I've been done but he's my friends husband

[Mottledhellibore]

My friends husband is a tradesman. I asked if he could cut and screw 3 lengths of planks to a small bedroom, cladded ceiling. I had bought the wood. He took and hour and 20 minutes to do it. I will be painting. He charged me £80. I feel this is excessive and want to ask if he had included the planks in the price
The issue is he is my friends husband and I don't want to cause any awkwardness but equally I feel hurt that I've been taken advantage of. I didn't expect it for free, just not that price. Any thoughts? Thank you

You have to be joking, £80 is more than reasonable

I absolutely loathe having to deal with tradesmen but this isn't an unreasonable amount at all

Why? Does he only need to pay his bills when he has charged non mates rates?

I’m another who thinks it sounds reasonable. I know you think it was just ten minutes travel hardly any tools used etc. The cost of his van / tools doesn’t vanish though do it needs to be built into hourly rate along with all the other costs of being self employed.

Don’t expect mates rates, it’s incredibly rude. His time doesn’t cost less because you know his wife.

My DP’s first hour rate is £95

This - the OP is very entitled.

Sounds fine

Rates have gone up massively so if you last had work done in 2021 or something you’ll be massively out of touch.

Good tradesmen are hard to find
our handyman is £80 per hour 😵‍💫
prostitutes charge less!!!

That is really reasonable. If a trade comes into the house to do any work here it’s basically a half day rate immediately which is a lot more than that!

This is beyond reasonable. Where I live call-out charges are £120 'to have a look if we can do it'.

Now you know why DIY is called DIY.

If it was nothing skilled you should have done it yourself.
You wanted a skilled person to do the job properly but didn't want to pay their rates.
You were hoping to pay a token amount.
YABU

Can MN somehow link this thread with future threads where mums recommend to other mums that their children should not bother with universities and go into trades? Do an apprenticeship? That all jobs are equally important and are equally respected?

I suggest the OP tries this tack with a private dentist or a private GP, because their initial appointment is only 15 minutes.

Never use him again. My husband isn't a tradesman but he's very handy and he wouldn't have charged my friends a penny for such an easy task.

It does seem a bit on the expensive side. Don't ask him to
do anything again if you are not pleased. However, it's probably the going rate.

I'm guessing it depends too whether the payment has gone through the books or if its a cash job. I might expect mates rates if it's not strictly legit tax wise.

My husband once called a man to go up our roof,cut antenna off and take it down.It took him less than 10 minutes.We had to pay him £60.This was back in 2016
Hope you feel better

£80 is cheap! Did you assume you were getting mates rates? He has a business to run!

Can't believe everyone saying that's reasonable! Not sure where you all live but I think that's extortionate and yes we've had trades people in recently.

I think it is a bit expensive, but it all depends on his usual charge.

I have a regular handyman who has done a variety of jobs for us, from putting a new ceiling in the laundry room to replacing a bathroom sink, he charges £25 an hour plus parts. I am delighted with his work and charges.

Why didn't you get an upfront quote before he did the work?

I'm gobsmacked it's acceptable for a tradesman to charge £60 an hour. Doctors don't get that much.

It's not an hourly rate though. It's the equivalent of a call out fee. You really are unrealistic if you expect a tradesperson to come out and do any job for less than 80 quid. They have travelled to you; they have to buy and replace tools; they have insurance costs; they have families to support. If every tradie did a special rate for everyone they knew, they would go under. Think how many of his friends and family probably ask him if he can just do this or that. In doing your job, you are taking him away from other jobs. You cannot expect someone to come to your house for any less. Unless, of course, you can find yourself a retired old man that does odd jobs and doesn't need to live off his work income.

We have workmen here at the moment, not skilled just labour as they describe themselves. 25 an hour and they work like demons! That sounds excessive to me for a few screws, but maybe you've not described the job well. I'm in Brighton if that matters. I guess one difference is the job will take a long time, they're not just coming for an hour to put a shelf up or whatever.

It's not 60 pounds an hour though. There is travel to and from the jobs. They are self employed so need a van, tools, insurance etc They do not get holiday pay, sick pay etc. Of course doctors earn more if you factor everything in. There will always be odd job men who can do things like this - people who are retired or doing it on the side. But to expect a tradesman to do it for less is insulting.

Okay, but then you could have done it?

And if you’d agreed a price upfront, you could have decided £80 was too much and you’d rather attempt it yourself.

£80 isn’t unreasonable, it may have only taken two hours out of his day but he still couldn’t do anything else in that time, and he still worked.

Did you expect mates rates? Did nobody at any point discuss how much this would cost?