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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Greedy tradesmen (or women!)

185 replies

LolalovesLondon · 21/10/2020 22:05

Is it just me or are some people taking the piss at the moment? Everyone I contact is booked up for weeks so it’s not lack of work I don’t think...
Had a quote last week to get a gas oven installed - straight swop, no new pipes or alterations, cooker is the same as we have now just a newer model.
£195 installation only.
Is that normal nowadays? 🤔

OP posts:
MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 22:08

Two years ago I was charged £320 to recarpet one step that our puppy had chewed. I provided the carpet and it took him 20 mins. I think some of these things are exceptionally overpriced regardless of Covid.

Original poster
LolalovesLondon · 21/10/2020 22:10

Mooting That’s ridiculous!!

OP posts:
MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 22:12

@LolalovesLondon

Mooting That’s ridiculous!!
Yep. But we contacted multiple tradesmen - apparently they all think they should be charging this amount.
MoistMolly · 21/10/2020 22:14

If you can do a better job cheaper then go for it.

Mimishimi · 21/10/2020 22:15

Right. Uppity buggers, how dare they!

SchrodingersImmigrant · 21/10/2020 22:16

One thing with tradesmen is that you don't pay for the time to they spend on doing the thing. You pay for all that time they spend learning to do it so it wouldn't kill you.
And yes. I repeat that to myself every time I call some😂

Fairyliz · 21/10/2020 22:54

I live in the suburbs of a midlands city and a couple of miles away is what is known as the posh street. So large, individually designed houses with big gardens, garages for three cars etc.
Practically every house is owned by a tradesperson so yes I reckon they are raking it in.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 21/10/2020 22:56

I believe my electrician makes more than the solicitor I employed before😂
If I knew that when I was young I would learn a trade!😂

ShirleyPhallus · 21/10/2020 22:57

But we contacted multiple tradesmen - apparently they all think they should be charging this amount.

If it was so easy that it should have been cheaper, you could have done it yourself?

It always comes back to the same thing that’s said when people ask why some people can command such high salaries. You’re not paying for their time, you’re paying for the years of expertise and training.

Also supply and demand. Simple economics innit.

MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 23:00

@ShirleyPhallus

But we contacted multiple tradesmen - apparently they all think they should be charging this amount.

If it was so easy that it should have been cheaper, you could have done it yourself?

It always comes back to the same thing that’s said when people ask why some people can command such high salaries. You’re not paying for their time, you’re paying for the years of expertise and training.

Also supply and demand. Simple economics innit.

I don't have the tools to do it myself and buying the tools for a one off job is likely to cost more than that. Just because it's supply and demand doesn't mean it's not unacceptable practice. Back in April, if a shop sold a roll of loo roll for £5 then that would be supply and demand - not acceptable behaviour though.
Lockheart · 21/10/2020 23:01

If it's not worth the cost in your opinion then either keep the old one or do it yourself.

It might only take one hour to do but it will have taken years to learn. That's what you pay for.

There's a story old as the hills - a boiler was on the fritz. The engineer was called out and listened to all the pipes and valves. After a few minutes, he tapped one with a wrench and the boiler started working again. When the bill was presented, it was £500. Tapping the boiler - £5. Knowing how and where to tap - £495.

MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 23:02

@Lockheart

If it's not worth the cost in your opinion then either keep the old one or do it yourself.

It might only take one hour to do but it will have taken years to learn. That's what you pay for.

There's a story old as the hills - a boiler was on the fritz. The engineer was called out and listened to all the pipes and valves. After a few minutes, he tapped one with a wrench and the boiler started working again. When the bill was presented, it was £500. Tapping the boiler - £5. Knowing how and where to tap - £495.

To my knowledge, you can't install a gas oven yourself - it has to be done by a gas safe registered tradesman and needs to be building reg certified or you could be fined.
MoistMolly · 21/10/2020 23:03

There's at least 2 reasons why trades quote high.

  1. They really don't need the work
  2. The customer is an arse
Greenhairbrush · 21/10/2020 23:03

Yabu
He/she doesn’t get to pocket £195. The outgoings of running a business are pricey. Insurance, van/travel, tools and tool maintenance, the fee to be gas safe registered, accounting/admin are just some of the things that have to be paid for from their work.
Plus the training and skill, which is extremely valuable to keep you safe.

