I've got some builders in taking a wall down and doing some plastering in my kitchen, and whilst there I've asked for a quote for the bathroom ceiling to be done at the same time. Its quite small, L shaped, about 2m square, with a cut out for the airing cupboard out of it. How long do you reckon that should take them? I thought about 2 hours and about a tenner of materials, but their quote doesnt reflect that. Its still a relatively small amount of money, but I like to know when someone is working me. I expect a plasterer charges about £150 a day down here in the deep south west. Thanks.
Hard to know without understanding the broader picture...it could be that this additional small area takes them over the day they had planned to plaster the kitchen so they factored in another 1/2 day?
They still intend to do it in the same time frame, which is a day for two of them to put up the kitchen ceiling, plaster the kitchen ceiling, skim 3 of the kitchen walls to cover scars from tile removal, plaster over WC and ensuite artex ceilings and skim scars from tile removal in WC and ensuite around sinks, toilets and window sills.
Exactly. No job is a couple of hours really is it? Not by the time you source gear, prime/pva/bluegrit, distraction from the main job etc etc.
Quote of £160. They are already plastering over artex in other rooms so will already be completely set up to go.
Half that may be all the work in protecting the existing bathroom and the clean up afterwards. Top end of the price range. Perhaps just politely say it seems a bit higher than you were expecting. If the work is good and the builders are decent then take it as their Christmas tip.
So £160 for 2 men for a day, and you think that's too much??? Or have I got that wrong? I'd expect to pay more than that for 2 unskilled men for a day Regards, Cando
Looks to me about 1/2 a day of someone plus some materials, seems reasonable if you look at it that way. If I were the builder I'd certainly not under price it, why would I? My skilled handyman/plasterer charges £250/day based in Surrey. That's not cheap, but only charges me for the hours he spends on site pro-rata, which is normally less than he estimates (especially as I assist and so saves him time).
No, the two of them are already paid to do all the work listed, which they expect to do in a day. The bathroom at a £160 is an add on to their current work, and they still expect to be able to do all the work within a single day, with two of then working on it.
For quoting purposes, I'd ignore the fact I could squeeze it into a day that's already paid for...charge 1/2 day + materials, seems reasonable and make a bit from that, what other option do you have, you're hardly going to say no and get someone else in to do it.
Your choice is pay him or don’t pay him, he probably won’t loose any sleep over it, you’ve asked people’s opinions on the price and been told that’s about right, depending on how busy he is and if he really wants the work. I’d expect to pay more around Cornwall area
Exactly, the builder is under no obligation to "do you a favour" so you either take it or leave it. You might have a word with him to understand how he's arrived at the figure.