Why are tradesmen so elusive?

[HangTime]

The shortage of skilled trades people is mainly due to so many school leavers entering university on useless courses, under the illusion of immediately getting a high paid job when they leave. The reality seems quite different, with courses like gender studies, it's hardly surprising. If learning a trade as an apprentice was not looked down on so much you would have a plentiful skilled British workforce and so many ex students wouldn't be on the internet, claiming cerebral superiority over their elders, but without work, too precious to get their hands dirty.

A good friend of mine retrained as a plumber and electrician having graduated in Economics & French a few years earlier. He jacked it in after a couple of years because in his area he just couldn't make a living off it, either getting paid below minimum wage (and having to supplement with 'cash for petrol' / benefits) or signed up allegedly full time on a salary but then getting laid off as soon as a the job was done. His vision had been to get experience and then go solo but he said there just wasn't the money in it at the time in that area, e.g. changing a tap would be a 15 quid job, you couldn't get away with charging a ton for that.

In essence was more than happy to get his hands dirty, he'd do all sorts on site carrying the hod etc, also done jobs as a plasterers mate. He didn't look down on the trade at all, he is much happier doing practical stuff than being stuck in an office, he just couldn't afford to eat working in trades during the recession.

 

[SPG]

You just have to get lucky with tradesman these days.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

We got a really good guy to do our extension - who was recommended by our local council.

The guy never actually laid a finger himself - he got other people to do the work. But he got it done quick, to a good standard and under budget. I suspect the majority of his time is spend visiting potential jobs, doing quotes and checking the progress of existing work.

I suspect the majority of actual 'workers' are currently busy doing sub-contacted type of work for known local builders with a good reputation, who get a lot of the work and then sub it out to the decent local tradespeople.

 

[Abyss]

You also need to bear in mind that you are asking for trades-persons to quote at their busiest time of year and at a time when lots of people are on holiday.

In most cases they will have guaranteed work well into September/October and aren't really interested in quoting for small works when they could be earning money doing a job.

If you want someone to reliably quote for works then wait until October/November, you'll get a far better response and probably a better price.

 

[Mark A]

As a tradesman myself it can be difficult to find the time to do quotes, especially this time of year when you're busy and have jobs lined up. Also makes it worse when you go to do the quote and the customer is like "I am getting (e.g) 5 other quotes", that's 5 tradesmen that have lost an hours work for nothing, including yourself most of the time. It certainly makes it a hard decision to leave a job that is a paying customer to quote for a job you probably wont even get.

 

[Jez]

Also makes it worse when you go to do the quote and the customer is like "I am getting (e.g) 5 other quotes", that's 5 tradesmen that have lost an hours work for nothing, including yourself most of the time. It certainly makes it a hard decision to leave a job that is a paying customer to quote for a job you probably wont even get.

You must fully appreciate that people will want multiple quotes before undertaking the work though?

 

[Mark A]

I'm just saying why at this time of year its harder to leave jobs when you're busy for a 1/6 or whatever chance of getting another job, when that hour could be spent on the current job that is a guaranteed wage. When it's a quieter period you can fit a lot more quotes in as you need the work then.

 

[Semple]

As a tradesman myself it can be difficult to find the time to do quotes, especially this time of year when you're busy and have jobs lined up. Also makes it worse when you go to do the quote and the customer is like "I am getting (e.g) 5 other quotes", that's 5 tradesmen that have lost an hours work for nothing, including yourself most of the time. It certainly makes it a hard decision to leave a job that is a paying customer to quote for a job you probably wont even get.

Do you not price those costs in as part of your work though?

I guess the main reason consumers like to get multiple quotes is because of the vast range in price difference between tradesman A and tradesman B for what should appear to be the same job. If this inconsistency is resolved, then consumers would stick with a single quote, and presumably 9 times out of 10, the tradesman who quoted the work would land the job.

I think it's probably quite evident that there's a shortage of younger people taking up a trade which ultimately decreases the availability in the pool.

Also someone mentioned sites like checkatrade might be having a knock-on effect, whilst true, that should only apply to good tradesmen. I'm sure if you picked a few from the bottom of the list (badly reviewed) you'd have no problems getting quotes etc. Whether the work is of the quality you'd expect might be a bit different.

 

[R3X]

Having the same issue, you can try and register and post on mybuilder or ratedpeople, see if you get any contact but be warned finding a good tradesman is 50/50.

The one thing that really bugs me about trades people is they always want to charge 3-4x the normal price of what a job should be its border line silly but I guess most trades people know this and this is why they head hunt and accept the customers they can take advantage off.

I think you have only a few options, keep finding the trades person that is reasonable or diy, but if anyone else has a better idea am all ears !

 

[R3X]

You can't get any tradesmen in the Lincoln area for love nor money

Plumbers, builders, plasterers, carpet fitters......every ones flat out busy

The ONE company I did manage to come out to quote wanted £750 to lay 8 patio slabs LOL (and that was labour only, I had to supply materials)

Last time I had a plumber round wanted £100 to swap a kitchen tap

London I take it ?

£750 for 8 slabs is the worst theft I have heard ever, sand and cement is not that expensive.

I know contrary to what I said above some people are also hiring cheap European laborers per day outside DIY stores each morning, asking between £30-60 and just getting them to do all the hard work but I hear some of them are demanding £60 min per day lately !

 

[Russinating]

As a tradesman myself it can be difficult to find the time to do quotes, especially this time of year when you're busy and have jobs lined up. Also makes it worse when you go to do the quote and the customer is like "I am getting (e.g) 5 other quotes", that's 5 tradesmen that have lost an hours work for nothing, including yourself most of the time. It certainly makes it a hard decision to leave a job that is a paying customer to quote for a job you probably wont even get.

