How much to make these ?

[Lons]

No he didn't and I decided not to press him.

Probably for the best Roger, if he can't be bothered to get a quote back in reasonable time how can you trust his work.

My mate has been having central heating installed this week as previosley a log burner supplying rads and HW tank. Contracted a local plumber with what seemed to be a good reputation but who put the job back several times with lame excuses. He's turned up very late each day and only worked 3 hours at a go. Yesterday an 08.30 start saw him arrive at 11.45 and he was away before 3pm.
Though is work looks decent my mate is thoroughly pe'ed off with his excuses and unreliability. The bloke clearly has a number of jobs on the go and won't be getting any glowing reviews from him.

 

[RogerS]

Another interpretation is that if I chased then I'm serious and so he'd quote.

 

[Doug71]

Another interpretation is that if I chased then I'm serious and so he'd quote.

That is how I tend to work.

 

[AJB Temple]

You are in a new place Rog, so have no local contacts. It will take time. These days we don't get quotes at all. We don't even ask the price. I already know who we like and who likes us. Matt the boiler man was called by my wife 2 days ago and he fitted us in today. He got tea, coffee and bacon sandwiches and fixed the boiler and re-balanced the temperamental system. Relationship is 9 years.

Bricklayer comes in first week of Jan (he will show up guaranteed) to fix some accidental damage from the grid people. He's worked for us maybe 30 times.

Plumber is fitting in our new bathroom as days here and there working around me doing tiling and panelling. ( years. We give each other coffee buying tips. We're catering a family Christening. 9 years. Top bloke. He's fixed my idiotic pipe punctures twice within 2 hours.

We've used the same log supplier for 5 years. Sweep 7 years. Plasterer 8 years. Leccy 10 years.

I realise that common practice is to get three quotes etc and we did that at first, but we get an instinct about tradesmen, rarely screw up (tree surgeon may be an exception ) and we get almost instant service and they get paid on the nail with no messing about on prices. We don't get even slightly ripped off in our view. Key thing: be nice.

I have a very good friend who simply does not understand how to deal with trades. He gets crap service and can't understand why, as we don't. As a result I no longer recommend tradespeople to him when he asks.

You will find good ones Rog, but it will take a year or two.

 

[Lons]

That is how I tend to work.

Not me!

I never failed to give a quote or estimate when promised and in good time, OK if you don't know the customer you'll get a few that are just making up the numbers, maybe for insurance purposes but it's easy to get a feel for them and if I did I'd just say up front I didn't want the job or would give a very extended time frame, I never inflated the price though.
I very quickly built a reputation for being reliable, honest and fair, word of which spreads very fast indeed. Poor service spreads even faster.

I guess that influences my opinion that first impressions and actions count and I certainly wouldn't be chasing up someone who couldn't be bothered to quote.

 

[RogerS]

You are in a new place Rog, so have no local contacts. It will take time. These days we don't get quotes at all. We don't even ask the price. I already know who we like and who likes us. Matt the boiler man was called by my wife 2 days ago and he fitted us in today. He got tea, coffee and bacon sandwiches and fixed the boiler and re-balanced the temperamental system. Relationship is 9 years.

Bricklayer comes in first week of Jan (he will show up guaranteed) to fix some accidental damage from the grid people. He's worked for us maybe 30 times.

Plumber is fitting in our new bathroom as days here and there working around me doing tiling and panelling. ( years. We give each other coffee buying tips. We're catering a family Christening. 9 years. Top bloke. He's fixed my idiotic pipe punctures twice within 2 hours.

We've used the same log supplier for 5 years. Sweep 7 years. Plasterer 8 years. Leccy 10 years.

I realise that common practice is to get three quotes etc and we did that at first, but we get an instinct about tradesmen, rarely screw up (tree surgeon may be an exception ) and we get almost instant service and they get paid on the nail with no messing about on prices. We don't get even slightly ripped off in our view. Key thing: be nice.

I have a very good friend who simply does not understand how to deal with trades. He gets crap service and can't understand why, as we don't. As a result I no longer recommend tradespeople to him when he asks.

You will find good ones Rog, but it will take a year or two.

A year or two ? Sorry, way way out.. It’s all about how you treat people.

I have within months found an excellent plumber, builder, plasterer and decorator. Old school. They then recommend. Perfect. I have all the skills available. It’s all about how you treat people.

 

[Doug]

Another interpretation is that if I chased then I'm serious and so he'd quote.

Or he’s got more work than he knows what to do with & quotes aren’t his top priority Still doesn’t help you though.
Got to admit it’s very rare I do a written quote the last was 2019, I just looked on my iPad perhaps I’m lucky but folks phone & ask when I can fit them in not what it’s gonna cost.

