council
- Thread starter scott
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Danny
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I been doing council work this week, the jobs you get are shite and I have started taking my signs off the van because some of the bodges they expect you to do are desperate!!
Was working with another spread on one of them I was gonna throttle him, absolute tosser I had to mention to him that we are on the same wage so f**k off bossing me about.... I asked him how long he'd been on the tools never get a straight answer then saw his skimming skills...... I think I know how long!!!
The firm I am with were happy with his work now I have come on the scene it looks like I might have a full time contract!
need to keep the pennies rolling
Danny
Was working with another spread on one of them I was gonna throttle him, absolute tosser I had to mention to him that we are on the same wage so f**k off bossing me about.... I asked him how long he'd been on the tools never get a straight answer then saw his skimming skills...... I think I know how long!!!
The firm I am with were happy with his work now I have come on the scene it looks like I might have a full time contract!
need to keep the pennies rolling
Danny
bodplasterer
Active Member
I did council work for a while but i was subbying to another builder, lets put it this way i wont be doing it again i think i lasted about 2 weeks moneys shite the jobs are a nightmare. I went to a job one day and explained to the person i have come to do some plastering in there house, well i was barraged with i have been bloody waiting 2 years for this to be done and this person was going mental at me, i tried to explain i was just a sub contractor and didnt work for the council, well that just made it worse, he then started shouting do you expect me to let you in my house you dont even work for the council with alot more profanity's thrown in well that was the final straw i just turned around and walked away 
the only trouble was i didnt get paid as if you dont do the job you dont get the money
the only trouble was i didnt get paid as if you dont do the job you dont get the money 
N
nicksey1401
Guest
he was just jealous youve got a job
B
bigsegs
Guest
years ago councils used to employ 'maintenance' personell...basically jacks of all trades...usually for the smaller jobs, far as i know they still do to some extent...
my experience of em is if its a largish job the 'clerk of works' dept will always nail you to the floor for spec..i.e. do exactly what is says on the sheet...no ifs, no buts, (they pay people good money to dream up the bullshit they expect you to do and they dont like to see money wasted)
as far as quality is concerned, 'acceptable' is usually good enough but if you want repeat work then quality workmanship might be required...depends on the clerk of works, thats the guy you have to keep happy after the tennant, he has the power to off site you at a moments notice...
watch out for the old 30 day or even 3 month pay though...
you get all kinds of people working for councils from right shitholes to sound people who'll make you tea all day and a sandwich at lunchtime, rough with the smooth..
they put tenders out regularly and most companies get some sort of vetting, last one i worked for needed 5 million public liability minimum to be proven before the contract was won...
once youre in with em though, if youre any good they'll love you, they like the usual stuff, politeness, tidy workmanship, leave the job as you found it etc...in other words dont have the tennants ringing em up complaining and your laffin...
one nasty job though, or an upset customer and you could be out the window...
my experience of em is if its a largish job the 'clerk of works' dept will always nail you to the floor for spec..i.e. do exactly what is says on the sheet...no ifs, no buts, (they pay people good money to dream up the bullshit they expect you to do and they dont like to see money wasted)
as far as quality is concerned, 'acceptable' is usually good enough but if you want repeat work then quality workmanship might be required...depends on the clerk of works, thats the guy you have to keep happy after the tennant, he has the power to off site you at a moments notice...
watch out for the old 30 day or even 3 month pay though...
you get all kinds of people working for councils from right shitholes to sound people who'll make you tea all day and a sandwich at lunchtime, rough with the smooth..
they put tenders out regularly and most companies get some sort of vetting, last one i worked for needed 5 million public liability minimum to be proven before the contract was won...
once youre in with em though, if youre any good they'll love you, they like the usual stuff, politeness, tidy workmanship, leave the job as you found it etc...in other words dont have the tennants ringing em up complaining and your laffin...
one nasty job though, or an upset customer and you could be out the window...
bodplasterer
Active Member
Hey seggs all the time i have worked for council it has been through builders that do there work for them i think you can get onto a list to price jobs for them. They do have maintenance guys that do all the odd jobs but in my experiance when it came to bigger jobs they subbed it out to builders.
B
bigsegs
Guest
thats it exactly bod, me too, you gotta be well set up, all insurances covered etc...then i think its just a case of most reasonable quote gets it...
only problem i have with general building is the quality of tradesmen you can get to work for you...anyone thats any good sets up on their own, that leaves you with all the lazy, useless, couldnt give a monkeys type people... a lot of it is contacts, you have to be around for quite a while in an area, get a decent name for yourself then maybe some of the decent blokes wil consider a move...gotta pay em decent money though...
not the rule by any stretch but if youve ever tried to get a bunch of real good tradesmen in one place and keep it going youll know what i mean...
comes back to partnerships again, then it all falls apart...again...
still, been on some lovely little council jobs...those wet rooms were big business a few years back, they converted loads of sheltered accomodation and older peoples properties for wheelchair use etc...did one or two whilst working for a builder then after i'd left i heard theyd f'cked one or two up and that was them off the list...pay peanuts, get monkeys, lose contracts, back to the old domestic...
thats why i just stick to plasterin these days, you can either plaster or you cant, you can tell a good plasterer from a badun just at a glance, theres very little argument from the customers and you dont need a huge gang of lads and shitloads of gear...
dunno if the council would tender out any amount of plasterin though, like you say that generally goes out with the main contract on the spec sheet...
only problem i have with general building is the quality of tradesmen you can get to work for you...anyone thats any good sets up on their own, that leaves you with all the lazy, useless, couldnt give a monkeys type people... a lot of it is contacts, you have to be around for quite a while in an area, get a decent name for yourself then maybe some of the decent blokes wil consider a move...gotta pay em decent money though...
not the rule by any stretch but if youve ever tried to get a bunch of real good tradesmen in one place and keep it going youll know what i mean...
comes back to partnerships again, then it all falls apart...again...
still, been on some lovely little council jobs...those wet rooms were big business a few years back, they converted loads of sheltered accomodation and older peoples properties for wheelchair use etc...did one or two whilst working for a builder then after i'd left i heard theyd f'cked one or two up and that was them off the list...pay peanuts, get monkeys, lose contracts, back to the old domestic...
thats why i just stick to plasterin these days, you can either plaster or you cant, you can tell a good plasterer from a badun just at a glance, theres very little argument from the customers and you dont need a huge gang of lads and shitloads of gear...
dunno if the council would tender out any amount of plasterin though, like you say that generally goes out with the main contract on the spec sheet...
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