Hourly Rates

[Paul Cockhill]

Hi

I am just starting out on the self employed route and realise things are generally quiet, however I am planning to do plumbing part time, unsocial hours etc to build up experience and knowledge.

I live in Bath/Bristol area and am trying to get an idea of what I should or can charge on an hourly rate? Does £25-£30 sound reasonable

I would be grateful for some ideas

thanks

Paul

 

[johnmcginty]

No that sounds too cheap mate as you will need to do at least 20 jobs a week at that rate and will not get that much to begin with . I would say £65 first hour £35 for every hour after sounds about right . . Good luck

 

[Winston]

I charge £50 1st hour then £30 thereafter + parts. If drain clearing first hour £80 1st hour then £50 thereafter plus costs of any chemicals used.

 

[rod scarth]

I live in the same sort of area as you & have been in the trade on and off for over 30 years and charge £60 for the first hour then £30 for every hour after which also includes the wages for my apprentice, then again I'm not greedy.

 

[helpsy]

Hi

I am just starting out on the self employed route and realise things are generally quiet, however I am planning to do plumbing part time, unsocial hours etc to build up experience and knowledge.

I live in Bath/Bristol area and am trying to get an idea of what I should or can charge on an hourly rate? Does £25-£30 sound reasonable

I would be grateful for some ideas

thanks

Paul

Hi Paul
As you can probably see from the sidebar I live in Bath. I have been charging £35 per hour. I know a plumber in Trowbridge charges £30 ph and one in Swindon £25ph. So all varying prices.

 

[BluePlumber]

In the Nottingham area, I charge £30ph with a £30 call out.
Which is generally the going rate around here.

 

[helpsy]

I don't charge call out.
What is the general thought on charging call out?

 

[dontknowitall]

I used not charge a call out but find you don't earn a proper day's work for small jobs.

For example, say you have four reasonably simple jobs in a day, e.g. change tap washer, change WC inlet, change siphon and change a central heating pump. The rest of the day is spent travelling from job to job and a shopping trip to buy the pump.

The hourly rate will vary depending on where you live but say it's £180 for your daily rate and £30 an hour or part of for small jobs. The four jobs earn you £120 for a fairly full day's work. And you've then got paperwork for four jobs when you get home.

If you charge £50 call out for the first hour and possibly an extra 15 minutes, you'll be earning £200 for the day (again a fairly full day's work) which is much nearer your daily rate.

This is why I now charge a call out (which sometimes varies as well). For example a friendly neighbour will usually be just the hourly rate as travel is minimal, a good regularly customer might be no call out because of profits made previously or a small job nearly an hour away could be 1½ times my normal call out because of the extra travel.

 

[helpsy]

What are the average call out rates?

 

[arhplumbheat]

I live in Hertfordshire an I charge £40 call out including first hour and £30 per hour after that. I work in 15 min intervals so a job that takes me 1.5 hours I charge £55. I know of plumber who are charging £90 call out Not inculding 1st hours work!!

 

[wnjswozo]

we have a min charge of 45,when poeple ring,might take 5 mins to do job,but overheads/travel time etc .we charge 45 per hour

 

[P4ULT]

im in bristol we never used to charge a call out but found we had to to get rid of the timewasters.

our hourly charge is £55 1st hour £40 after thats for 2 of us weve only been trading 7 months now but we need to build a customer base. people still seem to turn there nose up at that .

 

[justlead1]

Hi Paul
One bit of advise, i would like to share is paper work, someone mentioned. From your unsocial hours stated. Emergency work / immediate responce needed. If this is the case make out the invoice on the job and demand payment immediately. People in trouble pay because there stress level has been reduced, not for the value for money deal you offer. Leave it for a couple of days and you will spend hours chasing monies. When the punter talks about the charges to work colleagues and drinking partners they will all say "If that was me i would ffff" Don't get involved take the money on completion. One other point, as i am sure others will recognise. What ever your hourly rate, multiply by 40 hour in a week is hard to achieve unless you do 60 hours. Good Luck

 

[REDSAW]

In the Nottingham area, I charge £30ph with a £30 call out.
Which is generally the going rate around here.

what part of nottingham are you in blue,?

 

[Paul Cockhill]

Hi

Just like to thank everyone for their valuable advice. I think I will have to be flexible and sometimes charge hourly rates and sometimes a rate for a particular job. I know as I am starting from scratch I will have to build up a fair amount of experience before I get a better idea of charge levels.

many thanks

Paul

 

[helpsy]

Hi Paul
I tend to look at the job and being new into the trade know I'm not going to break any speed records!!!! I think how long would someone who's been doing the job years take to do it, for example say 2 hours and maybe £16 for parts.I would then give an estimate of £86(2 x £35 + £16).It takes the pressure off and is quite relaxed as the person has a roundabout price and you're not having to rush and tear around leading to potential mistakes. I know that as my experience/speed increases I should be making more money.

 

[stevetheplumber]

Hi Paul
One bit of advise, i would like to share is paper work, someone mentioned. From your unsocial hours stated. Emergency work / immediate responce needed. If this is the case make out the invoice on the job and demand payment immediately. People in trouble pay because there stress level has been reduced, not for the value for money deal you offer. Leave it for a couple of days and you will spend hours chasing monies. When the punter talks about the charges to work colleagues and drinking partners they will all say "If that was me i would ffff" Don't get involved take the money on completion. One other point, as i am sure others will recognise. What ever your hourly rate, multiply by 40 hour in a week is hard to achieve unless you do 60 hours. Good Luck

all this is so true if your jobbing youll be lucky to get 30 hours paid a week but with paperwork training sitting willing the phone to ring youll probably work 60if your doing larger work like bathrooms and heating system it gets better for this reason you can work a diffent rate for full days if 150 a day is your aim you need to charge small stuff to add up to 200 a day
my dream day is four easy jobs .tap change ,ball valve or leaking wastes done by 1 200 in the pocket but cant remember last time it happenrd

 

[BluePlumber]

Hey Red, I'm in the Mansfield area of Notts,