when pricing a job

[-=HaZ=-]

I'm unsure if I can have this on here(I don't want prices) so if its not ok that's fine thanks


Basically I set up around 10 months ago and have been learning stuff all the time, I have recently started changing my pricing structure and wlndered what people did with regards to when they price a job
I am a bathroom fitter so do all plumbing plastering and tiling, I find on some jobs I pay out a lot of fittings..... Do you put this into the price you give on a quote or on your quote would you give a base price and then add plus fittings and materials

Some jobs as you know need 1 or 2 things but then a simple job uoi have may end up needing loads of extras which does my head in

Thanks

 

[Best]

You don't always want people to know your earnings, as many will think a very reasonable charge is too expensive. So it might be better to only seperate the more expensive items - like the bathroom suite & then add labour + materials in one amount. You should really be surveying the job as best as you can, so you have a good idea of what materials you might need & keep your small materials cost well above that.

 

[-=HaZ=-]

You don't always want people to know your earnings, as many will think a very reasonable charge is too expensive. So it might be better to only seperate the more expensive items - like the bathroom suite & then add labour + materials in one amount. You should really be surveying the job as best as you can, so you have a good idea of what materials you might need & keep your small materials cost well above that.

Yeah I survey them a lot better these days.... I always take panels off and take pics..... Find out what they want changing and to move stuff if needs be then that might add cost on moving pipework

This is why I asked with what you said about earnings as I don't want them to think they are been ripped off or under priced.....
Such as a job this week that iv got I stated on the quote what the price was and what it included then I put a section what I may need to charge for as depending on what is under the floorboards I may need to raise the shower tray
This is probably the worst part of been my own boss when I quote.....I hate writing them up

 

[Centralheatking]

With bathrooms and kitchens even designer radiators its best to let your customer go out and choose what they want maybe with your advice. let them pay and have the stuff delivered
or you collect.

Your price should be labour, consumable materials (pipe, fittings, grout plaster etc)

This way you limit your cash outlay, avoid vat threshold, and it gets your customer into the idea of paying as the job goes along and becoming involved. And we ask customers to examine
what we have done every evening and let us know any questions problems the next morning
NOT at the end of job ! CHKing

 

[-=HaZ=-]

With bathrooms and kitchens even designer radiators its best to let your customer go out and choose what they want maybe with your advice. let them pay and have the stuff delivered
or you collect.

Your price should be labour, consumable materials (pipe, fittings, grout plaster etc)

This way you limit your cash outlay, avoid vat threshold, and it gets your customer into the idea of paying as the job goes along and becoming involved. And we ask customers to examine
what we have done every evening and let us know any questions problems the next morning
NOT at the end of job ! CHKing

That actually sounds like the way I work.... I never get the suite for them, at the end of the day they have to live with it.... I help with websites and show rooms
I like you also ask them to check it on a night and tell me if anything is wrong, had a couple of issues with this in the past where after the job they have asked why I did something but I stated you checked my work every day but didn't say on day 2 or 3, really annoys me as the whole point in asking them to check is to keep on top of it

 

[Chalked]

On bathrooms I like to itemise everything. I think it justifies your quote
start of with a full description of what is included in the price, then as follows.

labour @£... Per day for x days
bathroom suite cost ( if I'm supplying) £ ***
electritians cost.
plastering. £ ***
timber for boxings, ply for floor etc £ xxxx
lighting £ ***
Pipe & fittings for alterations to plumbing,heating and drainage £***
adhesive £***
grout. £***
cost of skip or disposal of waste £ ***
sundries ( ie silicone screws glue, primer for tiling etc. ) £ ***

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

On bathrooms I like to itemise everything. I think it justifies your quote
start of with a full description of what is included in the price, then as follows.

labour @£... Per day for x days
bathroom suite cost ( if I'm supplying) £ ***
electritians cost.
plastering. £ ***
timber for boxings, ply for floor etc £ xxxx
lighting £ ***
Pipe & fittings for alterations to plumbing,heating and drainage £***
adhesive £***
grout. £***
cost of skip or disposal of waste £ ***
sundries ( ie silicone screws glue, primer for tiling etc. ) £ ***

Now then, after reading your post I'm going to chuck the fox in with the chickens and ask what you'd do if, for instance, you've given your quote and it's been accepted then when you're removing the tiles, all the plaster falls off the wall; this has happened to me once or twice.
I usually explain to the customer that it will cost extra 'If' this happens and I make a point of it in my quote but just wondered how you'd deal with it?

 

[Chalked]

Just had this happen this week. Existing bathroom looked ok, but on removal the chipboard was bugxxred and the skim came off the bonding on one wall.

I haven't charged extra.!!
the wall took 1 hour to skim with a fiver of plaster.
the floor was out of level anyway and I had allowed to overlay with 12mm ply. Plus I needed to move lots of pipework, so a few traps in the floor to make good. So took up the chipboard and cut packers to level up the floor. Put in some extra noggins to make the floor stronger and maid 18mm marine ply.

extra cost to me. Timber and thicker ply £ 40. Extra labour, maybe three hours.

so no extra cost to customer, just absorbed into my price . Sometimes everything goes very well and I don't knock anything off, so it swings and roundabouts.

 

[woodytheplumber]

we usually have priced in for removing all plaster and lining the walls/ floor with no more ply I mush be too heavy handed or just unlucky but more or less every time I start knocking tiles off I am looking at the brickwork anyway and as for the actual plumbing supplies fittings traps wastes ect we have a vast stock so I have a guide price of what to charge for them bits but only have to specifically buy certain bits for the job

 

[Nostrum]

I would agree with chalked. I think the point is, if your worried about a few extra fittings or an extra few hours work, your cutting it too fine with regards to your pricing.

You should have enough profit in the job to allow for extra issues as and when they occur. It's a win some, lose some strategy.

 

[Chalked]

we usually have priced in for removing all plaster and lining the walls/ floor with no more ply I mush be too heavy handed or just unlucky but more or less every time I start knocking tiles off I am looking at the brickwork anyway and as for the actual plumbing supplies fittings traps wastes ect we have a vast stock so I have a guide price of what to charge for them bits but only have to specifically buy certain bits for the job

No more ply is a good product, but it's a bit over kill for a non wet room with ceramic or porcelain tiles. .
unskimmed moisture resistant plasterboard is good enough for most tiling, except for over 30 kg per m2
in shower areas it's best to tank the walls, be it plasterboard or no more ply.

 

[woodytheplumber]

I like all out jobs to be belt and braces and while I agree moisture resistant should be good enough I still use no more ply its allways mega taped and then 2 coats of tanking on top

 

[Chalked]

I like all out jobs to be belt and braces and while I agree moisture resistant should be good enough I still use no more ply its allways mega taped and then 2 coats of tanking on top

i Agree with you completely on removing everything, then cement board and tanking. But I think the cost might put a few off.

 

[newcastle phill]

Always make reference to 'unforseen' and discuss potential costs.

Its a knocking bet when stripping out tiles or old bath the plaster falls off or the floorboards under the tub are rotted to hell and need doing.