What is a the going rate to replace an old plastic socket front to an chrome one?

[Jrobbo8866]

What would be a reasonable price to exchange 7 white double socket fronts for chrome customer has purchased already?

 

[Dustydazzler]

I used to have a pal (RIP Malcolm) that could make a one hour job last all day, but I do miss him. LOL

the hidden art of of stretching a job out , it takes real skill to look busy but while really be going very little.
I know a few unscrupulous wet pants who do this...
i got done myself one hiring a wet pants on an hourly rate he spent nearly 2 days taking out a bathroom while I was away for a couple days.
I came back on day 3 expecting the room to be ready to tile it was an empty shell. He got a day and half’s money and told to sling his hook

 

[cloverman]

I used to have a pal (RIP Malcolm) that could make a one hour job last all day, but I do miss him. LOL

Yeah met a few of them blokes ! (well still do) But yes for some strange reason you kinda miss them on occasion. Perhaps because they made me look good

 

[scootknew]

about £70 cash, depends on travel distance aswell.

 

[WellMeaning]

Love this thread!

One group want £50 cash in hand to turn up, probably around 6pm once they knock off from their day job. The other price it per hour, allow contingency, test circuits and probably schedule it during daylight for £110.

I wonder which lot would tell the customer they need a new 18th ed consumer unit?

 

[ebee]

well say half hour each way and 20 mins per socket and say 1 hour contingency . I`d allow four hours 20 mins should cover most (hopefully) , some might round this approximation for about a half days work at whatever your rate is (some might add a bit for vehicle running costs say fuel etc or some might include a figure in the hourly rate). So I personally would given them an estimate based on that and generally stick with that. You might win a bit you might lose a bit. I`d explain that it is an estimate not a fixed price just in case they are one of those jobs that run away. if I work it out at the end and it`s in say a plus or minus 10% of estimate then I`d charge as estimate.
Yes you could say £XX per hour but I almost never do that.
Reason? whatever your hourly rate is the first thing they often reply is "I don`t earn that much!" my reply is "neither do I! it`s my charging rate not my earning rate! How much do you earn and what do you think your boss charges for that work?" when you start to explain overheads such as sick pay, holiday pay, insurance, scheme membership, yadda yadda yadda , the list goes on, then sometimes they understand, sometimes not. Less hassle to just give an estimate in the first place.
I think most of us are just trying to make an honest living, a few are tradesmen from hell.
Most customers are reasonable people but a few are customers from hell.
It works both ways

Strange enough though, you never see a TV prog named "Rogue Customers"

 

[Dustydazzler]

in the world of todays trades , time is money. Not just time spent doing the job but time spent collecting materials, doing paperwork, driving to and from multiple jobs per day.
Even the smallest ofjobs can eat up 1/2 a day, Often not leaving enough time to start the next job until the following day,
I often use this comparison but my brother in law is a landscape Gardener And his hourly rate is £45-50 per hour. It’s completely non negotiabl.
He is literally run off his feet most months and on some jobs is making £500 in a single day.
If you think a qualivied vetted registered electrician should be earning less than your friendly local Gardener then the entire industry needs a wobble...

 

[telectrix]

7 socket faceplates, no snags ........ £210 ... ... Telectrix, reassuringly expensive.

 

[Mike Johnson]

It sounds to me as though the industry is wobbling along all by itself, some putting up their rates substantially and still winning work, others struggling to get their estimates accepted on first submitting them and getting the work later, but have not seen a post suggesting that anyone is having trouble making ends meet, so possibly it's the balance that is out of kilter, I am sure the area electrician saturation has something to do with it and the wealth of the area you work in.

In my holiday home area of France I could work every hour of the week for whatever rate I wanted as any trades person can, the rates are stupidly high and so is the waiting time for a trade to start, makes one wonder why there are any trades left in the UK, but saying that the cost of being a tradesperson in France is astronomical compare to the UK if you are legit.

 

[scootknew]

mike johnson, do you have any examples of diffrent costs please?

 

[Mike Johnson]

I bought a house in France about twelve years ago and insured it for the purchase price, when I had a claim the insurance company said that the cost of re-building a house in France is approximately double if not more that the cost of buying an older property I was therefore underinsured, this is due to labour and material costs, most labours demand about €300.00/day, technical tradesmen can demand their own price due to lack of availability, but not unheard of to be charged €500.00/day for a rood tiler, electricians the sky's the limit.

 

[ebee]

I bought a house in France about twelve years ago and insured it for the purchase price, when I had a claim the insurance company said that the cost of re-building a house in France is approximately double if not more that the cost of buying an older property I was therefore underinsured, this is due to labour and material costs, most labours demand about €300.00/day, technical tradesmen can demand their own price due to lack of availability, but not unheard of to be charged €500.00/day for a rood tiler, electricians the sky's the limit.

I think you`ll find that here too, rebuild more than initial build

 

[Mike Johnson]

I don't actually think so, in the UK land price's are much higher so once the land has a building on it the re-build cost are not the major expenditure.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Really don't like the "Latest posts" side bar being populated by the same thing every day?????????

 

[scootknew]

how is the wiring regs compared to here? they have rings, radials etc? split way boards

 

[Mike Johnson]

No rings, no T&E only eight MCB's to an RCD, white goods on separate radials and lots of other differences that will/does perplex most UK sparks, not unusual to have twenty plus MCB's in a Board or three phase in a domestic property, example below
.