Haha, what. We recently won a tender that 83 other companies pitched for, which based on our time of maybe 2-3 days (24 hours) is a culmination of 1,992 hours, or 83 days. And that's pretty minor work compared to the likes of government contracts or infrastructure tenders.

Having finished doing our house up a year ago, it's basically a variety of issues. Trades are under-saturated, most tradesmen are one-man-bands and most are also poorly managed. It's not unusual, like many examples in this thread, to contact say 50, get 25 responses, 10 that want to visit, 5 that actually turn up, and 2 that actually quote. Ridiculous really.

 

[LeeUK]

Out of about 10 I contacted this week to knock down a wall and lay some concrete only 4 showed up to quote.

One of them admitted he didn't want the job when he saw it as he said it was hard back breaking work. He tried to upsell to me by trying to get me to concrete the whole yard and not just the area that needed doing and render the walls that I don't want/need doing. Anyway in the end he quoted a price for just the work I want and when I said I'll contact him he dropped his price twice as we were parting ways. Funny how he didn't want the job at first.

 

[glenimp617]

London I take it ?

£750 for 8 slabs is the worst theft I have heard ever, sand and cement is not that expensive.

I know contrary to what I said above some people are also hiring cheap European laborers per day outside DIY stores each morning, asking between £30-60 and just getting them to do all the hard work but I hear some of them are demanding £60 min per day lately !

No Lincoln, I just don't think anyone wanted to do the job. They just want big jobs these days.

That £750 was just Labour. I had to get hardcore, sand and cement. It's all in the garage at the minute. My dad's workmates doing it on the side for a few quid.

 

[R3X]

Out of about 10 I contacted this week to knock down a wall and lay some concrete only 4 showed up to quote.

One of them admitted he didn't want the job when he saw it as he said it was hard back breaking work. He tried to upsell to me by trying to get me to concrete the whole yard and not just the area that needed doing and render the walls that I don't want/need doing. Anyway in the end he quoted a price for just the work I want and when I said I'll contact him he dropped his price twice as we were parting ways. Funny how he didn't want the job at first.

Yeah standard sales tactic and its good you said ill call him if interested, id be suspect of hiring anyone that starts moaning about the job before even getting it frankly, I get the same with my drive ways quotes when I say ill think about it they go from 5-6K to suddenly 4K within seconds, and 4K is still theft.

No Lincoln, I just don't think anyone wanted to do the job. They just want big jobs these days.

That £750 was just Labour. I had to get hardcore, sand and cement. It's all in the garage at the minute. My dad's workmates doing it on the side for a few quid.

Glad you got it sorted at least, need to do same with patio slabs soon myself got a bad feeling will need to do the work myself.

 

[LeeUK]

Yeah standard sales tactic and its good you said ill call him if interested, id be suspect of hiring anyone that starts moaning about the job before even getting it frankly, I get the same with my drive ways quotes when I say ill think about it they go from 5-6K to suddenly 4K within seconds, and 4K is still theft.

Yeah as soon as he said he didn't want the job at the start of the meeting I instantly knew that I won't be getting him to do it. The other 3 quotes all quoted less than his final price anyway.

Funny thing was he replied to my post on MyBuilder which had all the measurements and photos of the job to start with.

 

[Cleisthenes]

Last time I had a plumber round wanted £100 to swap a kitchen tap

DOesn't sound too daft given it will be an hours labour. Did this include the new tap too? If not then I'm assuming London prices.

 

[R3X]

Yeah as soon as he said he didn't want the job at the start of the meeting I instantly knew that I won't be getting him to do it. The other 3 quotes all quoted less than his final price anyway.

Funny thing was he replied to my post on MyBuilder which had all the measurements and photos of the job to start with.

Yup be very careful with any trades person, personally I have not met too many that are decent most of them have faked their reviews by getting mates or staff to do the reviews, they dispute bad reviews by claiming you complained about my work and said you are not paying so I left and watch out for the cowboys that bump up the price after they have done the work. I think half of them also intentionally leave issues behind since they know they will get another call and get more money to fix the issue. Also some of them accept the job then next day 2 or 3 guys turn up and they then want extra money.

I think mybuilder and other sites should write up a proper contract of whats been agreed and at what time frame and cost also maybe giving 20% cost
increase allowance not that Id imagine trades people with hold to it.

 

[R3X]

DOesn't sound too daft given it will be an hours labour. Did this include the new tap too? If not then I'm assuming London prices.

My aunt was quoted £60 last year for a new tap, imo its not too bad but still high and in london

Feels almost wacky to pay someone £100 to install a £50 tap that probably takes less then 20 minutes.

 

[Cleisthenes]

My aunt was quoted £60 last year for a new tap, imo its not too bad but still high and in london

Feels almost wacky to pay someone £100 to install a £50 tap that probably takes less then 20 minutes.

Comes down the to 'do it yourself then' thing. I agree though, it feels like ******* money away

 

[glenimp617]

No I bought the tap. Lincoln prices.
Thought £100 was steep.

To be honest, after that I've done a lot of DIY. Even managed to cap water pipes and hide them in walls, capped soil pipes and cemented the floor etc etc

Took my time and done a really good job. These days I watch loads of YouTube videos and crack on. If I mess up, I'll pay someone which I would have done anyway.

I'm redoing the ensuite soon. New shower, enclosure and tiles.