Scunnered

[John Benton]

We all get days like this Stef, for the first time in 10 years I've got a customer who's not paid me yet after 3 weeks, thinking up a corker of an excuse. He's really happy with the work and asking me to do more work before he's even paid for this one. The guy is on north of £200k a year Merc, 911, and so on, and he could only afford to pay either me or my plumber when the job was done, he was waiting for his pay cheque to come through, and I'm still waiting for mine to arrive from him, I'm away this weekend so I'll see if it's landed when I get home!!!

Do you know any of the tilers who you are quoting against Stef?

Andy even if we price on the same spec you can guarantee that prices won't be the same, Look when someone asks on here about pricing, the prices can differ tremendously, some people want to make a good profit on materials, whereas some are happy with 10% and that can swing a quote on a larger job by a few hundred quid easily.

It's down to how much you are willing to work for at the end of the day.

 

[Perry]

Stef come and fix bricks slips for a week you will feel better see how it can be. :hurray:

 

[Ajax123]

But they will do more than if you say he's not qualified to fit tiles!!
Water off a ducks back m8..

Yes the gas industry is regulated under the current building regulations. However they can only prosecute the fitter if the work he does is sub standard or if someone is hurt as a result. It's generally the client that pays the price as the installation is not signed off and building regulations have been breached which mean selling the house would be nigh on impossible until the building inspector can sign a regularisation certificate.

 

[Chalker]

I am gas safe registered. I do a mix of new build, boiler changes and bathrooms. The only bit I enjoy is tiling.
Plumbing and heating is mainly hiding everything you do.
as for the money side. There is some to be made on materials, but my labour charge is the same for tiling as repairing a gas boiler.
if you fancied getting gas safe registered think again. The courses are just a rip off, you will still need work experience, all in will cost you about £10,000
every 5 years I have to be re assessed, this costs me about £2500 including a week off, registration every year, about £200 then you need a flue gas analyser (£600) and that needs calibrating every year at £ 200 a pop.
So even after you Re registered it will cost £1000 per year, that's a lot to get back.
If you have plenty of work, I would stick to tiling. The grass is never greener on the other side.

 

[Chalker]

Yes the gas industry is regulated under the current building regulations. However they can only prosecute the fitter if the work he does is sub standard or if someone is hurt as a result. It's generally the client that pays the price as the installation is not signed off and building regulations have been breached which mean selling the house would be nigh on impossible until the building inspector can sign a regularisation certificate.

The fitter can be prosecuted for working on gas, even if they have done it correctly. If they are not registered.
theres about 5 a month in the gas safe magazine.

 

[TJ Smiler]

I am gas safe registered. I do a mix of new build, boiler changes and bathrooms. The only bit I enjoy is tiling.
Plumbing and heating is mainly hiding everything you do.
as for the money side. There is some to be made on materials, but my labour charge is the same for tiling as repairing a gas boiler.
if you fancied getting gas safe registered think again. The courses are just a rip off, you will still need work experience, all in will cost you about £10,000
every 5 years I have to be re assessed, this costs me about £2500 including a week off, registration every year, about £200 then you need a flue gas analyser (£600) and that needs calibrating every year at £ 200 a pop.
So even after you Re registered it will cost £1000 per year, that's a lot to get back.
If you have plenty of work, I would stick to tiling. The grass is never greener on the other side.

Good post mate, has answered a lot of questions for me...... Out of interest and i mean this as a genuine question. In your post you say that they only prosecute if the work is sub-standard. Your work is obviously of a high standard as we have all seen what you can do, is it not possible for someone like yourself to not be regulated and save yourself all that money? like i say mate i mean that as a genuine question and not with any smart arse sarcasm.

 

[Chalker]

Without being gas safe registered you can't notify ( register a newly fitted gas appliance). But I know plumbers who are not registered and get a gas safe guy to do the registration. I wouldn't do that as I'm putting my name on the line to somebody else's work that.
In reality the only people that get caught are registered gas fitters doing something wrong and landlords doing their own checks,
without getting technical, there is a lot that can kill with gas installations. So I would recommend no one should attempt work on gas pipe work or appliances.

back to topic tho.
stick to tiling Steff! Better the devil you know!

 

[TJ Smiler]

Fair enough then....cheers mate.

 

[Spud]

it just sounds like you need a holiday Stef

 

[Mr Tiler]

I was gonna say that too gary, fortnight off the tools you will be rite as rain lol