Price check help. Dispute with builder.

[Geyser]

Hi all. I've just completed a new build and builders not happy with the invoice at all. What's new!
I could do with checking my price to make sure I'm not taking the p*ss as hes put it. Its doing my head in.

Its a detached four bed £500,000 house with bathroom and three ensuite shower rooms all done to a high spec. I let the builder supply all materials, so its labour only. I know its hard without seeing but what do you reckon?

Ive installed,
-Oil boiler
-Oil tank
-Ufh downstairs 6 zones
-10 rads and towel rails up
-300 litre unvented
-Bath
-Showers x3
-Basins x5
-Toilets x4
-Utility
-Kitchen
-Cloakroom/shower
-Outside taps x 2
No tiling.

Ive charged £5000 labour. No vat
Exact hours on site x £35

I know! I should have given a price for whole job and I'm going to from now on.

Cheers

 

[mfgs]

I don't think its that expensive, but builders will. They expect everything for nothing. Always best having an agreed price before the job starts though as it stops any arguments when the invoice is sent.

 

[Geyser]

Thanks for that. I was thinking of knocking some off to keep the peace, but i think ill stick my guns on this one. Im definatly going to quote more jobs at start from now on and do my best to put builders off!

 

[mfgs]

That works out to be approx £280 a day? You could perhaps offer to drop to £250? Unfortunately in this type of work the prices are low. I do a fair amount of new builds/conversions mainly to flats and I would never win the contract pricing on £280 per day.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

About right tbh how many lads or just your self ?

 

[Geyser]

Just me. I have a day rate of £240 but there was lots of part days and odd hrs on this job.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Just me. I have a day rate of £240 but there was lots of part days and odd hrs on this job.

£35 an hour is a tad much for site work tbh, but you don't want to sell your self too short

its a catch 22 tbh

 

[GQuigley67]

Whenever I work for a builder its £25 p/h

 

[Geyser]

Think I may have sorted this one out. I've spoken to the builder and to be fare he was good about it. Hes asked me if I can check my diary and make sure invoice is correct, if it is hes happy to pay because im so good and he apreciates my work!!:smug: lol.
(he wants more work doing soon which is the real reason I think)

It is correct and I was going to stick to it, but now because he handled it well im going to lower it a bit. Not much mind!

Thanks for all your help

 

[Best]

I have been thinking you are asking £1400 per a 40 hour week if you ask £35 per hour.
I guess you also have also some lost travel time, plus all the planning the job required?
Allowing that you obviously won't earn on your yearly holidays, plus the odd sick day, that makes it approx £60k per year.
Frankly personally I think it is a lot of money, but not mega bucks if you consider all your running costs. Stating the obvious, your business costs are not your wages. Your van probably costs £5 per hour for fuel, servicing, repairs, tax, insurance and depreciation over the period in the year that you actually work. Then there's your own qualifications, insurance, tools, etc. Very quickly you will be down to £20/hr left for yourself to live on, - £35k per year.
I guess the builder took the discount on all the materials

 

[jonnyswamp]

That's probably a bit more than I would charge for a private new build, but if you can justify it to the builder (standard of work, punctuality etc) then why not
If you start knocking your prices down on this job, it'll be expected on every other you do for him
If he knows your on the expensive side (but happy with your work) then he will up his own price to suit on the next job he quotes for
I'd say everyone is happy all round, result

 

[Chalked]

Stick to your price and tell him to let you price the plumbing work next time. He will have put a really low estimate in for your work to get the job. That is not your problem, it's his for not asking you to quote when he was pricing.
Tbh, if he is a prompt payer, say you will reduce your invoice to help out on this job.

 

[lame plumber]

just show him Rays vprice survey, then increase your charges. you can bet he is making good money, why cant you!

 

[oz-plumber]

Are you saying you did all that work and provided a builder with the final invoice?

If so, wouldn't recommend it in the future.

If you doing works on an hourly rate, then I would be sending an invoice in once a week - even if I had only been on the job 1 day that week.

At least that way, you are not going to miss out on much if payment doesn't come through, and it also gives you some leverage when you are wanted on site again.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I love how builders want cheap rates of all subbed trades but when they counter charge the rates they use are way over priced .

Charge them top whack stuff um

 

[AWheating]

140-180 a day for new builds for private builders around by me. For bigger building companies its more like 900-1300 per house labour.

 

[Howsie]

Perfectly reasonable price in my eyes.