Pricing/new tilers

[versatilene]

I like to throw in a bit of controversy now and again so here goes.

PRICING We all know 'the rate' per day, per metre etc and all want it because that's what we think wer'e worth, (we are) but here's the reality.
With so many people taking up tiling and literally dozens a week from fast track training, competition is only getting tougher. Market forces apply and most often the best deal gets the job, so the choice for some, especially those not already well established is. Do I sit at home and worry about how to pay the mortgage and feed the kids because I want £150 a day/£20 per M2 or do I say £90 to 100 p.day/£15 per M2. No decision really is it !!!
I don't think we can be complacent about the rate of new tilers being churned out each week as it will affect everybody, once the prices go down (and they will) everybody feels it.

(My mortgage is paid my kids have flown and I retire in 3 years so it's not a selfish post, I just thought it needed flagging up as so many people seem to be coming into it with rose tinted glasses )

 

[sc24]

I think alot of the new guys coming into the trade, will eventually drift out once they realise its not all easy money, it is becoming close to saturation point, personally, I'm finding I cant compete for domestic work because there are now so many tilers/newbies, I'm vat reg., so as soon as the vat goes on the price I'm not that competitive, thats why I prefer to concentrate on commercial work, I've always been a tiler and I'm under no illusion as to what I can earn, so unless I win the lottery I'll probably be tiling untill i drop

 

[wayne]

i normally work off £25 sqm including mats for ceramic which people say is too cheap. normally do 10-15 sqm a day so earn anything up to £375 sometimes [ long days though]. if i then say i want materials on top customers will think i am ripping them off.

 

[versatilene]

i normally work off £25 sqm including mats for ceramic which people say is too cheap. normally do 10-15 sqm a day so earn anything up to £375 sometimes [ long days though]. if i then say i want materials on top customers will think i am ripping them off.

I bet you hear this less and less as time goes on.:icon9:

 

[wayne]

i dont know how people can charge£25 sqm +mats. im in leeds and most people will think i am taking the p**s at that price. and no-one as ever taken up the option to have walls tanked to save a bit of money. i have nothing against the tiling courses but coming out of them and charging top whack for fitting and then finding they cant get any work should be a wake up call for them. another two tilers near me jacked in this week saying it was too hard to make decent money.

 

[tiler tom]

How much work you are getting from the quotes you give should be an indication as to the question am I charging too much ?
I am a newbie and have only done it weekends and evenings so it is not really that important if I get the job or not as I already have an income so it gives me the opportunity to be more flexible with a quote. But I have noticed the number of tilers springing up and it is one of the reasons I have not gone full time.
I usually quote either £20 a metre or a day rate of £120 depending on the job. I decided this by finding out what the compatition was charging. A friend got 2 quotes from tilers for their bathroom and without telling me what they charged, what area they quoted or how long thet said it would take I also went in and quoted and only then compared all the quotes. Out of all 3 I was the cheapest and all 3 quotes gave 4 days. When it came to measuring up the other tilers under estimated one of them by 3 SQ Metres. Based on their prices both wanted 140 a day and one of them couldnt do the job for 6 weeks.

 

[charlie1]

its obvious that there are a lot more tilers about now than there was a few years ago and a lot more forigners who are good tilers and can afford to charge a lot less,this will mean one thing, everybody is going to have to lower there prices to stay competitive or they simply wont get the work. everyone has a wage they would be happy with at the end of the week and will charge customers accordingly. I phoned round one of the new tilers in my are for a hypithetical quote to see what he was charging and he quite openly told me £10m2. now as he is a new tiler i would say at most he would be doing 10m2 per day so after tax and materials he is probablly only making about £350 per week. I'm not saying it is like that everywhere but ithink it soon will be.

More tilers+ same amount of tiling to be bone= less money for all of us.

 

[enduro]

I charge £25m2 plus materials and i get more work than i know what to do with, gave three jobs to other tilers this week, could easily get £30m2 if i wanted slightly less work.

 

[charlie1]

yes , i dont doubt that, i think there will be an exceptional few who can still comand good wages based on reputation but i dont think it is sustainable for the VAST majority when you think about the amount of new tilers (which i am one of) offering there servicies. i think in the next year or two wages for tilers generally wont be anywhere near as high. I havent started tiling to make loads of money , i just want a more rewarding carreer but i would give out a word of caution to anyone thinking they can just go in and and start making 35k P/Y. There are loads and loads of decent tilers out there with the same idea.

Another thing, check you local yellow pages to see how many tilers there are in your area, 10 mabe 15. This is not accurate, there are joiners , plasterers , plumbers all offering tiling servicies.

Sorry to sound so bleak but i am seing it first hand.

True story- the other week one of my competitors was outbidded for a job, slate. He put in a bid of £40 per m2 and was out bidded by a polish tiler who done the same job for 10 per m2. This i am told by the guys at the local tile shop is happening more and more

 

[felix]

I'm perhaps fortunate where I am, but I find that without a doubt it is the individual rather than the price which convinces the customer. Up here there is an attitude that you get what you pay for. I did an estimate the other day for a woman who also got two other quotes. The first guy who quoted her gave her a high price, and when she hadn't called back within 3 days, he phoned her up and knocked £100 of his price, which brought it below mine. The second guy came in and measured up, but then said he had to go away and work out a price. (It was a small kitchenette) I went in and I spoke to her about what she wanted done and offered suggestions. She changed her mind and went for diamond set on the floor and a little pattern behind the hob. I was also able to show her photos from previous jobs and testimonials from previous customers. I gave her the quote on a headed estimate sheet which I made myself (not professionally printed)

She went with my price which was higher than the second guys price and the first guys revised price. Her reason was that I was far more professional and seemed to know what I'm talking about.

While I think price is important, undoubtedly the individual has to be professional. A customer will always buy the salesman before the product

 

[charlie1]

Hi felix,

When you say testimonials from previous customers do you get customers to write something down and attatch it to a picture of the job or something?. I think this would help.

 

[devonmark]

A customer will always buy the salesman before the product

and that is what you are first and foremost...a salesman, if you don't do the selling you will not do the tiling..Mark.

 

[felix]

I ask them to jot down a few lines on paper for me. Most do it in the form of a thank you letter. I make sure I have the pictures relating to each letter

 

[versatilene]

There will always be good salesman/tilers and there will always be some customers where money is not the issue (long may they last) but overall prices WILL come down as most people (me included) want their hard earned cash to go as far as it can and will go for the best price quote provided they like the tiler.

 

[brummie tiler]

have to disagree with most, i dont think prices will come down, propably stay the same imo. Its not just tiling thats becoming'over saturated' you only have to look in the paper and you find at least half a dozen ads - become an electricion, become a plumber,become a plasterer, become a painter and decorater. Trades on the whole are 'over saturated' - how do you really judge this anyway? yet all of the plumbers/ plasterers i work with are contstantly busy earning an above average living. Facts are that the MAJORITY of people attending these short courses will fall by the wayside , people are attracted to being self employed, a so called better lifestyle with a better wage, but these are also the type of people who will fail as they will be 2 lazy to put in the effort, just sucked in by the promise of 40k a year. Dont panic lads the genuinley good and reasonably priced tilers will have no problems. Every man and his dog becomming a tiler is a phase at the moment, it will pass....