S
secret squirrel
This post should be read in conjunction with my previous thread “so you want to be a plumber” I’ve now been in this industry for about 7 months and thought I’d update this post with a couple of months more experience. Again not advocating “fast track courses” over apprenticeships. This is purely what I have experienced and learnt to date.
Also, customers may also learn a few things about what plumbers deal with on a day to day basis.
Cash flow: is a constant headache, I’ve done the job on time, turned up as promised, customer is left with a good job, I’ve left the bill. WHY do customers make you wait for the cheque (if your working in the house alone). You wait 7 days then another 4 waiting for the cheque to clear. Especially if you can’t get round to collect it. So, anyone who’s starting out watch that cashflow. If the customer is dubious (you get a feeling) and the job is a CWST, I have got the money for that (the tank) up front in the past.
Tools: was an issue on my previous post, I now have a lot of what I need, (Mmmm fein multimaster Sexy) I will only buy a tool now if I need it, I never had drain rods until the other day but they were paid for in 1 job. Now they don’t owe me anything.
Jobs: Well, they’re rarely what they seem, there is always a hidden nightmare but before they took me a little unawares, now, I expect them. Every job I go on is a learning curve, sounds ridiculous but (for potential plumbers and customers) If I look at a toilet, I now think (syphon), can I undo the bolts or are they rusted, is the tap connector cross threaded, is the isolation valve going to work, is there an iso valve? is my working environment clean? I know the hot water gate valve isn’t going to work(obviously not toilets), if it does then its not going to turn the water off 100%.
Problems: They’re endless really, when things go wrong they can go wrong and fast, I check, check then check again and even then......
Work: well, its still sporadic, I worked for 9 days in a row then this week I’ve done 2 days! getting to a good earning wage is difficult.
Learning: So far, I’ve been on 3 courses which have been really enjoyable, anything that improves your knowledge is good. For me, the honeywell course was a refresher for previously learnt bits but well worth it. I follow a lot of threads on this forum, even if I think I know the answer its worth following, just for ideas and different approaches. I look forward to the “Hmmmm” from Bernie or the “Put a sock in it” (when he has nearly had a puddle) from Puddle or “Bl@£$^ fast trackers” from David but then wait for the gem of info that he gives.
Now then, customers. You only have to follow what happens on this forum (all of the plumbers on this site, I would suggest are not cowboys) to plumbers. You are never given all the information when you start or price a job. Your always expected to rip customers off, your called in and have to put right a dodgy diy job, which invariably will cost more than doing it from scratch. Easier to give an example (for customers really), today, I had to give a price on ripping out a bath, an en-suite shower cubicle. These were installed this year by the husband and oldest son, (no exaggeration) there was gap on both items of about 1cm filled with mastic, its awful. The suggestion was replace both the shower and bath, you’d never get them out without damage and they’d never clean up, awful awful install. After giving the price the customer said “does that include the electric shower?, the toilet, oh and the basin doesn’t touch the pedestal” I was told by the customer they were quoted about £500 for the whole job. My advice was “go with the cheap job then”
Giving estimates: I’ve learnt everything has a price, right down to the bag of olives, the industrial wipes (I use of mastik), the 10p fitting, let alone all the big costs. I still find myself justifying my cost to some customers but that is happening less and less. Again, for customers reading this and new plumbers, TOILET inlet valve, torbeck fitting, iso valve, flexi hose (if you use them), sand paper to clean paint off pipe etc. 30 min to customer, diesel, road tax, income tax, national ins, wear and tear on veh, liability ins, approx 2 hours in customers house
My confidence has grown and I stand by the advice I’d given previously to new plumbers, keep going at the small jobs the learning curve is huge, better to learn that on smaller jobs than taking on something you’ll regret. However, at the same time you need to push those boundaries......
I enjoy plumbing and when it goes well your at home by 4pm having earnt a days money, if it doesn’t, well!
Again, I hope this has given people a little insight into the plumbing..........
Also, customers may also learn a few things about what plumbers deal with on a day to day basis.
Cash flow: is a constant headache, I’ve done the job on time, turned up as promised, customer is left with a good job, I’ve left the bill. WHY do customers make you wait for the cheque (if your working in the house alone). You wait 7 days then another 4 waiting for the cheque to clear. Especially if you can’t get round to collect it. So, anyone who’s starting out watch that cashflow. If the customer is dubious (you get a feeling) and the job is a CWST, I have got the money for that (the tank) up front in the past.
Tools: was an issue on my previous post, I now have a lot of what I need, (Mmmm fein multimaster Sexy) I will only buy a tool now if I need it, I never had drain rods until the other day but they were paid for in 1 job. Now they don’t owe me anything.
Jobs: Well, they’re rarely what they seem, there is always a hidden nightmare but before they took me a little unawares, now, I expect them. Every job I go on is a learning curve, sounds ridiculous but (for potential plumbers and customers) If I look at a toilet, I now think (syphon), can I undo the bolts or are they rusted, is the tap connector cross threaded, is the isolation valve going to work, is there an iso valve? is my working environment clean? I know the hot water gate valve isn’t going to work(obviously not toilets), if it does then its not going to turn the water off 100%.
Problems: They’re endless really, when things go wrong they can go wrong and fast, I check, check then check again and even then......
Work: well, its still sporadic, I worked for 9 days in a row then this week I’ve done 2 days! getting to a good earning wage is difficult.
Learning: So far, I’ve been on 3 courses which have been really enjoyable, anything that improves your knowledge is good. For me, the honeywell course was a refresher for previously learnt bits but well worth it. I follow a lot of threads on this forum, even if I think I know the answer its worth following, just for ideas and different approaches. I look forward to the “Hmmmm” from Bernie or the “Put a sock in it” (when he has nearly had a puddle) from Puddle or “Bl@£$^ fast trackers” from David but then wait for the gem of info that he gives.
Now then, customers. You only have to follow what happens on this forum (all of the plumbers on this site, I would suggest are not cowboys) to plumbers. You are never given all the information when you start or price a job. Your always expected to rip customers off, your called in and have to put right a dodgy diy job, which invariably will cost more than doing it from scratch. Easier to give an example (for customers really), today, I had to give a price on ripping out a bath, an en-suite shower cubicle. These were installed this year by the husband and oldest son, (no exaggeration) there was gap on both items of about 1cm filled with mastic, its awful. The suggestion was replace both the shower and bath, you’d never get them out without damage and they’d never clean up, awful awful install. After giving the price the customer said “does that include the electric shower?, the toilet, oh and the basin doesn’t touch the pedestal” I was told by the customer they were quoted about £500 for the whole job. My advice was “go with the cheap job then”
Giving estimates: I’ve learnt everything has a price, right down to the bag of olives, the industrial wipes (I use of mastik), the 10p fitting, let alone all the big costs. I still find myself justifying my cost to some customers but that is happening less and less. Again, for customers reading this and new plumbers, TOILET inlet valve, torbeck fitting, iso valve, flexi hose (if you use them), sand paper to clean paint off pipe etc. 30 min to customer, diesel, road tax, income tax, national ins, wear and tear on veh, liability ins, approx 2 hours in customers house
My confidence has grown and I stand by the advice I’d given previously to new plumbers, keep going at the small jobs the learning curve is huge, better to learn that on smaller jobs than taking on something you’ll regret. However, at the same time you need to push those boundaries......
I enjoy plumbing and when it goes well your at home by 4pm having earnt a days money, if it doesn’t, well!
Again, I hope this has given people a little insight into the plumbing..........
