Is this handyman taking the piss

[RatCatBat]

Just want a sense check.

How much would you expect to pay for a handyman to mount 10 floating shelves?

I have been quoted double what I expected.

Maybe a half day rate providing a simple job and no cutting or sizing. A day at a push.

Assuming you're supplying all the shelves and fittings, probably about £150.

Given that a handyman charged me 90 euro to put up 3 curtain poles. I am taking a wild guess on 200.

Usual day rate is about 200-250 ish where I am for reference.

Anywhere from about £80-150 depending on how slowly they work.

No less than half a day, no more than a day.

I’ve been quoted £520.

Fuck me they don't want the job!

That's definitely TTP.

Unless they’re also making the shelves by hand or something that is ridiculous and they don’t want to do it

They don’t want the job, so that’s what they’re charging to make it worth their while.

Is it a plasterboard wall, and does he need to fix the metal pole into the woodboards? That would be a whole different ballgame compared to just screwing boards with brackets into a brick wall. My husband is a builder and recently did two long floating shelves (including supply/built) for £3,900 and the client was very happy about the price.

PS: also don’t forget that mounting boards is usually a 2-man job, which doubles the fee compared to something one handyman could do by himself.

No it’s a brick wall. I’m confused about why he wants to charge that for a half day job.

I wanted a huge heavy shelf put up, 2 bookcases attached to the wall and a small shelf up.. he wanted 30 quid 😮

I asked DH who was a handyman before he retired. He said it would depend on the length of the shelves, how many rods were needed per shelf and the type of wall. Depending on the above he thinks it would be between half and a full day's work.

I know somebody that owns a car bodyshop. He told me that if somebody comes to him with a job that he doesn’t really want to do he will give them a ridiculously high price. If that doesn’t put them off he will do the job but make twice the money

I don’t think that’s a half days work but even based on a full day it’s too much

Absolutely mad. Where are you?? I’ll put them bloody shelves up for you for £200, if you’re anywhere near me (SE London/Surrey borders). It’s an easy job requiring a spirit level, a big drill and an adequate supply of rawl plugs.

It is DIY- able if you have a drill and drill bits. I appreciate you might not have the time but if money is an object then I can strongly recommend a few hours on YouTube and setting aside a weekend day. It’s very freeing not to be beholden to trades for essentially unskilled but costly jobs.

I agree - he doesn’t want or need the job.

Because if he charged what the job’s actually worth he would lose money.

Basically, you are paying him a premium because he doesn’t want or need a half day job.

Half day jobs are inconvenient bevause, depending on where you are, they can wipe out the whole day in travel time, and also many people now do their own small DIY jobs so filling the other half-day is more difficult.

On the one hand, I wonder at all the young people off to do expensive, vanity courses at uni (I was one! I hold my hands up) when trades are basically a licence to print money if you work hard and are honest, law abiding and treat customers well.

On the other, I feel a market correction is coming whereby a lot of people will no longer be willing to pay megabucks to shady geezers for essentially labouring jobs they can do themselves. When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s in the north, the idea you’d routinely pay someone to fix a sink leak/ paint or paper a wall/ repair a fence/ put up some pictures/ assemble a wardrobe/ change some spark plugs, was for the birds. You did it yourself and the world kept turning.

Obviously I am not talking about safety-critical and insured/certificated trades like gas fitting, electrics, structural building works etc.

I was a tradesperson before I retired. I learned early on not to over-quote for work I didn't want because sometimes you get the job and the extra money is no consolation for spending hours/days doing a job you don't want to do.

After that I just said it wasn't a job I would do and suggested someone who I knew might like the work.

What an amazing luxury to be able to turn down £500 for a day’s easy labour though! I can’t think of many jobs I’d turn down for that, if I could fit them in to my schedule. I’m truly in the wrong job. My day rate (not that I charge per day) is around £260. Out of that I pay hefty tax and pension, and can expense absolutely nothing bevause I am PAYE.

I recently looked at the national careers service website for salaries for various skilled trades (and admittedly also professional jobs). They were so far off the mark it was laughable. A time-served gas fitter mmaking £35k? Pull the other one.

Use task rabbit get some skilled to do the work or ask recommendations from street WhatsApp