 

[Lons]

Or he’s got more work than he knows what to do with & quotes aren’t his top priority Still doesn’t help you though.
Got to admit it’s very rare I do a written quote the last was 2019, I just looked on my iPad perhaps I’m lucky but folks phone & ask when I can fit them in not what it’s gonna cost.

It's a number of years since I retired Doug but I was in a similar situation where I was always very busy, 100% of my work was via recommendation and customers waited as long as they needed to and likewise I had many who never asked for a price trusting that I wouldn't rip them off. Many of my customers are still friends.

There's no doubt that going out to see a job and producing a quote is a costly PITA excercise especially if you suspect you're one of several. If I was too busy or didn't want to quote I'd say so up front, in the right manner of course as I didn't want to close any doors but I made a point of supplying quotes or estimates in writing wherever possible prior to starting a job. It just stops any confusion or misunderstanding on both sides and IMHO is an important part of running a business.
Maybe in my business where alterations or additions to the original plans were common it was more important of course.

 

[Doug]

Don’t know how many alterations you had on your jobs Bob but my latest extension has gone from 2 steel beams to 6, one big kitchen to a kitchen & separate utility room, 40 square metres of floor tiling & now in the main part of the extension an almost 4m media wall
I had hoped to have had it all finished by last week for a nice long relaxing Xmas, it’s now looking like I’ll be lucky to have it finished by the end of next January.

 

[Lons]

Don’t know how many alterations you had on your jobs Bob but my latest extension has gone from 2 steel beams to 6, one big kitchen to a kitchen & separate utility room, 40 square metres of floor tiling & now in the main part of the extension an almost 4m media wall
I had hoped to have had it all finished by last week for a nice long relaxing Xmas, it’s now looking like I’ll be lucky to have it finished by the end of next January.

Yes it happened regularly Doug, one grade 2 stable conversion lasted 18 months and I could have been there for years. Most common questions were "just while you're here", "can you just" and "I've been thinking".
As I'm sure you know, the main issue when jobs are extended is that the next down the line gets pushed back. I only ever committed to one large job at a time and concentrated on that though there was always other stuff to fall back on if a job was held up for whatever reason.

This barn, built from scratch, all the arch stones cut by me was originally a couple of months and a basic build though I built with insulated cavity walls as I knew it wouldn't always be a barn. After these photos I was back for months on and off, oak floor and skirtings upstairs, a proper internal staircase it went on and on. Eventually converted into a cottage which I turned down as I just couldn't fit it in.

The intention was to make it look as if it had been built 100 years ago and we were pleased with the result. It was also a satisfying, enjoyable job. I did use a couple of trusted lads to help so not all my work.

 

[Cabinetman]

That is super impressive Bob, and I think you succeeded with the old look.

 

[duke]

Yes it happened regularly Doug, one grade 2 stable conversion lasted 18 months and I could have been there for years. Most common questions were "just while you're here", "can you just" and "I've been thinking".
As I'm sure you know, the main issue when jobs are extended is that the next down the line gets pushed back. I only ever committed to one large job at a time and concentrated on that though there was always other stuff to fall back on if a job was held up for whatever reason.

This barn, built from scratch, all the arch stones cut by me was originally a couple of months and a basic build though IO built with insulated cavity walls as I knew it wouldn't always be a barn. Aftyer these photos I was back for months on and off, oak floor and skirtings upstairs, a proper internal staircase it went on and on. Eventually converted into a cottage which I turned down as I just couldn't fit it in.

The intention was to make it look as if it had been built 100 years ago and we were pleased with the result. It was also a satisfying, enjoyable job. I did use a couple of trusted lads to help so not all my work.View attachment 37774View attachment 37775

Nice work Lons.

 

[RogerS]

Yes it happened regularly Doug, one grade 2 stable conversion lasted 18 months and I could have been there for years. Most common questions were "just while you're here", "can you just" and "I've been thinking".
As I'm sure you know, the main issue when jobs are extended is that the next down the line gets pushed back. I only ever committed to one large job at a time and concentrated on that though there was always other stuff to fall back on if a job was held up for whatever reason.

This barn, built from scratch, all the arch stones cut by me was originally a couple of months and a basic build though IO built with insulated cavity walls as I knew it wouldn't always be a barn. Aftyer these photos I was back for months on and off, oak floor and skirtings upstairs, a proper internal staircase it went on and on. Eventually converted into a cottage which I turned down as I just couldn't fit it in.

The intention was to make it look as if it had been built 100 years ago and we were pleased with the result. It was also a satisfying, enjoyable job. I did use a couple of trusted lads to help so not all my work.View attachment 37774View attachment 37775

Top notch work Bob

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

"We are not worthy!"