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.

No, they're usually paid a fair rate for what they do. If you'd chosen a career other than teaching, you'd have had the opportunity to potentially earn far more than any tradeperson.

When you factor in pension and holidays and sick leave you are paid far more.
As a follow teacher I'm embarrassed for you that you can't see that.
To all the other posters .... we're not all as daft as this and we're ok with paying self employed people a decent wage

But most people ignore things like screws, fixing, silicone sealant, replacement drill bits etc in calculating this. And ignore the time it takes to order materials, collect materials, invoice for those etc..

The OP is having a go at tradesmen but doesn't actually sound like she paid a tradesman. More a handyman doing a bit on the side.

Much like tutoring there will be those doing it properly and paying tax and those not declaring anything (there's a thread about one just now). But it would be unfair to say all teachers have this extra income stream and therefore don't need higher wages.

You're majorly backtracking. It's obvious what you meant.

Absolutely this.

Skilled trades do very well.

I think you paid what 79 per hour on average? How much do you want him to charge? That's offensive what you said about you going to uni, alot of trades have to study as well,.if you're a plumber or working on gas or electric, you train, these training costs for gas for example carry on every few years, or the cost of public liability ins, tools, fuel, parking, tax, van costs , if you run a legitimate business in this day and age then you got over heads which as a teacher you probably don't. Honestly you're a teacher but you clearly don't understand how life is do you. If you had an issus with the man's costs you should have taken it up with him.

I think the real issue here is that teachers are underpaid and undervalued compared to a tradesman. Both very important job roles for society.

Tradies need to charge what they can while their bodies are still able to do the work. Physical labour is very taxing and the risk of injury high. My BIL is a builder but at 50yo his body is giving out and he's in quite a bit of pain. He won't be able to do a lot of work when that gets worse and will live with it for the rest of his life.

It's been known for years that you earn more as a tradie than you do as an office worker. I don't know why so many people push their children through uni to get mediocre office jobs when they could learn a trade, have no debt, and earn good money within a few short years!

Teachers aren't underpaid.

You are getting a hard time here OP but YANBU in your specific example. This was your friend who asked for cash in hand so hasn’t paid tax or NI on the money and you also provided tools and materials. Your friend has taken the piss here. £475 cash for 7 hours work! I’m in the wrong job too.

Yes, this is all true. I'm with you.

Seriously?

I’d hope the op will learn from this post and give better careers advice to their pupils rather than the stereotypical advice that you have to go to uni to be a success!

But your neighbour is still a skilled person. If you didn't ask for a quote then that's your fault. He wasn't going to charge you less because he lives nearby, you supplied the parts etc. You are paying for his time and expertise. I don't understand why you don't get that!
FWIW I've had loads of work done in my house recently. I've employed a builder who lives in the next street to do some. I didn't expect a discount because he lives nearby. I expected to be charged the rate for the job. The plumber who fixed a leak in my bathroom, which involved taking out the bath, sorting it out and re fixing the bath lives nearby. Again I paid the rate for the job. It took hours to do. It was a skilled job. Just like teaching.

Absolutely true..the Skilled trades most definitely have to study to earn relevant qualifications related to their trades.

I actually respect skilled trades over a two bit uni course these days.

Yes

She should have taken it up when she asked for a quote
If she was shocked at the price she should have shopped around.
But it looks like she just thought she'd be able to bung him a few quid, with him not going to uni.

I'm not defending shoddy tax dodging traders btw as (dripfed) sounds like the case here. But I am defending people who have learnt skills over decades who charge what they need to make a livng and don't deserve to be labelled under "all tradesmen take the piss". Some do take the piss obviously, as do a lot of workshy people across all industries.

But, before all tradespeople are written off when anyone is considering hiring someone or judging their time on a job, do please consider where the materials and tools come from to do a job. An hour's round trip to collect? Are they from more than one supplier? How long to look at the job in the first place, sourcing materials, quoting and invoicing?

How many other jobs could that person do in a day around the job?

Have you asked if the job is cheaper for cash? Because contrary to popular belief, many people demand this, not realising that there is often no benefit to the tradesperson at all! They still need money in the bank to be able to pay their bills and still need to pay tax on it!

With the updates this seems like an extreme case. A tradesman that crossed the road to do the job, didn't use his own tools, didn't pay NI, didn't do the agreed hours etc etc.

By the end he hardly becomes representative of all (or even most) tradesmen.

I very much disagree.

Why should someone who has probably done an apprenticeship for several years be paid less than their worth? Do you think you're worth more because you went to university for 5 years? could you do their job? if not, why not?

Maybe you should have only gone to uni for 3 years and spent 2 at college doing a vocational course. Then you would have been invincible.

Yes, that's certainly not the experience I've ever had.

If you think the jobs are too expensive, you have the option of doing them yourself. There are tons of YouTube video tutorials and you can crack on at a fraction of the price! And then, when you've flooded your house, electrocuted yourself and all your precious belongings have come crashing off the shelves, these rates might not seem so expensive after all!

But tradespeople won’t be working the full year, they will have periods where they have no work. If you’ve ever lived with tradesmen during a recession when houses aren’t getting built and people aren’t doing renovations then it’s slim pickings. In those times we still have a job and don’t lose out financially.