To think that tradesmen take the piss with their rates?

[Pomegranatecarnage]

Just that really. I have had a few repairs needed and some DIY recently. I paid £130 to have a leaking toilet valve fixed (it took 45 mins), £75 to have a pull string light replaced (10 mins) and then £270 labour for 6 hours work putting up some shelves, a small area of tiling and replacing skirting boards. He arrived at 10, left at 12 for lunch, back at 2 then was finished by 4pm. I can’t help wondering why I spent 5 years at University to get paid far less per hour as a teacher.

It must be very regional, or perhaps size of job? If look across the three places I have / had property in the UK since Covid, only a landscaping firm offered any discount for cash (on a £5k bill) - but even then for just half the bill. So presumably wanted to put half through the books. Across 3 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, some roofing and general building work, and a lot of decorating - not a mention of a discount for cash. I don’t really want to add up how much that was!! But, it was in SW London, South Coast and Cotswolds and using decent sized firms in most cases. I guess it’s harder to ‘lose’ the VAT on kitchens / bathrooms as a lot of the cost is materials.

Hear, hear, spot on!

Deleted for not reading it properly!.

The problem I suppose is that it only takes one to ask for cash in hand. That one becomes competition for all the honest ones paying their taxes.

I wouldn’t pay cash in hand, I want receipts and a guarantee.
I would report anyone that offered it.

Hmrc somehow need to catch the dodgers out. It would help people like your dh, bring more taxes in and maybe even lower other benefit payments

@taxguru
Have you reported them.
Its never too late.

Maybe mumsnet could all scam them by cold calling and see who offers 😳

This!! It's the clients putting pressure on.

Fewer than 1 in 5 self employed workers pay into a pension so you can add the £10k back on again. However you have forgotten to deduct any tax or NI so that will offset some of it.

Most SE workers have no idea what they will do when they retire. However, they do tend to focus more on building other assets eg paying off mortgage or building business that can be sold on than employees do… partly as they don’t have that long term security.

Is there such a thing as inciting fraud ?

If there is then all the honest tradesmen should report the clients. Although I doubt it’s against the law and neither is paying in cash. The onus is always on the tradesmen.

Here is an article re large cash payments
Perhaps soon, it can be for all payments then everyone pays their taxes and unfair competition no longer a thing

These weren’t cowboys, they were proper registered long established firms especially the scaffolders whose scaffold is all over the town - it’s one of the main locals firms.

Exactly it’s the same as cleaners, people don’t realise the other costs and time we have to fork out!

They get no sick pay, no pension, no maternity/paternity paid leave and no 13 weeks paid holiday...
unlike you...

You aren't paying for the time it took him to do the job but the time it took him to learn how to do the job in that time to a standard

How could they possibly get any of those things anyway.
They are their own boss
Just like anyone that runs their own business

The point is that their hourly rate needs to cover all this - which an employed person’s hourly wage doesn’t.

They also have transport costs to travel to your home, and the time it takes to travel. I don't think those prices are unreasonable although I'd have had the light pull replaced at the same time as another job to make sure you're not paying travel costs twice

Assume she meant one that needed wiring in? Hence electrician.
I would have done that myself though as it's just like wiring a plug. Just turn all power off first

No taking the piss at all.. ask for prices b4 and if you don't accept try it yourself

I do know plenty readies earning decent enough money and I do think that for many kids who are not suited to a classical education, trades is an excellent option. It’s a shame more teachers dont promote them as an real alternative to university

I find that for relatively small jobs there's almost always someone local who will do a good job without fleecing me! It seems that if I ask Person A who's doing a job if he can do some other job, he may say No, but if you ring Person B........... It seems that a lot of big equipment is loaned out among them all!

And this is why a cashflow with what someone would like to take home in a year, along with thinking about what if they were off sick, wanted holidays, pension etc is essential if you are starting a small business and deciding what rate to charge

They seem pretty reasonable rates to me. Did you haggle to get these prices? If you didn't then I think you met some pretty decent tradesmen.

well you could do a course on how to learn x skills, then you need to cost the equipment thats needed, then there is your labour, then there is your insurance costs, then vehicle and fuel costs :

overall based on this op, do you still think they charge too much ?

But OP, you chose this person. If you wanted someone who would use their own tools rather than yours, be covered by insurance (what makes you think they weren't covered by insurance?) and ask to be paid by BACs, then you could have found someone else to do the job.

Assuming they are all self employed there will be insurance cost, supplies, quickbooks (or the equivalent), website, accountants etc to pay for. Plus money aside for sick/holidays that they won’t get paid for as someone who is employed would

You’re also paying because they have a skill set for something you can’t do yourself that’s worth more than a minimum hourly rate wage. I wouldn’t say anything you’ve listed was scarily over priced

Though many people end up paying for work they tried to do themselves. Hence why some vans even have "we repair what your husband fixed" signwritten on them