Lockheart · 21/10/2020 23:04

@MootingMirror exactly. That's why you need to pay for the expertise.

IMNOTSHOUTING · 21/10/2020 23:05

I had an electrician come to give us a safety certificate for our insurance. Took him 10 minutes cost £200. He spent the entire time banging on about his investment portfolio Grin.

MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 23:07

[quote Lockheart]@MootingMirror exactly. That's why you need to pay for the expertise.[/quote]
No, you're paying for the registration. People don't accept this practice in industries that are considered to be "educated". Labour per hour for mechanics, plumbers, electricians etc is far higher than labour per hour for doctors, lawyers, dentists etc. And those professions spend a lot more time and money on qualifying. The difference is that certain industries don't recognise the benefit of future-proofing whilst others do.

Dontstepinthecowpat · 21/10/2020 23:07

I came on to say what @Greenhairbrush has said.

seayork2020 · 21/10/2020 23:19

So people who do not do the job or have idea how each tradesperson works and what businesses expenses they have or how much parts cost or their licenses and insurance etc. cost I presume also go by 'well my brother is a plumber and he does not charge that' think that these trades people employ a group of people whose sole purpose is to find ways to rip people off?

Do people also question teachers wages 'well my child got a D so the teacher should not be paid as much' or 'the price of milk has gone up the supermarket staff are ripping me off'

And no I am not personally involved with their tradespeople I am sure there are dodgy ones like any industry but there is always cries of 'I am being over charged' always seems to apply to tradies

The6thQueen · 21/10/2020 23:24

Tradespeople aren’t greedy - any more than dentists, lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers etc.
As pps have stated, training takes time and costs a lot. Renewal of fees to maintain ability to practice (gas and electricity mainly) is very expensive and takes time away from paid jobs.
They have taxes to pay as well as overheads to cover.
A twenty minute job isn’t just the 20 minutes they’re there for you. It’s not even just the previous years training. It’s the prep and planning that goes into making sure they have all they need (tools aren’t cheap), the travel time to an from your job, the other jobs they can’t be doing whilst at yours, the paperwork completing after, the insurance etc.

They’re not unskilled, uneducated drones. They’re trained professionals and we are paying for a service.

onedayinthefuture · 21/10/2020 23:28

People don't like shelling out for repairs, it's not a fun thing to spend money on so of course there will be frustration. BUT I do feel so many people want something for nothing. I've seen friends end up completely screwed over because they've gone for the cheapest quote. It's disrespectful to think that someone isn't worth it, only low cost will do forgetting that for a lot of tradespeople they are in effect making a very positive change to your life. Boiler = warmth, painter and decorator, builder, plasterer = home transformation, electrician = power and light your home, plumber = running water. Jesus was a carpenter too ;)

Stefoscope · 21/10/2020 23:28

I always expect a pricey quote for the smaller, quicker jobs. A busy tradesman isn't going to be keen to spend their day traveling to 6 one hour long jobs if they can take on a larger more lucrative job like installing a bathroom, etc.

seayork2020 · 21/10/2020 23:30

And when people do get a cheap tradesperson they brag about how little it costs then it breaks down then they moan about it and cry 'I have been done'

Elsewyre · 21/10/2020 23:32

@LolalovesLondon

Is it just me or are some people taking the piss at the moment? Everyone I contact is booked up for weeks so it’s not lack of work I don’t think... Had a quote last week to get a gas oven installed - straight swop, no new pipes or alterations, cooker is the same as we have now just a newer model. £195 installation only. Is that normal nowadays? 🤔
Well if you're not short of work you're in demand.

High demand = higher prices.

Catmanduu · 21/10/2020 23:33

Consider also a self employed tradesman may have to pay themselves holidays, insurance etc.
Think what a solicitor charges when you move house. What a registrar charges for a 20 minute ceremony. Those prices are eye watering.
Or is it ok for professionals to price high. And just tradesmen who are greedy for charging what people are prepared to pay?