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Discuss £500 in 2.5 days! in the UK Tiling Forum area at TilersForums.com.

C

cornish_crofter

I remember a thread started by Darren @ Nett about how to maximise your earnings as a tiler. Although this didn't involve tiling I think it's worth sharing this experience with you guys. If I recall correctly one of his students had managed to rake in £1000 in a week.

A friend and customer of mine (I tiled her bathroom and fitted a new bath a few years ago) asked me to quote for a job fixing her ceiling below the bathroom. She told me her bathroom got flooded and hence the ceiling had partially collapsed. I was a bit concerned that th flood was because of my plumbing :lol: but it wasn't. Her mum had blocked the toilet and flushed it again hoping to unblock it. It didn't work.

Anyway, her insurance wanted a quote for the work. As it was a lathe and plaster ceiling I suggested that the whole ceiling up to a beam in the middle of the room be brought down completely, timbers treated, new plasterboard up and skimmed. The ceiling in question measured at 10m squared.

Now I reckon I could have skimmed it without too much of a problem, but I know a plasterer who can do a better job. His price is 10 per m squared plus materials. I reckoned £100 out of my money would be a good price to pay for less stress.

I worked out a price for the job based on the time I thought it would take plus materials. I then spoke to a friend of mine who is a QS. He reckoned it was a bit high but not out of the bounds of reason.

I went with the original quote, stating exactly what I would do for the money, the size of the ceiling and exactly why replacing the whole section of ceiling was the way to go - Asthetics and Safety. Asthetics because otherwise we're trying to cope with a join on a artex ceiling, and safety because it is quite probable that a large area of the ceiling would have partly delaminated from the lathes, creating a safety hazard.

I also mentioned that the height of the ceiling would probably need staging of some sort.

The insurers accepted.

The job went very well indeed. I managed to drop the whole ceiling. I even had someone collecting the lathes off the floor for kindling! I denailed the joists and treated the timbers by brush that day, well within about 6 hours actually including clearing up etc.

The second day the plasterboard went up. I was on my own and it took about 4 hours. I stopped for lunch then went back to clear up and remove excess materials.

Day 3 - plasterer turned up and worked his magic. 4 hours plus helping to get the staging sorted and he also helped clear up. He did a smashing job. I didn't really need to be there on day 3 but I wanted to learn from him so I helped him out with labouring etc.

Total bill came to £680.

That's £100 for the plaster
£80 for the materials

£500 for me!!!!! :hurray::hurray::hurray:
 
T

tfs

Best one I have had was a flooring job a few years back, I was four days on the job not one was a full shift. I supplied £80 materials and got a cheque for £1000 on completion. This was when I first started doing work for myself so I instantly thought, this is great, if I can do this every week I will be rolling in it! (How wrong was I):lol:

I guess we all take the good with the bad in this game
 
C

cornish_crofter

Well, I don't have a huge amount of work lined up. Most of what I do is charged by the hour, but this was a quotation, and I got it right ;)

It seems when I've got my business head on I can make money. When I try and do people favours, want the jobs or don't spend enough time on the quote I sometimes get it wrong.

The nice thing is that my wife received a thank you on my behalf from the customer for a job well done. I phoned the plasterer and left a message passing that on.
 

UKTT Darren

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Nice going, you have to remember you make money with your brain, not with your hands, your brain just tells your hands what to do, however there is only so much physical work you can do in a day or a week therefore your earning potential is governed by this, the big money is made from the likes of whats been said above and add on the extras, Think like a businessman and look for alternative ways to make the money that links to what you are doing as a tiler.

I offered to run a course that would make people think differently to how to make big money like the samples above but only one person out of the whole forum was interested.

Anyway there is money to be made out there, all you need is the motivation, drive and determination and some simple pointers of how to get it, There is a lot of money out there with your name on it, just waiting to be collected, however it will not come to you, if you dont go and get it someone else will pick it up and take whats yours.

Never stop thinking of how you can add ways to make money from what you are doing, it is called link sales for example Clarks shoe shop sells shoes, but how much extra money do you think they make from selling polish, i bet it runs into millions, thats why when anyone buys a pair of their shoes the salesman are told to push the polish, or Macdonalds asking if you would like the large meal when you pay, how many just say yes that would have settled for a regular, how much will they make from the extra large price, millions, so you see you are on a smaller scale to these companies, doesnt stop you thinking like them though and making extra money that you wouldnt have got

Something for you to think about

Regards
Darren
 

Andy Allen

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making money is down to experience, i was once asked to look at a small local job, when i got there it was a splash back above a sink, i said to the lady of the house why didnt they try and do the job themselfs, because my husband is useless at D.I.Y was the replie.

i told her it would cost £40.00, no probs she said when can you do it, now i said got my kit out 10 mins later splash back tiled.

poped back in after work the next day to grout and was met by the husband, after the grouting was done (5mins) he turned to me and said you must earn a fortune that only took you 15mins no i said it took me 30yrs experience and 15mins
 
C

cornish_crofter

Darren

I know exactly what you mean. There is money out there with MY name on it to be earned.

After nearly losing it completely trying to do someone a favour over Christmas, I've come to the conclusion that I need to look after no 1. OK at times there are little jobs 'sweetners' I call them to be done. It's often these that pull me back for bigger jobs.

However, favours are now selectively applied. The plasterer I know is doing up a house for his landlord in lieu of cheap rent. If he needs a hand or some advice with plumbing or another trade I can work with - he gets it. On the flip side I know that if I were to spend a day plumbing in his bathroom then I would likely see a day of him plastering my house.

The plasterer has often asked me if I can get him work, even if he helps me quote for it. Essentially He's actually suggested that I go out and get the work, then get him to do it and take a cut.
 
A

Aston

hi cornish

glad things are on the up.
insurance work has always been a good outlet to make money. just make sure you know your business inside out!! dont run before you can walk.
use plasteres if your technique is still at the beginers level because you'll get found out otherwise, so well done for subbing it out. things look positive all of a sudden hey! ;0)

ps, pretty soon you'll be making £600-00p in a day and a half because thats how long that job should take and if you keep working at your skimming and perfecting your technique and work practice, then you'll be doing really well soon!

jobs like that dont come along every day, so make hay while the sun shines..or get in with an insurance company specialising in water damage and then you can push you tanking systems aswell as new ceiling...prevention before the cure ??... another link ;0)

all the best, its nice to see someone fighting back and having a go
ed
 
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