Is this a full day for a plasterer?

Sam9769 · 2025-10-09T13:48:59+00:00

Plasterer came to do some work with his mate yesterday, each charging £220 cash for a day's work. They arrived about 8.30am and left at 2.45pm, no lunch break. Plasterer came on his own today at around 8am and left at 1.45pm, no lunch break. AIBU to think that this is not a day's work?

ainsleysanob · 11/10/2025 12:41

Sam9769 · 10/10/2025 22:29

He could have done some work on the second bedroom by removing some of the plasterboard instead of leaving a 2pm. When he left at 2pm "the expert with experience" still charged a day's rate. Nice work if you can get it for these "experts!"

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Yes, it is nice work for them! That’s why they’re in demand!

Original poster

Sam9769 · 11/10/2025 09:14

Yesterday morning, after he'd done the first coat of plastering on the ceiling, he was talking about doing the second coat and then going home and coming back today to do "the other bits". obviously, at another day's rate. When I asked him if he had to leave at a certain time, he talked about taking one of his kid's swimming.
Since I didn't say Yes, that's fine, he decided to stay and finish the job which he did. He seemed to come each day with the intention of getting away early which is not good when you are paying per day.
I think we will look for another plasterer and agree a price per job.
Thank you for your responses to my post even those who told me to do it myself and I hope that the cat is back home safe and sound!!
Have a good weekend all!

OP posts:

thisishowloween · 11/10/2025 09:10

RubySquid · 11/10/2025 08:53

I did actually plasterboard and skim walls in my own front room. Admittedly not the ceiling

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The ceiling is the hardest part because of the angles you have to stand and hold your shoulders. DH is only just turned forty and already has permanent physical damage from plastering - and he has another 20 odd years to go.

It’s a really tough physical job when you do it day in, day out. He now has to schedule breaks between jobs as it’s just too much for him otherwise.

The guy in the OP should communicate better and should only charge by the job rather than the day, but the expectation that a plasterer can just turn up and work a nine hour day is madness.

RubySquid · 11/10/2025 08:53

thisishowloween · 11/10/2025 08:47

@RubySquid you try lugging plasterboard around, attaching it to walls and ceilings for six hours straight and see much energy you have to plaster a wall 🙄

If you can’t trust trades then go off, learn and do it yourself. Nobody is stopping you.

As it is, maybe listen to those of us in the business and stop making sneery comments.

Edited

I did actually plasterboard and skim walls in my own front room. Admittedly not the ceiling

Shellyash · 11/10/2025 08:47

Wtf!! You got a tradesman to actually turn up?
Best bet on the hours is to ask him nicely "I notice you've knocked off at 2 ish, just checking if this counts as a full day or not?"
Plasterers are normally nice guys, skilled but not overly academic so he'll just say yes or no.

thisishowloween · 11/10/2025 08:47

@RubySquid you try lugging plasterboard around, attaching it to walls and ceilings for six hours straight and see much energy you have to plaster a wall 🙄

If you can’t trust trades then go off, learn and do it yourself. Nobody is stopping you.

As it is, maybe listen to those of us in the business and stop making sneery comments.

RubySquid · 11/10/2025 08:43

thisishowloween · 11/10/2025 08:40

But he started at 8am and didn’t have a break, so his working day should finish at 3pm - and an hour is definitely not enough time to plaster. It’s barely enough time to get a mix together.

Plastering is a really tough job physically - I’d like to see all the posters on here saying “surely he could do more” do a full 8 hour day of it 🫣

You don’t need to take a day off either, everyone around here just leaves a key or uses a key safe.

Edited

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Thing is he hasn't done ANY plastering over 2 days yet so it's not that physical until he does. Bet he did take tea breaks also. Never known a tradie hard at it for more than an hour without a tea break

People round your way are trusting to give randoms a key. Besides if you are not their they are more likely to be skiving

thisishowloween · 11/10/2025 08:40

RubySquid · 11/10/2025 03:51

Surely you could do some plastering between the hours of 2-5 pm? Which would b the endqt of a normal work day? Trying to remember what the plasterer I had a few years ago did. I do remember it was 2 full days.

Also if you have to keep taking extra days off work to let in tradesman you could e losing wages yourself. Not everyone gets paid if not working ( a scenario tradies should know only too well)

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But he started at 8am and didn’t have a break, so his working day should finish at 3pm - and an hour is definitely not enough time to plaster. It’s barely enough time to get a mix together.

Plastering is a really tough job physically - I’d like to see all the posters on here saying “surely he could do more” do a full 8 hour day of it 🫣

You don’t need to take a day off either, everyone around here just leaves a key or uses a key safe.

GreenMeeple · 11/10/2025 08:33

RubySquid · 11/10/2025 03:51

Surely you could do some plastering between the hours of 2-5 pm? Which would b the endqt of a normal work day? Trying to remember what the plasterer I had a few years ago did. I do remember it was 2 full days.

Also if you have to keep taking extra days off work to let in tradesman you could e losing wages yourself. Not everyone gets paid if not working ( a scenario tradies should know only too well)

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No if he starts at 8am his working day finishes at 4pm and if he doesn't take any breaks it finishes at 3pm. So at 2pm he only has an hour to do anything elses.

RubySquid · 11/10/2025 03:51

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 21:40

But at 2pm he’d not have time to get any plastering done - that’s the point people are trying to get across to you.

It’s not like he can just stop halfway through and finish tomorrow - if he starts a mix he has to stay until it’s done, which can take hours.

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Surely you could do some plastering between the hours of 2-5 pm? Which would b the endqt of a normal work day? Trying to remember what the plasterer I had a few years ago did. I do remember it was 2 full days.

