoln market anyway. I think I posted this on another thread. You can charge £80 for a half hour boiler service here in Lincoln. Try charging that to swap a tap and you will be laughed off the phone/out the door.

Of course, the gas engineer will have more costs per hour too!

Neither marks success in my eyes, it ultimately comes down to how you want to run your business and what you want to do.

Let's be honest about it, if we wanted to maximise our earning across our life we wouldn't have become plumbers or gas engineers, most of us are unlikely to become millionaires doing what we do!

 

[Gasinspect]

Plumbers seem to earn the same as gas, but without the costs of training every five years, purchasing analysers and calibrating every year, and fears of having book thrown at them for some infringement which may or may not be their fault. So when young lads ask me, I suggest stick to becoming a good plumber.

 

[billski]

I'd like to be purely doing gas work after becoming gas safe nearly 3 years ago, but boiler work does seem to be quite seasonal and the work dies off in the summer. So I do mainly bathroom installations in the summer months, with the odd boiler install, service or breakdown, and boiler repairs/ servicing when it gets cold. I'm sure eventually as my gas client base builds up I'll be doing gas related stuff only, but at the mo it's a mixture of both.

 

[AWheating]

its not a matter of which is better, you should do both. A good plumber is worth the same money as a good gas engineer and both jobs should be equally paid.

 

[king of pipes]

We take what we can get around here bud me personally i could not get by on gas work alone and i dont think i would want to its good to have a variety did 3 bathroom upgrades tiling and fitting one after the other it got a bit boring so now spread em out through the year what you charge is your business but dont underestimate your worth me i think a top class plumber is worth a good rate. Regards kop.

 

[Old Account]

To Be honest, work is everywhere! If you want to work you will find it it you don't find it, you will find excuses. It's as simple as that.
You can be very successful without being gas safe registered. It's a matter of doing your jobs good so they will recommend you / word of mouth. I also ensure you that you can earn as much as other gas safe engineers and you don't need to hold the license. In my opinion it's good to hold The license it looks always better if you are qualified in a lot of things. But, if you hold the license and you don't work with gas that much it doesn't benefit you as you'll need experience. Experience and knowledge is paying your bread the end of the day but also your own attitude

 

[SimonG]

What is the bulk of your work?

Bathrooms, oil and other wet work.

Got 5 bathrooms to do between now and september, with a link in to do next week. Plus my normal servicing and oil breakdowns. Then two weeks away and back to a barn conversion with oil tank, boiler, unvented, underfloor and three bathrooms. With 4 days golfing in fuengirola in October.

 

[cr0ft]

Sounds like you are busy as heck Simon, which is grand. But question is, why waste a good holiday in Fuengirola golfing? j/k

 

[SimonG]

Sounds like you are busy as heck Simon, which is grand. But question is, why waste a good holiday in Fuengirola golfing? j/k

The golf is the excuse to go. Don't play a lot of golf. Might be an odd beer here or there.

 

[wiggers]

I work for a housing assoc and the salaries are the same for both trades,
I do plumbing and tiling to claim multi skill rate and earn more.
However I do believe gas lads deserve a better rate than me because of the regs and responsibilities. But they are very quiet at present while we are still non stop they wouldn't dream of crossing over to change a part 2 in a fortic cylinder!