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.

Exactly this.

It’s amazing how many people like OP have zero clue about what it costs to run a business.

My DP is a plumbing and heating engineer. In addition to all of the above, he also has exams he has to pay for every 5 years to ensure he is up to date and compliant with all the gas regs.

If he’s sick and can’t work, he doesn’t get sick pay. If he wants to take a holiday, he doesn’t get paid any annual leave, he has to ensure he’s earned enough money to cover himself financially for the time he takes off. (Covid lockdowns were a nightmare for many self employed folk, as they got the least amount of help from the government whilst everyone else was being furloughed).

People like the OP are one of the worst types of customer for tradesmen. Expecting everything done cheaply, with zero regard for the costs to that tradesman.

fair points just one extra the more worse ones are the ones that already cost for the job in advance then try to say im only paying x as its eg a 2 min task etc

Well that’s a sexist sign err!

Agree @steff13 DIY.

If you think the prices are too high then I guess you’d better get yourself an apprenticeship so you can start doing it yourself 🙄

Well the tale of a wife telling her husband to get a professional to look at something but he goes and messes it up himself is a tale as old as time. It doesn't always end in him thrashing the errant Austin with a branch though...

They never think of this....it's always it took 10 minutes etc.

Learn to do it yourself

I do all the diy myself ( I’m the wife ) if I spot something that needs doing and as we’ve bought a very old wreck it’s a lot more than diy. ( we always buy wrecks though so I’ve learnt a lot on the job )

I honestly don’t know what you mean by ‘thrashing the errant Austin with a branch’ . 🙃

Those that can do, those that can't teach😀

Not something I’d say of those very good teachers and lecturers I used to work with, training apprentices in crafts and trades. Or most of the teachers I know, in fact.
Maybe work to improve your lazy thinking.

I agree and think this is a good thing. We don’t need thousands of children saddled with debt from useless degrees. University isn’t for everyone. For some people there are other options.

You're paying the business running costs too that's why it looks high. Those trades paying taxes and running a bonafide business lose up to 60% of the bill.

Whatever your hourly rate may be, it won't reflect the true cost your employer incurs to employ you, nor will it be the rate used to bill clients for your services.

This why it's hard to attract people into the trades because people complain all the time.

Is this not the scene from Fawlty Towers?
I'm showing my age

Your time off is more valuable to you than your time at work which is why overtime rates arrived. You could spend the weekend generally happy and stress free with friends and family or you could spend the time fixing up your house. That's why we get the trades in and are happy to pay their rates notwithstanding all the extra tools /fixings we would need to stock to be able to DIY.

So you're happy to knowingly be a part of tax avoidance because it gets your job done cheaper than paying the going rate for an actual tradesman? And you have the audacity to complain? FFS.

Often tradespeople are more skilled than a person who went to university, particularly in trade.

Do you do a tax return? Assuming your a FT teacher, you're at least paying BRT and NI on that, right? Hardly worth the effort, really.

Do you also complain about underfunding in the NHS, or poor pay for teachers or nurses? How do you think they are paid for??

In the days when cars were easier to work on, we often paid more for a job because OH had tried to do it himself and they had to undo it first!

Very often the small jobs are the ones that cost a tradesman the most. Fixing a light switch might only take him a few mins, but he's also travelled to you and probably doesn't make that much from the job when you take into account all his costs.

Tradies often have to go to college and have a few years of shit wages as an apprentice, then they have their own business so have to cost for the transport, fuel, tools not to mention the many certificates they have to keep updating. So it might seem like a 30 min job cost you £200, but that includes all the above.

I've often thought of if I ever got made redundant I'd retrain to become an electrician, plumber or something similar, but I can't afford the pay cut for the first few years and to build a business up.

Those who can do.
those who cannot, teach.

Retrain .

or learn to fix things yourself.

Maybe he nipped off to price a job at lunch or to collect items from Screwfix etc for this job or the next.

you paid for his time in your house, but also his tools (and their replacements from the huge number of van break ins that have been happening in UK with no care from police)
you are paying him to source the items you need (or advising you to what they are)
you are paying towards his pension and in work sickness benefits and holiday. (My trade brother broke a leg and had 9months off with the most minimal of government support, and no employer to bolster him during the time) You are paying towards his accountancy and admin. You are paying towards his vehicle and its upkeep.

of your salary how much do you pay towards the school admin, and resources, to training, to technical support and equipment? have you accounted the employers contributions to pension and NI? To your holidays?

learn to do basic DIY, fix stuff at home. We replaced our loo last weekend. I can’t afford to get a decorator, so will have to go through the time consuming trauma of doing it myself. But I don’t begrudge someone making a living from their skills.