Quoting help

Davey11

New Member
Hi there I’ve decided to go alone in the trade, but havnt had any experience in quoting.
I worked for a guy for 10 years me on 120 a day. But don’t know about quoting should I charge £220 for a ceiling or is that Robery.
Had to quote 4 bed house all ceilings where artexed so bonded out and skimmed. Charged £120 a day plus materials. Took me 5 days but don’t really think I quoted that well. Has anyone got any tips for me. I live in the Merseyside area
 
Hi there I’ve decided to go alone in the trade, but havnt had any experience in quoting.
I worked for a guy for 10 years me on 120 a day. But don’t know about quoting should I charge £220 for a ceiling or is that Robery.
Had to quote 4 bed house all ceilings where artexed so bonded out and skimmed. Charged £120 a day plus materials. Took me 5 days but don’t really think I quoted that well. Has anyone got any tips for me. I live in the Merseyside area

With the greatest respect if you've been in game 10yrs you should know what money you want for each job.

You win some yer loose some!
 
Dont have much experience in quoting myself, but if ir happy with 120 a day plus materials, then crack on. Generally aim for at least that when quoting. Could probably have charged double going on englisj prices, thats the lowest id have done it for here and our prices are shite
 
You need to work out goings,expenses,etc...
Basically what it costs you to run your small business, do a business plan?
What's your personal expenses,, mortgage, rent, living expenses,only you know that..who and what are your competitors charging too.....when starting out you may go slightly cheaper to gain business.. But that won't work long term.
Good luck and welcome.
 
Start off charging what your happy to work for , if you don't get any work put your rates down until you do. As your order book starts filling up start charging more until you start losing work. Then lower them again until ..... rinse and repeat. Its called capitalism and sadly not taught in schools.
 
That's bollox @Danny you charge for the effort & skill set involved not a mythical day rate amount.

A 40m lid is a day just like a few chases is a day both would be very different prices from my pricing.

This is where many go wrong you can smash a little bedroom out in a day doesn't mean it's going to be a day rate amount plus materials.
 
I.ll give ye a tip. Price 3 jobs
If you get non ye to dear if ye get em all ye to cheap . If ye get 1 or 2 your about right
If ye busy and dont want job price it stupidly high . Then squeeze it in some how. On 120 a day all ye gonna be is busy .
 
Charge what you want per day and add a bit onto your materials. Personally think £120 is too little, you've got wear and tear of van and tools etc
 
Does sound a bit low but just price what your happy earning and if you happy with your bank balance your a winner
 
Have an amount you want to earn a day add your materials and diesel etc plus ten or twenty percent, just remember your old boss was charging a fair bit more than 120 for you
 
I wouldn’t get tools out my van for 120 but that’s another story.

If you work for someone 120 a day is what you will take home.

If you work for yourself and charge 120 that 120 turns into about 90 after all the things you probably haven’t considered that your gaffer is paying ie; van (insurance, tax, fuel, repairs) public liability insurance. Possibly expenses for actually getting the work etc etc.

In all honesty although 120 is s**t, if you’re doing 5 days and taking home 600 without all the stress and he isn’t working you like a dog, you’re probably better off.

Oh, good luck!
 
That's bollox @Danny you charge for the effort & skill set involved not a mythical day rate amount.

A 40m lid is a day just like a few chases is a day both would be very different prices from my pricing.

This is where many go wrong you can smash a little bedroom out in a day doesn't mean it's going to be a day rate amount plus materials.

Exactly. I can skim a double bedroom in a day doesn’t mean i’ll do it for £250 lolll
 
Think Zombie said about sometimes being up, sometimes down and its true. That's the pros and cons of price work. Sometimes make a killing, sometimes just a wage or worst, but over time, hopefully you're always up.
Takes time to become confident in charging a good price. So many people offering to work for f**k all, but start trying to compete with them and you'll be in a race to the bottom. Whatever you charge, make sure your work is bang on, be straightforward with the customer and leave the job tidy. After you've done a few jobs anf you work out you've actually been earning £50 a day, you'll soon put your prices up :D
 
I did a job last month, overboard and skim a standard room. Me and another chap both quoted 500 and another chap quoted £275. Bloke said he was scared to death to use the cheap chap cos it hinted at how good he was, said he'd do it in a day where we both said 2 days....no idea if the other chap was good but cheap doesn't always do you favours
 
I did a job last month, overboard and skim a standard room. Me and another chap both quoted 500 and another chap quoted £275. Bloke said he was scared to death to use the cheap chap cos it hinted at how good he was, said he'd do it in a day where we both said 2 days....no idea if the other chap was good but cheap doesn't always do you favours
Does in yorkshire lol
 
