labour charge

[bux]

do you think £49 per hour labour charge is avarage to fit a boiler, was told it would ake around four to six hours to fit, just enquiring

[Guest]

do you think £49 per hour labour charge is avarage to fit a boiler, was told it would ake around four to six hours to fit, just enquiring

 

I think that is pretty much the going rate.

[bottle]

Slightly different but the local garage was charging over £60 an hour three years ago, last time I owned a car.

[bigcol]

That sounds a rip off !!

 

I've had 2 boilers fitted, 1 very recent change over a palomo boiler and had a morco fitted which had to have new flue fitted etc and re route gas and water conections.

 

All done by Andy Plaster who is a gas fitter, surveyor proper business. He charges £160 that's with a gas safety certificate.

 

He also does boat safetys his based in the bucks and beds area. Very professional and experienced

 

I know he does go to London to do surveys and gas installations

 

col

[alan_fincher]

Is there VAT to go on top of that as well ?

 

Our nearest marina based engineer is now £50 + VAT per hour, (so £60, really, whatever his price list says!).

 

That's the expensive 'sarf' - I would expect Northern rates, where I think you are, to be a bit less.

 

I don't think it unreasonable that they give you a fixed quote, rather than a per hour charge though.

 

If you accept "4 to 6 hours", without agreeing a maximum, that could leave them open to charge you for 8, when it "proves to be a longer job than we thought".

 

Make sure they have the necessary Gas Safe certification to do LPG work on boats. They should be able to dangle a registration card at you that proves they do.

[bigcol]

Yes but to quote £50 an hour then suggest that it could take up to 6 hours that's £300 to fit a boiler.

 

Or am I wrong and he's completely instaling the gas ,and instaling a complete fresh system??

 

Col

[dor]

The problem with labour rates is the competence of the person being charged for. At around £50 an hour, I would exepct someone who knows what he is doing and to work quickly and efficently.

I've seen an allegedly competent engineer take an hour trying to find a problem with a battery discharging and failing to correctly identify the problem, followed by someone who knew what they were doing fixing the problem in five minutes. The former clearly wasn't worth £5 an hour even though he charged £45. The second one charges £25 an hour and said "give me a tenner" to the customer, which included his travelling time.

 

I was also quoted two to two and a half days labour for a job that was completed at a different yard, to a good standard, in six hours.

 

Car main dealers charge for most jobs from a book: a set job will be given a time alowance and that's what they should charge, even if a numpty fitter takes twice as long. Six hours might be reasonable for fitting a gas boiler - it depends on how much work is involved. Often it is not the physical fitting of something that takes the time, it's the making good afterwards.

 

So in my view, £50 is a reasonable hourly charge, but it should be based on a competent worker. If the yard is going to charge that for a bumbling fitter who spends half his time scratching his head, then clearly it is not right.

[alan_fincher]

Yes but to quote £50 an hour then suggest that it could take up to 6 hours that's £300 to fit a boiler.

 

Or am I wrong and he's completely instaling the gas ,and instaling a complete fresh system??

 

Col

As Bux hasn't told us much about the task, unless she says more we can only guess.

 

But she had a previous thread about installing an instantaneous gas heater on a boat not currently having one, and was directed to a Morco as the safest option, (good advice!).

 

If she is having a Morco installed from scratch, as well as fitting the boiler, a flue hole will need cutting, a flue installed, and gas and water circuits adapted and routed to the Morco.

 

Realistically I would have thought "4 to 6 hours" could even be conservative to do all that, and that's why I suggested she doesn't give them carte blanche to charge for a number of hours labour not agreed up front.

[bigcol]

It's funny when you have a job to do

Get a quote for the complete job

 

Then ask for a daily rate, then the job gos on and on on and on

 

You never win, Bux ! Ask around for a price for the complete job

 

Mates rates sometimes even worse!!

 

Good luck anyway get a few quotes,tell them youve had quotes,if they ask what's the cheapest tell them deducting £50

 

Everyone is out to make money that's life, fight back.

 

Last week I had to cut holes for 5 lights and 2 windows in 5mm steel, I had a guy around who said it would take best part of a day, he charges £120 per day

I done it myself with a grinder jigsaw and a hole cutter took me a morning

, and I'm slow!!! Inc tea coffee and a bacon sarnie and what us men do best talking and moaning

 

Col

[Neil2]

Slightly different but the local garage was charging over £60 an hour three years ago, last time I owned a car.

 

It's not really comparable though is it. Garages have huge overheads, plumbers/heating engineers do not.

 

Think about what expenses the guy has - a few tools and a van. Even for the south it's way over the top.

 

Ask around and get a fixed price. Anyone who knows their trade will give you a fixed price quotation, not estimate. With the exception of car/van repairs I have never paid anyone by the hour, for anything and that includes fitting boilers, roofing, carpentry, drainage etc etc.

[bux]

As Bux hasn't told us much about the task, unless she says more we can only guess.

 

But she had a previous thread about installing an instantaneous gas heater on a boat not currently having one, and was directed to a Morco as the safest option, (good advice!).

 

If she is having a Morco installed from scratch, as well as fitting the boiler, a flue hole will need cutting, a flue installed, and gas and water circuits adapted and routed to the Morco.

