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Original poster

To think some people are really snobby about tradespeople?

241 replies

Loveheart13 · 13/03/2025 10:01

I’ve noticed that a lot of people really look down on tradespeople/jobs with practical skills.

Dh works in a trade and he earns very well. Obviously I don’t talk about it. I’ve noticed that people make a lot of assumptions that it’s poorly paid, that you must be a bit thick.

I’ve got friends ds and work colleagues who think that university is the only way. I know someone whose nearly adult child is not very academic at all but they are determined to push on as they are certain that anything less than a degree is complete failure.

Why are people so snobby about it?

OP posts:
EmeraldShamrock000 · 14/03/2025 07:29

Yes, of course some people look down on tradesmen.

Nowadays tradesmen earnings can rocket above a lot of professionals.

My Dbro a builder, made his first million by 32, opened his own business, 20 years later, he is set for life as are his children.

He does play on his roots to irrate people, he will fly first class in inappropriate clothing, bright, brash,with a tabloid rag under his arm, just to giggle. 🤣

It is changing, just as the working class broke into the professional market, more middle people are choosing trade jobs.

Financially life has evened up for a lot of people.

x2boys · 14/03/2025 07:26

Buddysno1fan · 14/03/2025 00:58

I feel like it’s only on mumsnet that I see this snobbery. It particularly makes me laugh when I see threads about teenagers career and study choices and someone suggests “just get an apprenticeship” as if this is the easiest option when actually they’re highly sought after and incredibly competitive. My ds is an apprentice electrician, he’s the first in three generations of my family not to go to university.
When I tell friends or colleagues about his career choice everyone says what a good choice he has made and what a valuable profession he’s going into.

Yep there was a thread the other day where the Ops teen was predicted the lowest grades at GCSE the amount of posters who seemed to think everything would be fine because their husband/ cousin / next door neighbour etc left school 30 years ago without a qualification to their name and are now earning £££,s due to getting an apprenticeship I did keep pointing out that even the basic apprenticeships required a grade four in maths and English

Butchyrestingface · 14/03/2025 07:20

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 23:58

Really? What ard the chances.

Show quote history

I don't know what university he attended, but I remember reading an interview with a tradie (plumber, IIRC) who had been an academic. He needed some plumbing work done at home and engaged a tradie to come out. They got into conversation about earnings and neither could believe what the other was making (academic was significantly lower than the plumber).

As a result, he jacked in the lecturing position and retrained as a plumber.

Original poster
Loveheart13 · 14/03/2025 07:15

Wellwouldthey · 13/03/2025 22:19

There's no such thing as a pointless job. Now you're the one being snobby and looking down on people.

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Oh there absolutely 100% are pointless jobs.

OP posts:
XWKD · 14/03/2025 06:33

The irony. Intelligent people aren't snobby. Snobbery is moronic. Imagine thinking their education shows some kind of superior intelligence. 🤣 Idiots.

SuperGinger · 14/03/2025 05:45

This is the issue.

Gingerkittykat · 14/03/2025 04:27

After leaving school with just standard grades, my nephew did an apprenticeship in the building trade. He is now mid 20s and doing far better than my DD or niece who both went down the uni route. His GF is a gas engineer who also earns really well and they will be buying a house later this year.

AndrinaAdamosballetshoes · 14/03/2025 01:56

Love this 😂

To think some people are really snobby about tradespeople?
CheekyPombear · 14/03/2025 01:49

A good plasterer is very hard to come by where i live.
My dad has been a carpenter all his life.

Buddysno1fan · 14/03/2025 00:58

I feel like it’s only on mumsnet that I see this snobbery. It particularly makes me laugh when I see threads about teenagers career and study choices and someone suggests “just get an apprenticeship” as if this is the easiest option when actually they’re highly sought after and incredibly competitive. My ds is an apprentice electrician, he’s the first in three generations of my family not to go to university.
When I tell friends or colleagues about his career choice everyone says what a good choice he has made and what a valuable profession he’s going into.

