Page 2 | Come share your extortionate quotes

WalterWitty · 2023-05-19T06:29:43+00:00

All trades are charging more than usual, totally understand that COL etc. What I’m not loving is that if It’s me who arranges the quote and the guy thinks it’s just some woman living here they’re quoting ridiculous amounts - it’s actually starting to get amusing…this year… Quote to connect a dishwasher (most of the plumbing work done) £350…he even laughed a little when he said it Quote for 3.67 square mtrs of tiling (all tiles supplied by us) £450. Obvs didn’t go with either of these guys…please tell me it’s not just me that gets this…

QueenCamilla · 30/05/2023 20:31

I don't think this thread will go out of fashion for a while...

10k to replace a roof on a small terraced house. Bad enough of a quote, especially when no new roof is needed. I got some actually needed roof repairs, chimney repointed and new gutters/fascias for 3k.

4 thousand pounds(!) to board and skim two bedrooms and a box room. I was going to remove the old ceilings myself to save some money....
I'm actually getting those ceilings done, + the hallway, and the lads will take down the ceilings themselves and the old water tank out of the loft - for 1.1k tomorrow! I'll believe it when I see it though 👀😅

QueenCamilla · 30/05/2023 20:39

1k to dig a 2m trench. That was for a gas company and the workers themselves couldn't believe the quote for a temporary hole in the ground (the workers are salaried). Apparently, that would have taken them 30mins to do. It took me about 5h with the tip runs in between - so I saved £200 on every hour of my work.

After doing their 15 mins of pipe-work, the gas labourers spent another 15 mins demolishing my concreted front garden & path with their breaker for a £20 discretionary payment 😂
They most likely saved me from 2k quotes or 5 days of my own work!

FlouncingBabooshka · 31/05/2023 11:36

Prep and paint a room (14 x 12 ft). Includes a large picture rail but not the windows and sills as they are already newly painted following refurbishment.

Labour only - £1300.

MorrisZapp · 31/05/2023 11:38

Lovely young lad with his own business came to quote me for redecorating my bedroom. Including painting the ceiling and papering the walls. He was so enthusiastic and I decided I'd hire him regardless of price.

Then his quote arrived. Two grand 🤣🤣🤣

Jacopo · 31/05/2023 11:44

£645 to renew car insurance that cost 372 last year. Graciously reduced to 575 when challenged.
went elsewhere and got the same deal for £400.

whereaw · 31/05/2023 11:49

Tradespeople are in high demand. Outcome of everybody pushing their kids into university.

MorrisZapp · 31/05/2023 11:51

MaybeSmaller · 19/05/2023 13:56

As PPs have said I think a lot of trades have a minimum price for a job and that explains some of the high prices quoted.

I.E. £350 to connect a free standing dishwasher, when John Lewis charge £25, or £90 if it's an integrated one - but obviously, the people JL send to do this are not skilled trades people, so it's a bit horses for courses.

Trades might be run off their feet with work and it may not be worth their while to do bitty little jobs.

Are there really no handy persons or odd job type people any more (as opposed to bona fide trades)? I thought that would be more appropriate for some of the jobs quoted here.

In the recent past I've had very small jobs done (often same day) by putting an ad on Checkatrade. This may vary by area of country but I might get an apprentice who wants to earn an easy £50 or whatever it happens to be.

Why offer to quote for jobs they won't do? Why come out? I don't get it.

jenandberrys · 31/05/2023 12:05

MorrisZapp · 31/05/2023 11:38

Lovely young lad with his own business came to quote me for redecorating my bedroom. Including painting the ceiling and papering the walls. He was so enthusiastic and I decided I'd hire him regardless of price.

Then his quote arrived. Two grand 🤣🤣🤣

Out of interest , how long do you think it will take and how much do you think it should cost?

Fretfulmum · 31/05/2023 12:37

£20,000 for a retaining wall 2.5 metres long and 1 metre high, 5 steps (from patio to garden), 2 x raised beds 1m2.

The costs aren’t high ‘right now’. These are the costs and they are going to keep increasing (hopefully at a slower rate than in the past year). We better get used to them or find a way to do the work ourselves. We can’t as no time for it so have to pay others. Everyone is talking about COL crisis but trades are so busy we can’t even get them to do any work.

Notyetthere · 31/05/2023 12:58

We had a new garage roof installed with felt on Monday; 5mx2.5m . Took the guys under 2 hours to complete. £1000. Our carpenter had already installed the roof joists and boarding so just burning the felt onto the roof type job. DH reckons it was very little work for a lot of money. The quote was the same for the previous roofer who broke his shoulder the day before he was to start so who knows... maybe that is the going rate.

Diyextension · 31/05/2023 14:05

Notyetthere · 31/05/2023 12:58

We had a new garage roof installed with felt on Monday; 5mx2.5m . Took the guys under 2 hours to complete. £1000. Our carpenter had already installed the roof joists and boarding so just burning the felt onto the roof type job. DH reckons it was very little work for a lot of money. The quote was the same for the previous roofer who broke his shoulder the day before he was to start so who knows... maybe that is the going rate.

It does sound a lot , but the problem with specialist jobs like that that is they are out of the scope of a lot of people, even some roofers won’t do flat roof work and there aren’t many people who could turn their hand to it . It’s one of those jobs that you just have to get it done and not think too much about the cost. 🙁

Diyextension · 31/05/2023 14:10

Fretfulmum · 31/05/2023 12:37

£20,000 for a retaining wall 2.5 metres long and 1 metre high, 5 steps (from patio to garden), 2 x raised beds 1m2.

The costs aren’t high ‘right now’. These are the costs and they are going to keep increasing (hopefully at a slower rate than in the past year). We better get used to them or find a way to do the work ourselves. We can’t as no time for it so have to pay others. Everyone is talking about COL crisis but trades are so busy we can’t even get them to do any work.

Unless you live in a 20million plus house in Holland Park then that is not how much a small retaining wall and 5 steps costs normally? 20 grand gets a lot more work than that done .

Freezylap · 31/05/2023 14:15

Are there really no handy persons or odd job type people any more (as opposed to bona fide trades)? I thought that would be more appropriate for some of the jobs quoted here.

I have an excellent handy man who doesn’t charge the earth BUT ages booked up months I advance so no use when you need something done quickly.

Ariela · 31/05/2023 14:16

You tube video, and treat yourself to the proper tools.

StiggyZardust · 31/05/2023 14:22

£12000 to put a patio at the end of the garden. It's currently lawn.

SophiaElise · 31/05/2023 14:29

I now use taskrabbit for small jobs and so far, so good. Not worth getting a tradesman in as unless he (as it's usually a he) is doing work in the area, it's often not worth his time to drive to you, fix the problem and drive back home... so they usually refuse or overprice to make the trip worth the hassle.