worse trade ever! nowadays

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Sorry to dig an old thread up lads but wanted to throw my two penneth in...
I agree with a lot of what has been said. Been Plastering on and off 20 years but I am actually a Joiner (with city & guilds), I prefer Plastering to be honest.
Got laid off then made redundant before the recession, set up myself and struggled for 2 years. £70 a day (labour only including my van) was a blessing at times.
The party was well and truly over, I remember a time earning £180 a day on price and being back sat at home for 2pm.
Things got so bad I ended up subbing with a Flat Roofer on hospitals, schools, uni's, they paid decent rates but it was very heavy work. Ended up needing a hernia operation which left me high and dry for months.
During that time I looked at getting out of the trade, but I got an interview at a factory and that changed my mind. The place was okay as were the people but christ, the job was mind blowing. It took less thought and skill than beading around a window reveal. They said "you will be on this for six months", I would have ended up in a Mental Institution.

So, back out I went in my van...
Things are slowly picking up, £120 a day is more common now and sometimes I dare even put a proper price in, like how it should be.
I feel sorry for the guys that were around in the 70's and 80's though, to be afforded time on a job to produce top work and get a decent wage must have been incredible. All I have ever known is faster, cheaper, bigger, better, quicker, easier...

Ah well. I'll get my snap ready for tomorrow... :)
 
It was the same in the seventies.we used to screed walls & ceilings & then 'set' them NOT ski like nowadays & were invaded by the 'skim over the top ' boys who worked for a fraction of the price & wrecked the trade or should I say ,started the downfall !
 
Notts said:
Sorry to dig an old thread up lads but wanted to throw my two penneth in...
I agree with a lot of what has been said. Been Plastering on and off 20 years but I am actually a Joiner (with city & guilds), I prefer Plastering to be honest.
Got laid off then made redundant before the recession, set up myself and struggled for 2 years. £70 a day (labour only including my van) was a blessing at times.
The party was well and truly over, I remember a time earning £180 a day on price and being back sat at home for 2pm.
Things got so bad I ended up subbing with a Flat Roofer on hospitals, schools, uni's, they paid decent rates but it was very heavy work. Ended up needing a hernia operation which left me high and dry for months.
During that time I looked at getting out of the trade, but I got an interview at a factory and that changed my mind. The place was okay as were the people but christ, the job was mind blowing. It took less thought and skill than beading around a window reveal. They said "you will be on this for six months", I would have ended up in a Mental Institution.

So, back out I went in my van...
Things are slowly picking up, £120 a day is more common now and sometimes I dare even put a proper price in, like how it should be.
I feel sorry for the guys that were around in the 70's and 80's though, to be afforded time on a job to produce top work and get a decent wage must have been incredible. All I have ever known is faster, cheaper, bigger, better, quicker, easier...

Ah well. I'll get my snap ready for tomorrow... :)
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If you have your head screwed on and work hard you can get very good money. I wouldn't even consider getting out of bed for £120 a day, double it and I'll set my alarm.
 
Pfft! I got out of bed this morn, and im just going to stick up 3 length if cove for a guy.....£80 ffs... on a feckin friday too:RpS_scared:

wish i could get hollywood rates:rolleyes)
 
A lot of negative comments on poor wages ect . It's not just in this industry it's across the board. I earned nearly10k more 10 years ago driving busses, warehouses are paying less than they did in 1998. They give all there money to business analysts ect that are charged about 50k a year on how to increase profits ,what's the easiest way ? Cut wages.
 
I dont know about down in England, but up here things are definitely on the up. Seem to get 90% of the jobs we are pricing, and thats at rates higher than previous years. got a good 3 months work booked in. every other trade i speak to seem to be in the same boat. hopefully things pick up for everyone. Cos i know what its like sitting in the house looking at a blank diary hoping for the phone to ring
 
PlasterCraftDundee said:
I dont know about down in England, but up here things are definitely on the up. Seem to get 90% of the jobs we are pricing, and thats at rates higher than previous years. got a good 3 months work booked in. every other trade i speak to seem to be in the same boat. hopefully things pick up for everyone. Cos i know what its like sitting in the house looking at a blank diary hoping for the phone to ring
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As a point of interest, do you know how many plastering course centers are up in Scotland mate?
I'll have a guess there is not many?
Down here in England the centers are like a cancer feeding of idiots then spewing them back in to our once great trade.
80% of the monkeys on this forum have caused the low wage situation us professional spreads are in!
 
Your right theres not that many. But that doesnt stop a labourer becoming a "plasterer" after working with someone for a few months. The thing is with these guys is they might get busy very quickly charging ridiculously low prices but word of mouth is a very strong thing and it doesnt take long to get a bad rep. If your good at what you do and take a bit of pride in your work theres plenty of work there for you and people will be willing to pay a bit more for a proper job
 
PlasterCraftDundee said:
Your right theres not that many. But that doesnt stop a labourer becoming a "plasterer" after working with someone for a few months. The thing is with these guys is they might get busy very quickly charging ridiculously low prices but word of mouth is a very strong thing and it doesnt take long to get a bad rep. If your good at what you do and take a bit of pride in your work theres plenty of work there for you and people will be willing to pay a bit more for a proper job
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Takes a long time to get a good reputation, takes no time at all to get a bad one.
 
timeservedspread said:
As a point of interest, do you know how many plastering course centers are up in Scotland mate?
I'll have a guess there is not many?
Down here in England the centers are like a cancer feeding of idiots then spewing them back in to our once great trade.
80% of the monkeys on this forum have caused the low wage situation us professional spreads are in!
Click to expand...

Sad but true
 
Times have changed I think and you just have to get used to the situation. There is no point whinging about it on here. Just because someone has done a couse it does not mean that they are not a good plasterer does it?
 
