Following on from my kitchen worktop question

Clunk

I got the names of three kitchen geezers to come and price the job up. Two didn’t show to look at the job and give me a price. One did, so got the job by default.

He should have started Thursday at 8.30. By 10.30 I rang to see what was going on. No reply on his mobile, but 1 minute later I get a text saying something has come up, he’ll ring me later. He still hasn’t.

This on top of last week were an electrician was coming to replace my consumer unit. I’m still waiting for him to turn up and do the job. He took the job on Xmas Eve and there has been nothing but reasons not to since.

Why is it so hard to get a tradesman to take my money?

No wonder B&Q is so popular; Do It Yourself must be the call of the craftsman these days.

Back to Thomson Local.

not enough trades about. kids should think about learning something practical rather than sociology, history of art or american studies and hampering their young lives with a mountain of debt.

Do you live in a really nasty area? Do you have a lot of pampass grass outside your house, or has news of your industrial scale swinging and S&M got out into the local gossip?

Rated people?

The areas smashing, no swinging coz I’d rather have a nice tea than chase women about and I’m too soft for a spanking (It’d make me cry, I think)

Rated people? No, I don’t rate them. Not one bit.

If you mean the website I got 2 of the kitchen types from that. Waste of time.

I think he means rated people.

There’s pretty much nothing I wont tackle myself these days. I can get sparks stuff supervised and signed for by my accommodating neighbour.

Doing DIY properly is very satisfying, saves a fortune, and adds to your knowledge base and experience.

I think the only think I dont do myself is service/MOT/change tyres (not wheels, I can do that) on the cars.

mate, where are you based.
i have a mate who did my bathroom and kitchen. he is very good.

I used to do a lot of work self employed and got an awful lot of jobs by being the only guy that turned up, I only did what you talk of once because it was an awkward job that I knew I’d lose on, but I was gratious enough to tell them I couldn’t do it as I was too busy, I find it very rude when people don’t call you or return calls etc

I wouldn’t trust anyone in my house who didn’t turn up when agreed or at least call promptly to explain why and would instantly tell them there done and get someone else, they obviously don’t have much pride if they can’t even turn up on time, what would happen if you were employed and turned up late? you’d hear about it thats what!

Try http://www.mybuilder.com perhaps?

Ask for a recommendation on here, I can put you on to a great bloke if you live N London-ish.

I needed a quote for kitchen extension circa 15-20k job.
1st builder couldn’t give me a price, just an hourly rate, what possible use is that when i need to know how much to borrow FFS!

Theres somebody on here who does work top spicing, cant remember his name though.

Its a complicated job, requireing a good bit of training and kids are not being/want to be trained anymore, they play games on computer and chat on computers.

http://www.checkatrade.com

Customers are encouraged to report back on completion of work and in my last house, I had a few good results.

Now that I’ve moved and had no internet for 2 months, life was rather difficult so picked a tradesman from the local town directory (Denton’s?). He did a good job and in turn recommended an electrician and plumber, both of whom have been excellent. Completely reliable.

If you’re anywhere near milton keynes i can do your consumer unit and recomend a good chippy for your kitchen.

I’m very near Ramsbottom, not handy for Milton Springsteen.

Sorry to hear you’ve been messed around. On behalf of those of us who turn up when we say, provide quotes (as long as you’re not a nasty), and arrive to start the job sometime in the same year as we promised, I apologise. Best of luck getting the jobs done. 🙂

scottchegg, my mate is in meltham. only 30mins away.
you want his name and number?

take a look on mybuilder.com for tradesmen in your area complete with reveiws.

have you got an annoying telephone manner..?

not enough trades about. kids should think about learning something practical rather than sociology, history of art or american studies and hampering their young lives with a mountain of debt

Absolutely and if they were good and reliable I can’t see them ever being without work given the unreliability of the competition.

Surely learning a trade won’t set a youngster up for life as well as doing Beyoncé studies though?

I don’t see many construction trade apprenticeships being offered these days. I occasionally see a plumber or electrician apprentice, but it’s been years since I’ve seen a carpenter apprentice on site.

Construction trade sees fall in apprenticeships

“THE Government has been urged to “radically” change its policy on apprenticeships after new figures revealed the dwindling numbers of young people being employed within the construction sector.”

Having looked onto employing an apprentice and got in contact with the relevant authority, they never responded to my requests, despite having a very good one lined up. In the end just employed him myself, gave up trying to get any help.

re the apprenticeships there is not the demand ..alpin why ar eyou no tin the uk as a chippy?
LMI { i can post links if you really want] shows that we have an oversupply in all construction trades so apprenticeships are not the answer – I am sure a few more thousand unemployed folk with a trade is not what you are after.

No offence everyone thinks it is as simple as give young people an apprenticeship but there are hundreds of college qualified NVQ people who cannot find work in their trade and never will.
Employers dont recruit apprenticeships as they can easily get trained staff or a labourer.

It has always been like this people thinking if we just got more young people trained in trades it would all be ok Have you seen the growth sectors in the uk – call centres, leisure, etc its not construction or manufacturing is it.
I see why you think it would help but in reality it is in oversupply at the entry level
PS if industry needs folk WhyTF do we pay 10 k per year to train them in a trade – its an employer subsidy.