Also if you have to keep taking extra days off work to let in tradesman you could e losing wages yourself. Not everyone gets paid if not working ( a scenario tradies should know only too well)

Original poster

Sam9769 · 11/10/2025 00:30

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 23:14

👍

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There was a second bedroom to do so he could have started removing the plasterboard in that room which would have made up a day's work for his day rate. He didn't do that and chose to go home instead.
I think that the answer is a price per job so at least we know where we stand.

OP posts:

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 23:14

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 23:11

Yes, which I took to mean that he was due to start plastering but went home instead.

Not that there was still more work to do before he could start plastering.

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👍

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 23:11

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 23:03

in her posts ! she said he was knocking of early and not at the plastering stage

Edited

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Yes, which I took to mean that he was due to start plastering but went home instead.

Not that there was still more work to do before he could start plastering.

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 23:08

ClareBlue · 10/10/2025 23:04

Aren't day rates when you are charging the public purse. Every other job is priced for the job with a proviso that if something is discovered that you couldn't reasonable forsee when pricing then you can revisit the cost. That's how we've always done it and we've employed loads of trades to renovate houses and maintain existing.

Agree
This is how it should be done and it’s unfortunate for OP this is how she’s paying
and in cash aswel

ClareBlue · 10/10/2025 23:04

Aren't day rates when you are charging the public purse. Every other job is priced for the job with a proviso that if something is discovered that you couldn't reasonable forsee when pricing then you can revisit the cost. That's how we've always done it and we've employed loads of trades to renovate houses and maintain existing.

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 23:03

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 22:58

Why don’t you read her posts?

She said he had finished plasterboarding one room - the next stage would be plastering which he couldn’t start at almost 2pm.

I didn’t see that he hadn’t boarded the other room until after that.

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in her posts ! she said he was knocking of early and not at the plastering stage

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 22:58

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 22:49

Why don’t posters at least read OPs posts

he wasn't plastering
he was at prep stage
no wet trades yet

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Why don’t you read her posts?

She said he had finished plasterboarding one room - the next stage would be plastering which he couldn’t start at almost 2pm.

I didn’t see that he hadn’t boarded the other room until after that.

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 22:56

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 22:46

Stop paying in cash unless he does a full day and if you think he’s faffing about to spread the job out put in cameras
If hes taking the piss you have every right

Edited

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Although tbh I wouldn’t have someone like that working on my site

As he hasn’t started plastering yet now is a good time to find someone else
Get job spec in writing
Cost for the whole job in writing
Include clearing and cleaning up afterwards as part of the job ( splashed on skirting etc )
Get an agreed time frame. ie a start and end day.
Agree a start time each day aswel

Do not give out sets of keys

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 22:49

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 21:40

But at 2pm he’d not have time to get any plastering done - that’s the point people are trying to get across to you.

It’s not like he can just stop halfway through and finish tomorrow - if he starts a mix he has to stay until it’s done, which can take hours.

Show quote history

Why don’t posters at least read OPs posts

he wasn't plastering
he was at prep stage
no wet trades yet

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 10/10/2025 22:46

Sam9769 · 10/10/2025 22:29

He could have done some work on the second bedroom by removing some of the plasterboard instead of leaving a 2pm. When he left at 2pm "the expert with experience" still charged a day's rate. Nice work if you can get it for these "experts!"

Show quote history

Stop paying in cash unless he does a full day and if you think he’s faffing about to spread the job out put in cameras
If hes taking the piss you have every right

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 22:38

Sam9769 · 10/10/2025 22:29

He could have done some work on the second bedroom by removing some of the plasterboard instead of leaving a 2pm. When he left at 2pm "the expert with experience" still charged a day's rate. Nice work if you can get it for these "experts!"

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Do it yourself then 🤷‍♀️

Original poster

Sam9769 · 10/10/2025 22:29

ainsleysanob · 10/10/2025 22:14

Exactly! It’s really annoying when these ‘is my tradesman….’ posts pop up as though the OPs know best. You’re paying for him to do his job, so let him, the expert with the experience, do his job. Alternatively, do it yourself or find someone who does ‘by the job’ quoting as opposed to a day rate.

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He could have done some work on the second bedroom by removing some of the plasterboard instead of leaving a 2pm. When he left at 2pm "the expert with experience" still charged a day's rate. Nice work if you can get it for these "experts!"

OP posts:

ainsleysanob · 10/10/2025 22:14

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 21:40

But at 2pm he’d not have time to get any plastering done - that’s the point people are trying to get across to you.

It’s not like he can just stop halfway through and finish tomorrow - if he starts a mix he has to stay until it’s done, which can take hours.

Show quote history

Exactly! It’s really annoying when these ‘is my tradesman….’ posts pop up as though the OPs know best. You’re paying for him to do his job, so let him, the expert with the experience, do his job. Alternatively, do it yourself or find someone who does ‘by the job’ quoting as opposed to a day rate.

thisishowloween · 10/10/2025 21:40

Sam9769 · 10/10/2025 20:58

He was leaving at 13:50 after he had put plasterboard up before he had done any plastering so he didn't need tp wait for anything to dry.

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But at 2pm he’d not have time to get any plastering done - that’s the point people are trying to get across to you.

It’s not like he can just stop halfway through and finish tomorrow - if he starts a mix he has to stay until it’s done, which can take hours.

Original poster

Sam9769 · 10/10/2025 20:58

Catwalking · 09/10/2025 15:33

well… you do the plastering then.
It’s got nothing to do with the specific time of day, strangely.
I believe there are things like having to wait for the different layers to dry or not before the next layer will adhere or not.

Edited

He was leaving at 13:50 after he had put plasterboard up before he had done any plastering so he didn't need tp wait for anything to dry.

OP posts: