Done 86 metres today

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People panic too much when taking on jobs cheaply, we are our own pimps to put it bluntly, some jobs are just not worth doing if you earn less than a labourer..
 
O priced a job in 09 in london, the guy rang and said I have a price at £4500, I said too tight for me, 3 flats, 2 x 2 bed, I x 1 bed ,sand and cement all walls,skim same, loft room included ,big stairwell included, worked out with paying my 2 guys I would have circa £300 a week, when I input those figures into my vans computer it would not allow me to stop at that site, just drove on past.. I walked my dog for a long while that year and it was the best option as I would of had to stay on crumbs ..
 
It's how it used to be up to the early 80's. There was always subby's but they had cars. Most spreads bussed it to work.

Nearly everyone was cards in. Paid by the hour with some co's offering bonus schemes. Today spreads are se, own van and equipment. It is a bit like the wild west.

Everything up for tender. No for me bring back the old paye schemes. At least you could plod for 8hrs and know at the end of the week you would get a wage to live on. In todays money I reckon 16k a year at least. But the trade is losing it. No apprenticeships, learn as you go, paid only on output. A dog eat dog situation. Is there any wonder rates are dropping. Without apprenticeships, paper work we are becoming semi-skilled. The money will never be right.

I was always against the unions but security is what they fought for. We have lost that. Now in recession supply exceeds demand and the buyer knows it. When the work returns then rob the buyers for all they are worth. Invest your money because boom periods are not around for long.
 
Rigsby said:
It's how it used to be up to the early 80's. There was always subby's but they had cars. Most spreads bussed it to work.

Nearly everyone was cards in. Paid by the hour with some co's offering bonus schemes. Today spreads are se, own van and equipment. It is a bit like the wild west.

Everything up for tender. No for me bring back the old paye schemes. At least you could plod for 8hrs and know at the end of the week you would get a wage to live on. In todays money I reckon 16k a year at least. But the trade is losing it. No apprenticeships, learn as you go, paid only on output. A dog eat dog situation. Is there any wonder rates are dropping. Without apprenticeships, paper work we are becoming semi-skilled. The money will never be right.

I was always against the unions but security is what they fought for. We have lost that. Now in recession supply exceeds demand and the buyer knows it. When the work returns then rob the buyers for all they are worth. Invest your money because boom periods are not around for long.
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got to disagree to some point with you rigsby ,when i was younger and even upto a few yrs ago i loved chasing a pound note ,it was the hard graft back then that has given me what i have got now.and now in a position within reason to pick and chooes a bit more.
 
It's never been like that down our way Rigsby, apart from those working for the odd small building firm all spreads, even in my old mans youth were self employed.

Also when I was young and crashing on the metres it never resulted in my prices being cut, I believe because my work was still good quality.
Most that do high metreages leave crap work and I believe it's the firms willingness to accept poor standards that has resulted in prices going down the tubes.
 
essexandy said:
It's never been like that down our way Rigsby, apart from those working for the odd small building firm all spreads, even in my old mans youth were self employed.

Also when I was young and crashing on the metres it never resulted in my prices being cut, I believe because my work was still good quality.
Most that do high metreages leave crap work and I believe it's the firms willingness to accept poor standards that has resulted in prices going down the tubes.
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About 8 years ago I worked for a firm and they had me and 3 others sorting flats out behind a gang of 2 that were knocking out £800 flats a day at £2.50 m2 there work was hideous but the firm wasn't arsed as they were meeting deadlines and getting volume. Sometimes the plaster on reveals would be gathered about 10 mm on beads and I'd get paid for sanding it down. Would take 5 days a man to sand and patch the flats whilst these went job to job taking the cream. Crazy
 
barryed said:
About 8 years ago I worked for a firm and they had me and 3 others sorting flats out behind a gang of 2 that were knocking out £800 flats a day at £2.50 m2 there work was hideous but the firm wasn't arsed as they were meeting deadlines and getting volume. Sometimes the plaster on reveals would be gathered about 10 mm on beads and I'd get paid for sanding it down. Would take 5 days a man to sand and patch the flats whilst these went job to job taking the cream. Crazy
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And that's exactly the problem with some firms.
 
barryed said:
About 8 years ago I worked for a firm and they had me and 3 others sorting flats out behind a gang of 2 that were knocking out £800 flats a day at £2.50 m2 there work was hideous but the firm wasn't arsed as they were meeting deadlines and getting volume. Sometimes the plaster on reveals would be gathered about 10 mm on beads and I'd get paid for sanding it down. Would take 5 days a man to sand and patch the flats whilst these went job to job taking the cream. Crazy
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thats quite common
 
Rigsby said:
Plasterers are fools to themselves. If a spread can do 80m2 skim a day then it is deemed we all can. So divide £120 per day by 80m2 a day which has been proven to be possible then you simply offer £1.50p per m2.

The 80m2 a day lads have proved it can be done. When I was a spread a 2+1 gang was expected to be able to spread 20m2 of Browning and skim per day each spread or double that if skimming. Anything over was classed as bonus.

But lets say 40m2 of skimming a day is the norm and acceptable. Based on a labour only rate of £120 per day (up North) thats £3 m2. Put on 80m2 you have earned £240.00. Those upstairs will soon realise you can lower the rate and still make enough. The fact you are young, fit and don't know what's coming as you will never get any older, old being over 35 then you will carry on tearing your young body apart without realising it until it is to late. When you do have to start slowing down because of your tennis elbow, Tyno in the wrist of frozen shoulder then you will winge about how low the rates are but it was your stupid youth that lowered the rates.

Those up in the office of course knows you will always be able to get some desperate young spread with a mortgage and kids and he is young enough to make it pay and there are always keen young labourers asking for training to take his place.

For me outlaw self employment. Go into paye where you are on a hourly rate set by the union and anything over say 40m2 is paid as a bonus payment. Holiday pay and sick pay. Benefits straight away in winter when we are laid off and do away with training labourers up. Get proper apprentices back with a few GCSE's behind to eliminate the thicko's.
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Somebody talking some sense, the more you do, the more they see you earning so the rates drop, so you speed up and find quicker ways to do the work for a lesser rate and so the cycle continues, in stead of giving them the finger and telling them that its a decent rate or shove it up your arse.
Spoke to a lad the other day wanted an artex lid skimming, he said i might just get my mate to have a look at it, he only charged me 50 quid for my bathroom. Told him to let his mate crack on, as my trowel isn't leaving the van for that. Its not worth doing anymore.
 
fking hel, with those prices....give us a job lol

down here its about 1000 a floor, so a house be around 2000 + any pissing around bits etc. 2500 for a flat! dam!
 
johniosaif said:
its all about what goes in your pocket along with the customer been satisfied and you getting return works and been recommended .. I had £10k profit on a two week job last year, but mostly made just a weeks wages on the other 50 weeks, I hated all that measuring metre's and linear metres crap, I rather say £2500 for that flat £7000 for that house, £5000 for the rendering, too many on here will have nothing to show in 20yrs time and it is a shame and not their fault either
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forgot to quote lol ^^
 
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