Another post here got me thinking.....always risky I know What stock do you carry in your vans? Amongst other things I fit bathrooms. I tend to carry all the common 15 and 22mm fittings, and a few 28mm. I also carry one of each type of pan connector. Spare ballvalves, taps, copper pipe, flexible tap connectors (in case I come across an awkward tap change), washer selection, ballvalve spares, tap washers, etc. I also have a couple of lead locks. I was using them on a semi regular basis at a house that was gradually getting bedroom sinks taken out (all plumbed in lead!). I will also have a selection of compression and solvent weld waste fittings, traps and pipe 32 and 40mm. Also other stuff like screws, nails silicone etc are in plentiful supply. When I was working on a large job last year I noted that a couple of builders there kept having to disappear off site to get materials etc. Most of what I needed on a day to day basis was on board but I was quite well organised and only needed to disappear about twice in about 8 weeks for materials I hadn't planned for.
I carry a basic stock, including most of what you have described CC. I think that if you can complete a small repair there and then all in one go you are offering the customer a very good service. Syphons/flush valves/torbecks are a good van stock item. I also Keep a basic but good quality electric shower on my van too (which surprisingly is a very popular job). Sand/cement/plaster for making good. GOLDEN RULE! Never be tempted to unpack taps or chrome radiator valves, because they WILL get damaged.
I found by looking through the screwfix and bes catalogue and looking at all the things you may use in a domestic situation and bought it sounds a bit extreme but worked out at a couple of hundred pounds though by the sounds of it you carry most things the only thing wich i use a lot of due to my location are prv,s wich i carry a couple of
15mm,22mm,28mm tube & fittings Small selection of microbore 15mm, 22mm, 28mm compression 32mm & 40mm waste pipe & fittings Selection of traps Motorised valves Cyl stats Programmers Syncron motors Room stats TRVs Rad valves B.valves Selection of MI fittings Taps, washers, tap heads, WC. levers X100, X200, X400, X800 15/50 & 15/60 Grundfos pump Thermocouples (not that you use many now-a-days) Spark electrodes Electrical bits & bobs (J/boxes, cables etc.) Silicon, putty, fire cement, screws, clips Tools I haven't got time to keep travelling to merchants for sundry items.
That's pretty much what I have as well. Additional is 21.5mm pipe and fittings, lots of speedfit and bits of other plastics, various electrical cables and conduit, silicone and gripfill. AND a big box of latex gloves Bulk buy saves you time and money, you just need to store it effectively. My stock probably runs into about £2k by the time you've included everything! But I probably make an extra £50-£100 a day from not having to keep nipping out. And then there's the tools!!
Yes, my van is well stocked up as is my garage, I just don't understand these plumbers who use the family car and only carry basic tools and fittings. Its rare these days that I have to nip out to the merchants for parts, especially when all my local ones all charge high prices. Its this that has driven me away to the likes of Screwfix and B.E.S. Prices like nearly £12 for a bottom entry Fluidmaster for example.
I carry as much as I can, to save journey,s, pipe, fittings, copper plasic, timber, screws, nails, plus ive a large tub full of oddball fittings.Things you never use, but if you chuck them out, you need it next job, especially gas fittings, isnt plumbing & heating wonderful!
When you've been trading for a number of years and carry out the full scope of the plumbing & heating trade, you build up stock naturally. I.e when pricing for work alway's overdo the material you need, that way it's paid for and you can use again and recharge again. Also, always add on a value to your final estimate/quotation for sundry's micellaneous items. Heck I've got more types of certain fittings than suppliers, anything from lead to toilet seats to spare boilers that weren't used on council contracts that you get extrmely cheap, especially when the cash go's a long way to their x-mas beer fund. *** what did you all keep in yer school satchel when ye were young. I thought this was a plumbing forum, not let's answer silly * questions for cc's who are trying to learn the business side of things before they have even learn't the trade itself properly! LOL [Edited by: admin6]
CC, don't forget your circulating pump (and valves 22/28mm + extension pieces). A BES 'puffin' chromed monobloc sink mixer tap - I get a lot calls to dripping ones, and change a lot of monoblocs, and being able to 'whip one out of the van' means I often get to supply as well as fit - more profit. Of course you need a big van, mines a Trafic LWB. like others though its money tied up doing nothing until you sell it on. It would appear that a lot of jobbing plumbers are happy to pop off out to the merchants at the drop of a hat, I'm sure they nip into a cafe/bookies etc and charge for the time taken.... blaming it on the slowness of staff! I guess that you can get away with it once. patrick
*** what did you all keep in yer school satchel when ye were young. I thought this was a plumbing forum, not let's answer silly * questions for cc's who are trying to learn the business side of things before they have even learn't the trade itself properly! LOL This was just a general topic of conversation, not picking brains with this one as such. I guess I won't keep what you do as I don't service boilers. As you say you build up stock naturally. I've got some stuff in the van that I'll probably never use, but I'll have it there just in case. The cost of keeping it is minimal as I've already got it, but the cost of chucking it out could be more.
I also have more stock of stuff at home. Recently I was doing a bathroom refit where the client was changing the basin but not the bath. He hadn't thought of matching the new monobloc basin tap to the bath taps. The old basin taps were spearates. It just so happened that I had a monoblock basin tap to match his bath taps. These had been given to me by another customer who had received them with his suite but chose different taps instead. I would have charged him but there had been a misunderstanding on some showers to be fitted, which meant that the customer had to fork out another £100 for a pump. Saving him £50 on his taps meant I could lodge some goodwill.
I try to carry as many general plumbing parts and materials as I can. I think it's a bit poor having to keep popping off the to merchants for this and that, also it just eats into time. A plumber should carry a fair amount of stock, looks bad if he doesn't. However those who never carry anything and keep going to the merchants are just doing it to clock up the labour time for the customer to cough for. It makes me laugh when I'm in the merchants and a plumber comes in and asks for 3 end-feed elbows, 2 end feed tees etc. ***, carry some stock!
Waste fittings - I always find a problems to stock. I find a need to keep a stock of push fit and solvent weld in a range of colours, black, grey and white. All very bulky. Also I find if I keep waste pipe in my pipe tube (just in case) it gets dirty stains on it from the copper in the tube. Very difficult and time consuming to clean! Also find Speedfit difficult to keep tidy - end up getting in a mess and losing track of what I've got. I'm ashamed say I've lost count of the number of times I've been to the merchants to collect something that I later find in the back of the van.
TUT TUT Hillbilly and it would be so much easier if they had a TC in St Ives Cambs, you must be local to me.
All copper fittings, solvent waste, traps etc, the odd pushfit, pan conectors, screws,silicone,washers , o rings,allsorts of stuff, silicone,, some bits of timber and ply, basic tools, such as trowels ect.
Yes Mr 666 I was thinking of you when I made that comment. Are you a true bog man then? You of all people show know that you cannot believe everything you read on this site. I did my time in St Ives, but now live 100 miles away. Live almost next door to a Plumb Center store, makes you a bit lazy. Trouble is its 2 minutes to PC or one hour to anywhere else. Doesn't take much working out really!