BEAR – beyond free training which is easy to sort out there is no help- by which i assume you mean someone to pay/contribute to the wages= you are employing someone for circa £100 a week and you want help to pay the wages.
You can register with CITB if you are construction but it wont be easy

No it wasn’t help in paying as what you have to pay a first year apprentice is peanuts, more in the training / administration side of things.

Employed him anyway and he has been really good.

You do know if he is not doing accredited training you cant call him an apprentice and have to pay the minimum wage – e-mail in profile if you want some help advice [ I am not trying to sell anything I am a careers adviser and have worked/sourced apprenticeship training. With an employee in situ folk [cooleegs providers] will rip your arm off to train him as they make serious money from it at no cost to you.

The building trade seems to go tits up every ten years or so, why the hell would any kid want to join the trades?

i never went on any official apprenticeship. i jobbed with a few blokes and learnt the trade whilst on the job. in fact, many of the blokes i learnt with hadn’t completed a proper apprenticeship.

it is true that i’m now in germany partly because at the beginning of 2008 i sat on my arse doing nothing as the work was so scarce. but old workmates are working again. the same can’t be said for many people who worked for Woolworths, Peacocks et al.

doesn’t the building trade go tits up every ten years or so beacuse the economy in general goes tits up, taking the building trade with it?

That’s seriously depressing Bear – over 1 million young people out of work and those responsible appear to be incompetent in providing apprenticeship support.

I have long been bitterly disappointed at how the scandal of a million unemployed young people is not treated with any urgency. You would have thought that in a civilized society the issue would be treated with some importance – regular articles in the newspapers, TV discussions on how to deal with it, and so on.

Yet all that happens is that the figures are released, everyone says “how terrible”, and then it’s forgotten until the next figures are released and everyone says “how terrible” once again. No one seems to frankly give a toss.

And if people aren’t prepared to tackle the problem for simple reasons of compassion and ‘social responsibility’, then you’d think they would do so just out of self interest, after all – you reap what you sow. And then they will wonder “what went wrong”. Grim.

Don’t forget Ernie,the mass unemployment is a price well worth paying brigade are back in power.No such thing as society etc.

Junk – thanks for that, might do at some point.

He is paid more than minimum wage anyhow. He only wrote to me to get some on job experience as he had taken himself to college etc. A good motivated individual who is nice and neat and tidy.

Only some sections of construction industry go tits up, refurb is still strong. New build is rubbish but then again so are their standards of work.

I know some Time served Printers who have another trade so that when Printing is slack, there are always jobs out in the real world.

Unfortunately all the ones I know are Printing and don’t have time for other jobs.

I had a chap who I called to do my owrktops, and he said he was busy with full kitchens. Fair enough; he was upfront enough to tell me.

back to the op – Are you supplying the worktops ? I am a kitchen fitter and I very rarely fit just worktops for anyone. I would only consider it if I was supplying the worktops and/or kitchen so I could put a mark up on the products to make more money. I contract for a kitchen manufacturer and get paid per kitchen that i fit – If i were to charge someone for a days labour to fit their tops I expect they would think that I was taking the **** out of them especially with these stupid web sites that suggest a day rate ! We earn different levels of money due to our different skill levels , quality of workmanship , productivity etc etc .It can also be a real pain if the carcasses have been fitted to a crap standard so I prefer to do it all.

So, give’n the above, & forgetting the national average wage, just how much does the average tradesman earn per day?

More than £200?

so I could put a mark up on the products to make more money

I’m not keen on paying someone twice; maybe your pricing needs to be less opaque?

I was quoted between £150 and £250 to fit the worktops over the phone. I didn’t get the choice with going for the cheapest.

It’s not what the job costs that is the issue, it’s saying you’ll come out and price it and don’t. Or you’re going to start the job and don’t. I waited in last week with my kitchen a ruin for no reason, I had to put everything back. I could have done something better with my time if they were honest.

He still hasn’t rung.

I’ve tried that Checkatrade and the nearest hit I get is 34 miles away, not really practical.

Hey Scott

Ramsbottom Kitchens were the best firm I fit Kitchens for.

I thnk its because the Polish have gone home.

as a tradesman ( gas and doing HETAS at the end of the month)i’m guilty i ve done the things you ve described.
i always ring and speak personnaly to the person to explain the reason though.
as for fitting a kitchen work surface its like any / most jobs. when its complete you ll have an expectation, reasonably of it being perfect.
your asking someone to come along remove the worksurface and associated appliances and disturb surrounding tilework appliances pipework etc. your expectation will be that all work will be made good.. no matter if your taps pipes cabling tiles etc werent brilliant to start you ll want it perfect upon completion so the chap thats asked to fit a worksurface may have to spend a couple of hours acessing that impossible nut on your mixer tap or taking out your gas hob ( for which he has to be gas safe reg.)
think how much would it be for a new hob to be installed.. how much for a new sink and taps to be installed.. all of which would be an unknowen for your kitchen fitter who can make hay all day fitting tops to kitchens he has fitted..
i m afraid its the type of work best avoided if possible.. a days labour rate should be circa 140- 200 i’d expect some consumables costs on top of that. i have no preference with the work that we do whether you buy the materials or I do ( frankly today we get very little more discount than you can on most things) i normally charge customers what i have paid for materials, but include the time spent ‘shopping’ in the invoice..