Does around here in certain communities. I have a 45 min commute each way most days to be in the real . Were on a 1.4 mil gaff in a few weeks and moneys loads better then normal........but i.d prefer to be local . Just rock up n crack on . Wage on fri. This job is bout 40 mins drive if you hit traffic it could be owt over that and i have to go pick f**k**g materials up
 
Thanks for the advice, am getting loads of artex ceiling jobs lately, today done two bedrooms, bonded them both out in the morning out a bit of dirty in the mix to get it off quicker. Then skimmed both today. Charged £260. So come away with £200. Is that a bad price on my account should I charge more. And don’t be using the dirty water to get an extra day
 

Where my customer base generally is mate. Got a nice little contract for a couple of months so I don't mind the drive. Usually pisses me off, biy this is a good gig :D
 
Thanks for the advice, am getting loads of artex ceiling jobs lately, today done two bedrooms, bonded them both out in the morning out a bit of dirty in the mix to get it off quicker. Then skimmed both today. Charged £260. So come away with £200. Is that a bad price on my account should I charge more. And don’t be using the dirty water to get an extra day

£200 for a days work?!

Do you think that is good?
 
Thanks for the advice, am getting loads of artex ceiling jobs lately, today done two bedrooms, bonded them both out in the morning out a bit of dirty in the mix to get it off quicker. Then skimmed both today. Charged £260. So come away with £200. Is that a bad price on my account should I charge more. And don’t be using the dirty water to get an extra day

so £100 to bond and skim a ceiling. f**k THAT
 
That's bollox @Danny you charge for the effort & skill set involved not a mythical day rate amount.

A 40m lid is a day just like a few chases is a day both would be very different prices from my pricing.

This is where many go wrong you can smash a little bedroom out in a day doesn't mean it's going to be a day rate amount plus materials.

Exactly my point... let's not forget I don't do day work...

But if the op wants a min price then that is a start point...

I am an expensive plasterer... I can't be arsed to get out of bed at the best of times so I want top money when I do...
 
I don't want to leave a penny on the table... plastering is bad enough as it is let alone doing it for peanuts
 
Thanks for the advice, am getting loads of artex ceiling jobs lately, today done two bedrooms, bonded them both out in the morning out a bit of dirty in the mix to get it off quicker. Then skimmed both today. Charged £260. So come away with £200. Is that a bad price on my account should I charge more. And don’t be using the dirty water to get an extra day
Zombie mix out the door by 12.30, so far I've never bonded an artex ceiling, if it looks like zombie mix won't do it it gets boarded
 
Or go on price n do a celing 3 times. Ffs
 

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Do what ever works to increase job leads. Personally think you will earn a wage (a good wage don't get me wrong) at £120 a day but you need profit . Put a mark up on materials, labour tool hire. Buy in bulk on beads, scrim PVA etc. So instead of your pricing structure looking like this:
Labour £120.00
Materials £50.00 supplied at cost
Total £170.00
It should look like this!
Labour £160.00
Materials £50.00 + £15.00 handling /profit
Consumables £15.00
Present yourself professionally , with the right approach you can win jobs without being the cheapest. I often win work and mine will be the highest quote. Salesmanship is critical to the domestic market, true location can be a big factor in this. If this is the case target work in more affluent areas or look at planning applications to look for possible future renovations on valuable properties. Think ahead , start setting up plans of action for next year.

Failing that there's always the "warty quid a wall" method . Good luck
 
Do what ever works to increase job leads. Personally think you will earn a wage (a good wage don't get me wrong) at £120 a day but you need profit . Put a mark up on materials, labour tool hire. Buy in bulk on beads, scrim PVA etc. So instead of your pricing structure looking like this:
Labour £120.00
Materials £50.00 supplied at cost
Total £170.00
It should look like this!
Labour £160.00
Materials £50.00 + £15.00 handling /profit
Consumables £15.00
Present yourself professionally , with the right approach you can win jobs without being the cheapest. I often win work and mine will be the highest quote. Salesmanship is critical to the domestic market, true location can be a big factor in this. If this is the case target work in more affluent areas or look at planning applications to look for possible future renovations on valuable properties. Think ahead , start setting up plans of action for next year.

Failing that there's always the "warty quid a wall" method . Good luck
Don't know if it works or not but for a while I been working all my qoutes labour and mats and then add 15% to cover all my overheads ,fuel, insurance etc...don't put it on the quote to customer but have it in mind
 
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