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 23:58

StripyPanda · 13/03/2025 23:41

very narrow minded and totally untrue

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Really? What ard the chances.

StripyPanda · 13/03/2025 23:41

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 21:55

You must be the only “tradie” in existence who is has been an academic at Oxford and Cambridge!

Show quote history

very narrow minded and totally untrue

StripyPanda · 13/03/2025 23:31

no idea why people are snobby towards trades people as a lot of behind the scenes work is also involved ‘using their brain’
provide free quotes…this involves …
petrol to go to the premises involved which costs £££ and at least 30-45 mins measuring up and writing notes
sourcing competitive prices from multiple suppliers / negotiating prices (very time consuming)
drawing up plans to scale (extremely time consuming)
liaising back and forth with customer keeping them in the loop and they usually always change their minds once they know the costs involved causing DH to have to tweak quotes causing the whole above palaver once again …
then at the end the customer can easily just say “no thanks” or if they agree to go ahead with works DH still has to do all the arranging of deliveries / make sure all things coincide as and when needed or go collect materials from numerous suppliers.
It can be a full time job alone just getting all the bits arranged before work even commences…. they then have to invoice customer and wait up to a month (if lucky) to get paid
this lot doesn’t even cover DH having to do their own books/taxes or if lucky pay an extortionate amount to an accountant
People are so blind to what the quote price involves it’s common sense really🤷‍♀️

LastRoIo · 13/03/2025 23:05

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 22:44

It just reflects the old class model of people who work with their hands (bottom) and the educated, professional class (top). With the ability to be self employed now, that old economic model doesn’t work in financial terms any more but the social model remains.

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This.

You're many times more likely to end up the director of a successful business in the trades/construction sector. It's truly odd how graduates are held as the gold standard when in reality you might be a gender studies graduate who spends all day doing mindless admin and getting bossed around by a 'very important man'.

I'm a graduate but I'm so glad I escaped project management. I don't care what people think. I made £350 today and had three separate powernaps whilst the piling team were drilling the foundations lol. 😂

Printedword · 13/03/2025 23:01

Some of the cleverest people I know are plumbers, heating engineers and electricians. The skills and knowledge you need to install a boiler, re route the gas etc.

5128gap · 13/03/2025 22:58

Because a lot of people think that because they went to university and have a job where they sometimes get to tell other people what to do they are the superior class. And it really grinds their gears when if they want a flushing toilet or their roof not to leak, they're completely dependent on one of the lads from school who left at 16 to come and make that happen. In his own sweet time, and for a sum that exceeds their own day rate.

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 22:44

CalleOcho · 13/03/2025 22:35

Why are people so snobby about it?

I think it’s the way people are brought up. People tend to be snobby if they’ve been brought up by snobs. Obviously not always, but it’s more likely.

There was a thread on here a while ago about a woman in hysterics because a tradesman had used her toilet whilst he was working in her house. Lots of posters were agreeing with her saying they would never let a tradesman use their toilet and the thought of it was “disgusting”. It was a really depressing read.

Also, there’s a lot of parents who are really pushy for their children to achieve top grades and go to university, totally looking down on vocational qualifications and careers. Some see it as “low class” and not “achieving for more”. (There’s a current live thread about a parent only wanting grade 9 (A**) for her child and nothing less).

I remember another thread on here where the poster was a teacher and she was outraged that a tradesman she had hired earned more money than her even though he didn’t go to university but she did. Another depressing and batshit thread.

It just reflects the old class model of people who work with their hands (bottom) and the educated, professional class (top). With the ability to be self employed now, that old economic model doesn’t work in financial terms any more but the social model remains.

Papyrophile · 13/03/2025 22:39

I recall a conversation with a client back in the early 2000s, who was a principal in a construction company, who said if I want a bank, or a lawyer, or a financial PR adviser, my PA can make a few phone calls between 2:00 and 3:00 and there will be a beauty parade through our boardroom tomorrow afternoon; if I want a brickie or electrician, they will TELL me that they could attend site in eight weeks.

