install

[SafeGasInstall]

friend of some one i met on a job few weeks back ask for price to take kingfisher out from kitchen ground floor and fir combination boiler 1st floor bathroom !
I gave him good price ,£1,000.00 labour and £350.00 for power flush plus the cost of the mater £400.00 plus boiler and ... Worcester Bosch 27CDI as having bath and shower all together 3,6k as two new rads,trv all round and job to be done on stages as part of full refurbish in the house !!
Today he text he is using someone else as I was to expansive ........
I can not believe some one can do it for less then £1,000.00 . As it would have taking me and my apprentice 5-6 days !

 

[tamz]

Maybe you should tghink about droppping the powerflush Stan. Most others won't offer it.
Offer it as an optional extra when you think it is really necessary and stick some X800 in a week before you start.

 

[oldplumber]

hes taken your materials list and offered it around, now hes getting a ferolli and no flush! more and more poor quality workers out there. I turned down a bathroom fit recently, and adviced the custard to find a new builder as the extn was so bad. Went back last week, she had a new plumber/builder and none of the problems solved, but paid out to 2 cowboys now and bathroom still not finished. theyll continue to get conned as long as the jobs cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[SafeGasInstall]

thanks tom, it was a kingfisher ......so i thought it has to have it ! on combis i don't even offer it ! last week one customer pi$$3d me off had to condemn boiler ,after customer ask to install new one did not like customer attitude so gave him s1lly price 1k labour he gave me green light to go ahead took me 6h to change boiler ! and he asked me to do safety check next week on his boiler ,as this one was rented house to his son !!!!
can not work some customers out ,there is two types for me
the one you want to work and do a good job b but i don't get the job ,
and the other you don't want to work but they insist on it and pay you s333ly £ .

 

[tamz]

Some people never learn. As my mother used to say, hell mend them

 

[SafeGasInstall]

oldplumber you might be right , customer did mention something about some builder doing his plumbing but he was not gas ,so he was going to do the new bathroom and shower .......should have click there and then ,customer was just fishing to fined prices and then give the job to not competent builder/plumber !
just typical case !!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

some one just moved to my street in the summer .last week i spoke to the man! when they moved he had a sprinter long base,before x mas come he got a vw trans just like mine and put a tube carrier on top ,when i spoke to him i asked what type of work do you do ....
he goes everything i am a builder but do mainly plumbing and boiler change !!!!so your gas man like me i said,he said yes !
went home strait on gas safe web ,put my post code down to see if any one register on my street .....answer is ............NO,,is just me !

 

[tamz]

You need to learn to quote to their requirements. Offer things as an optional extra and explain why you think it should be done or fitted, but leave the choice to them.
If they just go with a straight swap so be it. When you fill out the paperwork just write customer advised but declined.

Sometimes the best jobs are indeed the ones you don't want.
Had a new build job about 3 years back where i was contacted through the joiners. It was quite a complicated job as he was an architect with some stupid ideas, but nothing too hard and as I was really busy at the time and i quoted it more than double the usual.
I got the job and couldn't refuse it. Happy days
Still get work and recommendations from him.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

You need to learn to quote to their requirements. Offer things as an optional extra and explain why you think it should be done or fitted, but leave the choice to them.
If they just go with a straight swap so be it. When you fill out the paperwork just write customer advised but declined.

thanks mate ! I am still learning and don't have long experience working for my self ,as I only began in December last year !
but I will take your advice and put my mined to it !!!
Thank you again ,for the valuable advice .

 

[stevetheplumber]

most mi's only state that system should be cleaned level of cleaning depends on state of system so dont include powerflush in estimate but offer it as an extra depending on what you find when you drain down
were here to make money and i will do what ever the customer wants to pay for provided it doesnt conflict with safety and i put it in writing

 

[SafeGasInstall]

thanks Steve, I am getting the picture in my head . Thank you very much for the useful advice !
From now on I will take it in to consideration ! Will give price for boiler change and gas upgrade (if need it)...
Central heating filter as optional
Limemaster as optional
Trv fitted optional
Power flush optional
Controls upgrade optional
the only thing is not optional payment on complettion of work :0
And when you said put it in writhing Steve do you mean on the certificate it self ?

 

[stevetheplumber]

if they dont want trvs i just fill out the benchmark as not complying and right across it customer declined best advice

 

[SafeGasInstall]

helpful advice !!! Will let you know how I got on with my next customer !

 

[metaldust9]

av just ad one were i couldnt go in any lower otherwise would be working for less than someone in the local chippy and they went with someone else unless they wernt gas safe they couldnt have done it any cheaper

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Give us the scenario , obviously if you don't mined !

 

[GQuigley67]

if they dont want trvs i just fill out the benchmark as not complying and right across it customer declined best advice

what is the reason for changin trv's when doing a boiler swap anyhow ?

 

[tamz]

what is the reason for changin trv's when doing a boiler swap anyhow ?

To comply with building regs part L or Building standards (Scotland). The same thing that states you must fit a band A boiler (with certain exceptions).
here
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/domestic_building_compliance_guide_2010.pdf
and here
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_PTL_NONDOMHEAT.pdf

but as far as controls upgrades go

"It would be considered good practice for the installer to quote for the work requested from the customer and then split the quote to cover the aspects of the installation they recommend needing to be undertaken to fully comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations."

 

[GQuigley67]

but what is wrong with the old trvs are they classed as out dated and not recommended for new band A boilers ? I mean it seems as if some customers might think your tryin to take the P***

 

[tamz]

You don't need to change or upgrade old trv's. They are fine.