AdcarPlastering said:
If you have your head screwed on and work hard you can get very good money. I wouldn't even consider getting out of bed for £120 a day, double it and I'll set my alarm.
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£120 ain't to be sniffed at, don't forget we're only just coming out of a double dip recession, it ain't great but it's worth while
 
We r talking bout prices again boys.... all the customers and developers will be watching
 
How one rate, across the board can be the same for all plasterers has always been hard for me to understand over the years ,worked with good ,fast ,bad ,did not turn up ,drunk ,slow ,no transport ,part time fireman ,can only do ,.........
 
Below is a chartered surveyors survey, basically it is sent to all registered chartered surveyors and asked lots of questions regarding how they feel the building trade is doing.

Have a read of the "skills shortage" question and look what pops up?




Society of Chartered Surveyors
Quarterly Construction Sentiment Survey (Quarter 4 2013)


Do you foresee any shortages in construction skills over the next quarter


No Plenty of tradesmen and professionals currently out of work.
Carpentry and Bricklaying also Roofing.
By shortage I refer to a shortage of skilled workers rather than some subcontractors claiming
they can do the work.
Engineering and project management.
Lack of good quality tradesmen eg poor quality plastering becoming more prevalent; painting
contractors unable to complete to required high quality on basis of contracted rates; overall
liquidity causing problems is evident.
Already over subscribed in all areas.
Companies are fee bidding below cost making it very difficult to secure work with any kind of

I state things that are based on fact on this forum and I don't pretend everything is ok when its not, we have a big big problem in the plastering trade and it needs to be regulated on a basis of "hands on skills" not paper qualifications that mean nothing.
NVQ's and the like do not make you competent enough to go in to someones house and wang **** all over the walls, this takes years not weeks or months.
The pretense that plastering can be taught in days is rubbish and course centers should not be including "how to price jobs" and "how to start your company" to a group of guys who can barely load a trowel.
 
timeservedspread said:
Below is a chartered surveyors survey, basically it is sent to all registered chartered surveyors and asked lots of questions regarding how they feel the building trade is doing.

Have a read of the "skills shortage" question and look what pops up?




Society of Chartered Surveyors
Quarterly Construction Sentiment Survey (Quarter 4 2013)


Do you foresee any shortages in construction skills over the next quarter


No Plenty of tradesmen and professionals currently out of work.
Carpentry and Bricklaying also Roofing.
By shortage I refer to a shortage of skilled workers rather than some subcontractors claiming
they can do the work.
Engineering and project management.
Lack of good quality tradesmen eg poor quality plastering becoming more prevalent; painting
contractors unable to complete to required high quality on basis of contracted rates; overall
liquidity causing problems is evident.
Already over subscribed in all areas.
Companies are fee bidding below cost making it very difficult to secure work with any kind of

I state things that are based on fact on this forum and I don't pretend everything is ok when its not, we have a big big problem in the plastering trade and it needs to be regulated on a basis of "hands on skills" not paper qualifications that mean nothing.
NVQ's and the like do not make you competent enough to go in to someones house and wang **** all over the walls, this takes years not weeks or months.
The pretense that plastering can be taught in days is rubbish and course centers should not be including "how to price jobs" and "how to start your company" to a group of guys who can barely load a trowel.
Click to expand...


Your right it would be great if there was some scheme like gas safe for plastering. But how do the guys who have been plastering for 10 or 20 years get accredited to this scheme? probably have to go on a 2 day course...
 
PlasterCraftDundee said:
Your right it would be great if there was some scheme like gas safe for plastering. But how do the guys who have been plastering for 10 or 20 years get accredited to this scheme? probably have to go on a 2 day course...
Click to expand...

Never gonna happen.. if u want regulation re train as gas safe etc.. mate of mine just done it after ten week course and several osat type observations.. was a copper six months ago
 
I've seen it at loads at work the amount of 'skilled' people that have been trialled who can't do the job to a basic standard. Some are obviously just seeing if they can blag their way in but others genuinely think they are good... I think bricklaying and plastering suffer the most with the relatively little outlay for tools and the availability of dodgey become a tradesmen in a week. Most sites don't require anything past a cscs card for the brickies it's mental. Prices are picking up and lots of developments everywhere let's hope it carrys on. Looking like some deccent money to be made on a few sites.
 
cassie said:
full of shite mate...
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I'll put it on a plate for you, machine apply, de skill your work force. Charge the rates to hand apply do it twice as quick.

Last job I was on it was just me and my lab and the machine, I sprayed and ruled he float and sponged behind me.

I'd priced it competitively as if I was hand applying.

I was on £300 - £400 a day.
 
windy said:
Never gonna happen.. if u want regulation re train as gas safe etc.. mate of mine just done it after ten week course and several osat type observations.. was a copper six months ago
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thats what im saying, it would never work, it would just be another course for semi skilled people to go on and another sticker to add to the van
 
AdcarPlastering said:
I'll put it on a plate for you, machine apply, de skill your work force. Charge the rates to hand apply do it twice as quick.

Last job I was on it was just me and my lab and the machine, I sprayed and ruled he float and sponged behind me.

I'd priced it competitively as if I was hand applying.

I was on £300 - £400 a day.
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:RpS_laugh:
 
:RpS_laugh: is that to go with your new van, sounds like you need a phallic symbol........................keep living the dream.....................:RpS_lol:
 
Last edited:
Ok perhaps 3/400 a day on certain odd days.. but every day 48 weeks a yr. Jog on. Barristers would be calling you to give you a hand
 
AdcarPlastering said:
Might even get myself a porsche lol

:)
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this is my latest a addition to my growing fleet -
P1010693_zps10d1dc95.jpg


and the crew come free
P1010712_zpsa160a945.jpg


just have to feed them:RpS_lol:
 
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