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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that a day rate for a plumber of £800 is insane?!

53 replies

Yellowingtrees · 02/12/2025 16:16

How/when did this happen?!

And yes, skills, experience, fiddly job etc. etc. - but that's more than the day rate for a locum consultant doctor!! And I absolutely DO think that a consultant doctor should be earning more than a plumber...

OP posts:
hyggetyggedotorg · 02/12/2025 16:18

That does seem a lot, yes. Is that just for the plumber’s time? No materials etc included?

SwayzeM · 02/12/2025 16:18

Is thst just labour or does that include materials?

thisfilmisboring123 · 02/12/2025 16:19

Unless they’re installing gold taps, I’d be fuming!

Although I must admit, I’m very out of touch with tradesman prices.
My dad is a ‘jack of all trades’ so usually been able to rely on him for odd jobs thankfully!

Ilovemyshed · 02/12/2025 16:19

Madness. In my area its £250/day

FartyAnimal · 02/12/2025 16:19

Well, my husband is a plumber of over 40 years experience and has never charged or received anything like that!

Valid8me · 02/12/2025 16:19

Most plumbers are self-employed and can therefore charge whatever they like. If people are prepared to pay £800, then you can't blame the plumber for charging it. I'm sure the rates would soon come down if he wasn't getting any work.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 02/12/2025 16:19

You are being had OP.

Mayflower282 · 02/12/2025 16:20

Yeah ours was £800 a day to get new boiler installed. I seriously thought about re-training 😒

AngelontopoftheTree · 02/12/2025 16:20

Sounds like the plumber doesn't actually want the job.

youalright · 02/12/2025 16:22

You need to get multiple quotes. He's either dodgy, doesn't want the job or thats parts aswell

Comefromaway · 02/12/2025 16:23

That is most definitely not the going rate. I work in payroll & accounts for a firm who supplies plumbers & gas engineers.

Does that include a mate/assistant?

ecology1989 · 02/12/2025 16:23

as someone with friends in the trades, unlikely he wants the job hence the day rate as he’s in that much demand elsewhere so can prioritise what he wants to work on. But as others have said does this include materials?

jasflowers · 02/12/2025 16:24

A plumber near me is charging me £620 for 2 plumbers inc a great deal of copper pipe, to move a gas combi boiler and then re install it in the utility room.

My cars clutch, is on the way out, its 5.5hr book job, inc materials £535.

He is either a scammer or doesn't want the job.

arethereanyleftatall · 02/12/2025 16:25

Yanbu, and it’s not just plumbers, it’s all the trades. All the boys who didn’t listen at school, and weren’t academic enough for alevels. However, there’s nothing stopping anyone from learning the trade though. I’m really surprised given this has been going on for years that there’s not far too many now!

TheRolyPolyByrd · 02/12/2025 16:25

He or she definitely does not want the job!!
I've a plumber friend who quotes stupid money if he doesn't want the job. Occasionally someone stupid or desperate does actually pay it.

Newbutoldfather · 02/12/2025 16:26

I think that is double or more the going rate if booked in advance.

AI said the the London rate is £250 to £375 per day. And there are loads of sites for people to compete for the work.

Emergency callouts are another game, especially if you just ring the first site on Google. There are a lot of charlatans out there!

VividLemonLeader · 02/12/2025 16:26

The plumber provides his own tools, insurance and overheads. The locum consultant doesn’t.

CloudSky · 02/12/2025 16:27

Was it a day rate or a job price?

FartyAnimal · 02/12/2025 16:29

Fitting a boiler is slightly different. You have to pay to be corgi registered, order the boiler, collect it, and then be responsible if the poxy thing plays up.

jasflowers · 02/12/2025 16:29

VividLemonLeader · 02/12/2025 16:26

The plumber provides his own tools, insurance and overheads. The locum consultant doesn’t.

Can you live without your boiler for the day? Could you live if you had severe crush injuries after a car crash?

The idea a plumber and consultant Doc can be mentioned in the same sentence in regard to money, is total nuts!

FrenchandSaunders · 02/12/2025 16:29

God I wish DH earned that! It's usually £250ish around here.

VividLemonLeader · 02/12/2025 16:31

@jasflowers the point was that thr doctor does earn a lot more, as this is the cost for his work. For the plumber, its the cost for his work, admin, tools, insurance, etc.
It is on the very pricey side though.

PodMom · 02/12/2025 16:33

I had an electrician charge me £750 for 3 hours work recently, admittedly he did have to buy around 6m of armoured cable (no idea how much that costs) and 2 plug sockets and a lightbulb and some sort of electrical box/unit for the shed (no idea how much that costs either).

RobinTheRed · 02/12/2025 16:41

PodMom · 02/12/2025 16:33

I had an electrician charge me £750 for 3 hours work recently, admittedly he did have to buy around 6m of armoured cable (no idea how much that costs) and 2 plug sockets and a lightbulb and some sort of electrical box/unit for the shed (no idea how much that costs either).

Both my electrician and plasterer charge a day rate and then I pay for materials on top but it comes with a receipt from wherever they bought it from. Both of them charge £260 a day and are experienced, doing the job for over 20 years.

There is no way I would pay £800 for a plumber for labour only. Shop around if you can.

IcyPuddles · 02/12/2025 16:42

This sounds like a “I don’t want the job” quote.