To think this is expensive

[Sally150]

Hello I currently have somebody regrouting between my patio slabs.
It's quite a large area and entails him getting down on his knees constantly and its quite time consuming maybe 2 to 3 days worth.
How much would you expect to pay.

When I first read it I thought it was for one day. I thought it was fine even then. For three days it’s cheap as chips!

Great value!

Bargain!

That sounds cheap - if it runs into a fourth day they'd be below minimum wage, they're not making a super premium even at two days. As noted, he needs to pay for all his equipment and maintenance and needs to also account for the time he spent in getting the work in his rate, and possibly chasing you for payment - even if you pay immediately he has to price on the risk you won't.

Obviously it could also sound expensive - it's not a particularly technically difficult job (although doing a good job laying slabs is not simple), but I'd say he's pretty close to the minimum he could charge and make it worthwhile doing at all.

If you want cheap, you need odd-jobs you can outsource out of the UK.

If you didn't like the quote at the time, you should have found someone else.
Also sounds par for the norm for that sort of work.

Sounds cheap.

£100 a day plus he has to run a car/van. That is ridiculously cheap.

I've just had some decorating done and it worked out £260 per day labour, we had lots of quotes and that was in line with what everyone was charging.

Even if it’s 2 days that’s still cheap.

£100 a day gross is equivalent to an annual salary of £26,000. However as he’s a sole trader he’s got to deduct the materials, travel, overheads etc and pay his NI. Seems like a bargain.

Absolute bargain.

Bargainous!

Sounds cheap to me

Bargain!

Nope, referring to the last thread of ‘how much should this be’ but it’s so dependant on the sizes of everything that it’s usually impossible to say, plus the area of country etc. This one seems quite clearly good value at that price though!

@Sally150 you seem to have already decided that it's too expensive as everyone else thinks it's a bargain and you're disagreeing, so if you're not happy with the cost, just don't have the work done.

No point asking if YABU if you're not willing to accept that you are!

That's dirt cheap for 3 days.

What is making you think it’s expensive?

Even if he takes 2 days, that's £150 a day, which is well in the ballpark for tradesperson day rates.

Out of that he has to run a van, buy tools, give quotes for jobs he doesn't get, do his books and all sorts of other jobs. He works outside so won't be able to work every day due to the weather. He also doesn't get paid when he goes on holiday.

Say he works 5 days a week for 40 weeks a year - the other 12 weeks taken up with 5/6 weeks holiday and time lost due to bad weather, that works out at a gross wage of £30k pa, which isn't excessive, especially as he has van and tool costs to come out of that.

Also he doesn't get paid if he can't work if sick or injured.

If you don't want to pay the going rate, you could always do the work yourself.

I dont know the cost of things these days so am probably quite ignorant

It's very reasonable

Very cheap. It would be double where I am

Outsourcing out of the U.K.?

Please try and support local tradesman, it’s a bloody tough market out there for many right now, people are less inclined to do home improvements in a political uncertain time and there will be good, honest tradesmen struggling.

Op, I hope your patio looks fantastic when it’s done!

We were quoted £300 plus VAT to remove some hedge cuttings from our garden.

I think your quote is cheap

It’s cheap - I’d expect to pay 150/175 a day for general labouring, 250+ for skilled work (& much more for plumber/electrician etc).