Are we too CHEAP

MSP Plastering Solutions said:
we are currently charging £130 a day each plus materials to skim so we are doing 6 bags a day for £260 plus pva n beading so we are doing a sitting room for about £320 in the northeast is this too cheap as every job we quote we get yes we are 1 of the highest plastering companys in the northeast on check a trade but don't want to be underpriceing jobs at same time any advise on what you charge would be great thanks
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As soon as I read the thread title I knew you were, I didn't need to read your rates. You obviously know you are too.
 
Monkey Boy said:
It’s grim up North
I’m Birmingham way and most people are tight wads, Asian or make do and mend British war generation value system white British!
You can’t charge much more than a going rate which rate is dictated by chancers and rough workers who pay no tax and people who use no punctuation! Unless people come to you through reputation but they still are cautious and get second quotes
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Forgive me for saying so, but that's just not true. Change who you work for, target the right customers and you can charge accordingly. For example, the only person who should have any idea what your rates are is you. It should never come up in a discussion with a customer. They ask "How much to do this work?" and you answer with a total price. That price includes your wages, the wages of anyone working for/with you, materials (plus a mark up %) all your overheads and a profit for the company. Don't be afraid to charge for the less obvious stuff too. If I'm running a job as well as actually doing work on it I charge for my wages doing the steelwork or whatever, and I also charge a supervisory/project management wage because it's a separate job.

That's not some glib nonsense, it's how I work all the time.

I suppose the other important factor is that you have to be able to back it up. Quality work, act like a professional, when things go wrong sort them out even if they're not down to you, talk to customers properly, offer guidance/solutions etc etc. Work like that and you're putting a lot on your shoulders and saving the customer from dealing with things, so you can and should charge accordingly.

There are a lot of chancers out there, and there are a lot of customers who have champagne ideas on lemonade money. They're a match made in heaven, leave them to it. (y)
 
Trouble is its human nature to go with the cheapest price they think there getting a bargain,they will think nothing of paying 3k for a brand new Worcester Bosch boiler supply and fit which will take a day or 2 roughly but when you charge 3k to skim there whole house they think your taking the piss as they dont really take plastering into high regard like other trades,the prices you have been charging and leaving a quality finish the customers are loving it mate you ain't chances you seem a like a respectable spread that does good work earn your worth mate
 
obviously things are different geographically but this sort of maths should apply as percentages anywhere.
If you have a few weeks work booked up (say 3-4) Then the next lead you get go and quote at 25% more than you have been. If you get it then the next one increase to 50%. Keep going till you’re not winning work. Then nick it back downtill you’re back at he point where you’re filling your weeks.
you may only have a month or two booked in advance but that’s enough. You may win 50% instead of 100% but if you’re earning 50% more who cares. You could charge double, Only work half the week and still earn what you earn now
 
imago said:
Forgive me for saying so, but that's just not true. Change who you work for, target the right customers and you can charge accordingly. For example, the only person who should have any idea what your rates are is you. It should never come up in a discussion with a customer. They ask "How much to do this work?" and you answer with a total price. That price includes your wages, the wages of anyone working for/with you, materials (plus a mark up %) all your overheads and a profit for the company. Don't be afraid to charge for the less obvious stuff too. If I'm running a job as well as actually doing work on it I charge for my wages doing the steelwork or whatever, and I also charge a supervisory/project management wage because it's a separate job.

That's not some glib nonsense, it's how I work all the time.

I suppose the other important factor is that you have to be able to back it up. Quality work, act like a professional, when things go wrong sort them out even if they're not down to you, talk to customers properly, offer guidance/solutions etc etc. Work like that and you're putting a lot on your shoulders and saving the customer from dealing with things, so you can and should charge accordingly.

There are a lot of chancers out there, and there are a lot of customers who have champagne ideas on lemonade money. They're a match made in heaven, leave them to it. (y)
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I use to not bother quoting for certain roads because I knew it would be pointless not worth teh time to drive quote and to then be told that derek will do it for £100...
 
Plasterers proper get bummed up north f**k me glad I moved away from all that shite ragheads everywhere and fighting for work! No thanks very much most days I’m looking at stuff like this
Are we too CHEAP
:cool:
 
carys said:
So say you work steady for 6 days whithout killing your self you do 780 a week is that s**t money am I missing something lol
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yes, if you were "employed" and got holiday pay and all of the benefits then it would be fine... but your not...

spend a few months totalling up how much money you spend and how much time you spend doing it then divide it out...

you buy a van for £3,000 at £130 a day (turnover) you would have to work 23 days to pay for it... and thats if you took the full £130 a day home...

Also you need to consider when you want to retire... how are you paying for that?
 
Danny said:
yes, if you were "employed" and got holiday pay and all of the benefits then it would be fine... but your not...

spend a few months totalling up how much money you spend and how much time you spend doing it then divide it out...

you buy a van for £3,000 at £130 a day (turnover) you would have to work 23 days to pay for it... and thats if you took the full £130 a day home...

