How much to charge for changing 3 port valve?

[GasmanxxxR1]

Assuming straight forward swop, bunging system if poss

Cheers

 

[buckley plumb]

an hrs labour plus travel

 

[julesverne]

went to one yesterday and installer had put gate valves on each side. 20 mins and 50 quid richer. always use honeywell they do last although more expensive.

 

[Resolute]

an hrs labour plus travel

And parts!

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

About £100 parts and labour seem fair?

 

[Resolute]

About £100 parts and labour seem fair?

What valve you replacing?

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

havnt seen it yet, i installed his boiler about two years ago, think its a drayton 5 wire mid position valve, he rang me to say rads get hot when hw is on only

 

[Resolute]

Might just be the motor. The newer draytons have snap on actuators so you may get lucky and have a quick job!

New 22mm Drayton 3 port is about £80, plus £15 for inhibitor if you have to drain so prob more like £150.

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

Thanks guys

Feel free to continue to tribute to this thread

 

[secret squirrel]

Might just be the motor. The newer draytons have snap on actuators so you may get lucky and have a quick job!

New 22mm Drayton 3 port is about £80, plus £15 for inhibitor if you have to drain so prob more like £150.

Thats closer to what I'd charge, may have problems re-filling system etc.

 

[REDSAW]

on a bunged system £120 for a seimans

 

[secret squirrel]

About £100 parts and labour seem fair?

No, too cheap, diesel, insurance etc just covering your costs. Even if you installed the boiler, not your fault the valve has gone. Unless you've just installed it or just a couple of months and its more of a goodwill gesture, you feel the customer is blaming you for it.....

 

[tamz]

About £100 parts and labour seem fair?

Aye for the next door neighbour if you like him and he feeds you beer:smiley2:

 

[julesverne]

so although the one i changed other day took me 20 mins (see my first post). do you think i should have charged more than £50.00 plus parts ( it was 5 mins travel) it was the first i have changed since being GSR'd

 

[Resolute]

so although the one i changed other day took me 20 mins (see my first post). do you think i should have charged more than £50.00 plus parts ( it was 5 mins travel) it was the first i have changed since being GSR'd

Bit difficult as I think you got lucky with that one - most 3 ports don't have gate valves on them so it's a case of bunging the tank or full drain down.

Also, if it's not like for like then the wiring could take longer.

 

[secret squirrel]

so although the one i changed other day took me 20 mins (see my first post). do you think i should have charged more than £50.00 plus parts ( it was 5 mins travel) it was the first i have changed since being GSR'd

Yes and No!

I would have charged a bit more.

My reasons are purely, I wasn't to know that it would only take 20 minutes.

I think, drain down, bung doesn't work, possibly no drain cock, rad off, then drain down, trouble re-filling system etc. £50 is then very very cheap.

So, I'd have quoted more lets say for argument £120 labour and I've got an estimate in my mind of half a day because it always goes wrong!

I start at 8 and presuming I finish at 12 then my next job is at 12.30. I start the job and Woo Hoo! it all goes well. Done by 8.30am, I'm then twiddling my thumbs until 12.30 and lost £70!

So, I wouldn't charge £120 but would have gone £80, lost £40 customer would have been happy because they've saved money as well, then try and bring next job forward. Have an early finish, everyones a winner.

Flip side is if for whatever reason the job goes beyond half a day, very difficult to charge more so that way you'd loose big time.

 

[woodsy]

I under these circumstances wouldn't price as you appear to be doing which is on everything going click, click,click as in my opinion you will not make money on that price only a wage and will in fact lose money more often than not. Customers want it all ways, if they want a price then you should price on worst case senario, if not then an estimate / or an hourly rate and then you are covered either way. A price is a price and i hold it wether it costs me money or it goes easy and i make an extra few quid. As said earlier i don,t understand why you would load your prices all in the favor of the customer

 

[dontknowitall]

My method is to explain what I think is wrong (motor) and say that 9 times out of 10 it is only the motor, which takes about an hour (estimate £xx). If not the motor, then the actuator 4 times out of 5 (estimate of £***). If not the actuator then it's draining the whole system, etc, etc, etc and estimate £***.

That way, the customer knows it could be anything from an hour to perhaps a day and the approximate costs involved. I use the same process for close coupled WCs where sometimes it's only half an hour to change the inlet valve (or less) but other times it can turn out to take much longer.

Keeps me covered for if/when something does go wrong and helps customer understand why the bill might be quite expensive for what is a small part.

 

[WHPES]

Did one yesterday 28mm (it was just the head that needed changing so no drain down needed). £68 parts plus 1 hour came to about £100

 

[SafeGasInstall]

i would go £120-£150 depending on the system how clean it is .....do not forget could lead to much more then just a valve replacement

 

[cdodds2004]

was going to say i fit honeywell and i charge 180 all in, 72 = vat for a honeywell plus some f1 in afterwards, some times i charge a touch less if its a quick job sometimes more like 200 if its a pig!

but i guess some people charge like £100 all in for a parts center special at £35 plus vat and no inhibitor,

you get what you pay for and good customers will pay, landlords wont lol

 

[cr0ft]

Last one I did was done in my minimum hours callout as it was just a case of replacing the motor head. For a complete replacement I would charge 2 hours of labour plus the part. Around £180-200 including VAT would cover the valve, inhibitor and my labour.

 

[BLOD]

I usually charge about £185 to supply & fit a honeywell 3 port.
If unable to bung the system it's an extra £15 for inhibitor but they can choose not to have any if they want.