FreezingJane · 13/03/2025 22:39

I completely agree. I worked in a professional role for years and now work in a trade role in management, and there is a huge difference between the way you're spoken to and how people value you and your skills. Lots of snobbery!

CalleOcho · 13/03/2025 22:35

Why are people so snobby about it?

I think it’s the way people are brought up. People tend to be snobby if they’ve been brought up by snobs. Obviously not always, but it’s more likely.

There was a thread on here a while ago about a woman in hysterics because a tradesman had used her toilet whilst he was working in her house. Lots of posters were agreeing with her saying they would never let a tradesman use their toilet and the thought of it was “disgusting”. It was a really depressing read.

Also, there’s a lot of parents who are really pushy for their children to achieve top grades and go to university, totally looking down on vocational qualifications and careers. Some see it as “low class” and not “achieving for more”. (There’s a current live thread about a parent only wanting grade 9 (A**) for her child and nothing less).

I remember another thread on here where the poster was a teacher and she was outraged that a tradesman she had hired earned more money than her even though he didn’t go to university but she did. Another depressing and batshit thread.

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 22:33

LastRoIo · 13/03/2025 22:22

Most likely because a lot of the more ambitious tradies aren't interested in coming round and fitting your new bathroom while you watch like a hawk and try and haggle them down on price. They'd rather pick up a couple years work on a new Taylor Wimpey/Persimmon estate and not have to deal with the general public.

That's why some quote so high. They don't really want the work so it's "you pay what I want or I can't be bothered".

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Yes it’s supply and demand. This is an economic situation that has been created by Blair’s stupid degree policy. We have too few trades people and with the added issue that thr EU nationals that we had here plugging that gap have now returned home, it’s created a situation where many trades people have taken contract work and leaving a gap for ordinary homes work

LastRoIo · 13/03/2025 22:28

Even bricklayers make £45k nowadays as they're rare as rocking horse shit. In some areas they're making £100k.

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 13/03/2025 22:25

Butchyrestingface · 13/03/2025 10:19

I don't actually know anybody who is snobby about tradespeople, far less under the impression that it's a poorly paid profession(s). Quite the opposite, if anything.

Perhaps in days of yore, but certainly not now.

I couldn't agree more. The prices they charge are rather steep so I wouldn't think they were poorly off! I think to be successful as a tradesperson it takes more than the skill though. You need to be good at people skills and running the business. Many seem to have a wife doing the admin

LastRoIo · 13/03/2025 22:22

Waterballoons · 13/03/2025 20:41

Yes most people are certainly very snobby about trades people. I guess there are a few things going on. Typically they’re not very educated and this shows in their behaviour. I’ve met a small number of trades people who I think are actually intelligent people with good morals. The rest I’m afraid are the opposite. I think that’s likely to be many other people’s experiences and so that helps to form their opinion. All of them end up being tarred with the same brush. They are so very easily stereotyped - can be found in greggs, eat terrible food, are quite rough, tax dodging, rip people off, drive badly in their vans, lazy, can’t be trusted, read the Daily Mail or some other right wing trash, racist. I have no doubt that many are intelligent and industrious and I know this because I’ve met some but there are a lot that fall into that category. I also think that, again, whilst some are very handy and are clearly very capable in their trade, it’s a largely unregulated world and there are many idiots that don’t have a clue and do utterly shoddy work. Everyone has had personal experience of being ripped of by one of those people and that clouds their opinions. It’s just a shame that those who behave badly and are bad at their jobs spoil it for the rest.

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Most likely because a lot of the more ambitious tradies aren't interested in coming round and fitting your new bathroom while you watch like a hawk and try and haggle them down on price. They'd rather pick up a couple years work on a new Taylor Wimpey/Persimmon estate and not have to deal with the general public.

That's why some quote so high. They don't really want the work so it's "you pay what I want or I can't be bothered".