Also you need to consider when you want to retire... how are you paying for that?
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Try telling that to people and they just dont get it,too many people living for beer money.
 
plastering is not an easy job for the body, literally every bag is killing you one by one...

You may think it is an easy days money but try holding a bag of sugar above your head and watch how hard your heart has to work...

I don't care what people charge personally thats up to them and if they want to sell themselves short that's fine by me. I never competed for work based on price never felt I needed to.

The way I price anything now is what is it going to take to to get me away from doing something I want to do like riding my bike or building kit cars and be happy doing it...

Thats how I price anything now and you know what I am so much happier for it.
 
Danny said:
yes, if you were "employed" and got holiday pay and all of the benefits then it would be fine... but your not...

spend a few months totalling up how much money you spend and how much time you spend doing it then divide it out...

you buy a van for £3,000 at £130 a day (turnover) you would have to work 23 days to pay for it... and thats if you took the full £130 a day home...

Also you need to consider when you want to retire... how are you paying for that?
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Im in North Wales il tell you what wages for self employed is 130 up to 180.. South of England 200 250 day. So people going on here about day rate it joke becouse we are in difrent part of the uk so what the point o having this topic.
 
I can rant about this all day but if you don't have the mindset to understand it then I will be talking to a brick wall.

Financial education is the most important education you can ever ever ever have, if you dont understand it then you will always be working and will always be poor.

@theclemo says that "working is for the poor"... think about it for a while... itis probably the most true statement and has personally changed my way of thinking in the last 2 years
 
Danny said:
I can rant about this all day but if you don't have the mindset to understand it then I will be talking to a brick wall.

Financial education is the most important education you can ever ever ever have, if you dont understand it then you will always be working and will always be poor.

@theclemo says that "working is for the poor"... think about it for a while... itis probably the most true statement and has personally changed my way of thinking in the last 2 years
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Sherrif you need to lay law on this price talk as it differs to much from area to area. . You may get x amount for a room in chelsea but you wont get a pint for 2 quid
 
carys said:
Im in North Wales il tell you what wages for self employed is 130 up to 180.. South of England 200 250 day. So people going on here about day rate it joke because we are in different part of the uk so what the point o having this topic.
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I dont think location matters to be honest. every town has poor areas and rich areas...

most people are comfortable selling to people i their same socio economic background but this is what holds them back. Because they would not pay £180 for something the "think" nobody will so they dont feel right charging it. The fact is if you were selling to people who are making £2K a day you could easily charge £500 and they would not think any more of it.

I have a cleaner that works for £15 an hour... thats £120 a day... no tools, no skill, no van.... you can learn to clean in 10 minutes....
 
Danny said:
I dont think location matters to be honest. every town has poor areas and rich areas...

most people are comfortable selling to people i their same socio economic background but this is what holds them back. Because they would not pay £180 for something the "think" nobody will so they dont feel right charging it. The fact is if you were selling to people who are making £2K a day you could easily charge £500 and they would not think any more of it.

I have a cleaner that works for £15 an hour... thats £120 a day... no tools, no skill, no van.... you can learn to clean in 10 minutes....
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Come over to my area and try it out then you be lucky to get more than 150 a day no bull
 
carys said:
Come over to my area and try it out then you be lucky to get more than 150 a day no bull
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lads from North Wales go to London places to work becouse money s**t round here. My self 100 pound extra a day is it worth it whith a young growing family and missing that don't think so!
 
if you are working 6 days a week for £780 you are working for £16 an hour... and that is before you go and look at a job to price it and then go and buy materials... take out tax and NI accounting fees banking fees buying paper to print quotes and invoices on. work clothes.

the physical abuse your body is taking for me is not worth it...

thats just me though if your happy then fine by me but if there was no work in an area then unless it was a stunning place (not that it would matter as you work 6 days a week) I would move or change career.
 
carys said:
Come over to my area and try it out then you be lucky to get more than 150 a day no bull
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someone said that to me before... down here... I quoted to skim a kitchen £1200 (didnt really want it) she accepted and I had to cancel as my grandfather got ill and I decided to spend the next 8 weeks at his bedside. I explained this to her and recommended another plasterer.

I phoned the plasterer up and told him what i quoted "I cant charge that much" he said. I said why not? "Thats too much!!!" Ok I said how much would you charge he said some dumb figure. I said fine you do it for that and I will pay you direct.

He soon changed his tune when he cottoned on and he charged the same price and he ended up going through this whole house earning stupid money. The client was over the moon because he did a great job.

He now wants me to go pricing for him on other jobs but sod that :D

you dont need many of them to make a living...

@owls will also no doubt chime in....

he employs lads and I would take a guess they earn day money... but they get all the benefits of employed.

but the customer could go direct with someone on similar money as the subbies they would save a lot of money but they want the expertise and the whole package that owls offers...

I was taught when giving a price to just brush past it if it is nothing... if you start wincing and and saying oooh it will be expensive and generally warming them up to think it will be expensive you wont get it. BUt just changing the way you say things and the words you use makes people feel they are getting more and £3k is not really a lot of money....

anyway thats enough from me on this subject
 
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