If your mate is earning that sort of money, and not even working a full day, doing new work, I would be asking his boss for a job, + his private work, He is coining it in, Hope he is telling the tax man,
He declares some of his income-I know it seems hard to believe, but it is not a tall story (what would be the point, I'm trying to be helpful) he started training in his thirties, did a couple of years helping his uncle while he did one of these correspondence type courses. . Where he got lucky was, signing for one of these big nationals, like Dolphin (but it wasn't them, I forgot the name, they get work and charge 40% commission when they pass it on), then getting fired from them for breaching confidentiality (he tried to sue them, but they had small print that said even if he won, it would be counted as earnings and they would take a huge percentage back!), then about that time meeting this self-employed man who was banging in bathrooms and en-suites in new-build flats along the south coast. They do one or one and a half, or two bathrooms per day, which are ready tiled for them,(sometimes they have to chase in and re-tile as the rooms aren't always square, which adds a couple of hours),as someone pointed out it is all press-fit plastic and silicone and top-quality taps, fittings, etc,so it is very fast and reliable, total turnover is 250k, my mate gets 48-54k gross per year, the boss is building a pot so he can retire in a couple of years, age 50.I have been thinking of doing something similar myself, but it won't work out like that for me, it depended on the luck of meeting someone who already had a lucrative opening sewn up, and the luck of that person getting in as main subcontractor.The boss does declare all his earnings . I know other very skilled tradesmen who struggle, especially down here in Devon. Part of it is his cheeky charm and his willingness to take on more difficult work than he can manage, the end result being he is thought of as a great bloke and great value. He has done 2 half-day jobs for me, and afterwards, when I exclude the smoke and tea breaks and the journeys to the local DIY, he has spent just over an hour on each job-for example, when fitting my new bath, he spent 30 mins screwing on the legs, taps, waste and overflow with liberal silicone (mine), 40 mins positioning the bath with my help, then, while I went out to the cash point, he connected the taps with speed-fits, new trap to the bath and connected waste. I was pleased to give him £90, because the job was done, bath in, same day (actually, same morning) as I asked him to help. So that is how he makes his living. Of course, the key fact, is that he did it straight away-that is how he and his boss secure jobs. None of this "I'll fit you in next week". If, as a plumber, you can do the job TODAY, you'll earn top dollar and be worth it.I could have done it myself, but it would probably have taken all day, the fact that he said he would come round and sort it straight away made him worth every penny.