 

Realistically I would have thought "4 to 6 hours" could even be conservative to do all that, and that's why I suggested she doesn't give them carte blanche to charge for a number of hours labour not agreed up front.

yes looking at a morco, so would take that length of time then, just trying to get an idea of the total amount it would cost to buy the morco and get it fitted thats all, so i know how much of a dent i will need to put into my piggy bank:), and when we looked behind the storage areas, we found the gas pipe running along the floor of boat, and was told it should be running along the gunnal, more money to find

 

yes looking at a morco, so would take that length of time then, just trying to get an idea of the total amount it would cost to buy the morco and get it fitted thats all, so i know how much of a dent i will need to put into my piggy bank:), and when we looked behind the storage areas, we found the gas pipe running along the floor of boat, and was told it should be running along the gunnal, more money to find

and yes having the boiler fitted from scratch

[Keith M]

It's not really comparable though is it. Garages have huge overheads, plumbers/heating engineers do not.

 

Think about what expenses the guy has - a few tools and a van. Even for the south it's way over the top.

 

Ask around and get a fixed price. Anyone who knows their trade will give you a fixed price quotation, not estimate. With the exception of car/van repairs I have never paid anyone by the hour, for anything and that includes fitting boilers, roofing, carpentry, drainage etc etc.

 

As you put it I am a man with a van

Public Liability insurance is over £ 1000.00 per Year

Other Insurances van etc. £ 1000.00

Accounts fees

Wages for someone to do the book work

 

Roughly before I make any profit I need to earn over £ 2000.00 per month

 

I feel £50.00 including Vat to very reasonable

 

Keith

Edited November 10, 2011 by Keith M

[bux]

It's funny when you have a job to do

Get a quote for the complete job

 

Then ask for a daily rate, then the job gos on and on on and on

 

You never win, Bux ! Ask around for a price for the complete job

 

Mates rates sometimes even worse!!

 

Good luck anyway get a few quotes,tell them youve had quotes,if they ask what's the cheapest tell them deducting £50

 

Everyone is out to make money that's life, fight back.

 

Last week I had to cut holes for 5 lights and 2 windows in 5mm steel, I had a guy around who said it would take best part of a day, he charges £120 per day

I done it myself with a grinder jigsaw and a hole cutter took me a morning

, and I'm slow!!! Inc tea coffee and a bacon sarnie and what us men do best talking and moaning

 

Col

hahah thank for advice, i need to start looking around befor desiding,as when we located the gas and water pipes we found them running along the floo of boat, and was told they should be running along the gunnels, even though we had a bsc surveyor pass this only six months ago prior to buying the boat

 

hahah thank for advice, i need to start looking around befor desiding,as when we located the gas and water pipes we found them running along the floor of boat, and was told they should be running along the gunnels, even though we had a bsc surveyor pass this only six months ago prior to buying the boat

 

Yes but to quote £50 an hour then suggest that it could take up to 6 hours that's £300 to fit a boiler.

 

Or am I wrong and he's completely instaling the gas ,and instaling a complete fresh system??

 

Col

for complete instalation

[alan_fincher]

hahah thank for advice, i need to start looking around befor desiding,as when we located the gas and water pipes we found them running along the floo of boat, and was told they should be running along the gunnels, even though we had a bsc surveyor pass this only six months ago prior to buying the boat

Nowt wrong with water pipes running at floor level. Probably the best place for them, as they are less likely to freeze than in an unheated boat at gunwale level. Certainly nothing to do with BSS - water pipes are hardly a safety issue.

 

Gas pipes would be better an gunwale height, but I don't think floor routed ones are banned, (I'd need to check the documentation to be sure, though). But they are supposed to be able to be inspected, particularly all the joints. If routing them at floor level has resulted in hidden joints you can't get to, then I'd have thought some BSS examiners may not be happy about it. Sorry, but I think that's how it is.

[sebrof]

As you put it I am a man with a van

Public Liability insurance is over £ 1000.00 per Year

Other Insurances van etc. £ 1000.00

Accounts fees

Wages for someone to do the book work

 

Roughly before I make any profit I need to earn over £ 2000.00 per month

 

I feel £50.00 including Vat to very reasonable

 

Keith

 

That must be a very expensive van.

[David Mack]

Gas pipes would be better an gunwale height, but I don't think floor routed ones are banned, (I'd need to check the documentation to be sure, though). But they are supposed to be able to be inspected, particularly all the joints. If routing them at floor level has resulted in hidden joints you can't get to, then I'd have thought some BSS examiners may not be happy about it. Sorry, but I think that's how it is.

 

BSS Guide says:

 

Best practice

 

We recommend following industry best practice and keep the

pipework as high as possible to help protect it from mechanical

damage and allow you to smell a leak more easily if one occurs.

 

This advice also applies to the potential for water damage in the

bilges, wherever possible, try to keep the pipework in the dry.

 

So not a requirement, and it seems like your gas pipes are OK (as long as they are inspectable).

 

David

[Paul H]

do you think £49 per hour labour charge is avarage to fit a boiler, was told it would ake around four to six hours to fit, just enquiring

Can I recommend Chris Williams - top bloke and £32.50 an hour. Google Ovation Boat Services

Paul

[bigcol]

As you put it I am a man with a van

Public Liability insurance is over £ 1000.00 per Year

Other Insurances van etc. £ 1000.00

Accounts fees

Wages for someone to do the book work

 

Roughly before I make any profit I need to earn over £ 2000.00 per month

 

I feel £50.00 including Vat to very reasonable

 

Keith

 

 

Hi Keith

 

So let's get this right you have £2000 per year for public liability and van insurance etc

Accountant fees and book keeping really is a small percentage that runs with income going up and down with turnover

 

And you need to earn £24,000 per annum before you make a profit!! Equaling £2000 per month

 

You must be doing very well, van lease hire, totally tax deductible??

I do appreciate running your own business, I have for many years

Any small business in this climate must be finding it hard

But £50 per hour working from a van and then to suggest up to 6 hours to fit a boiler, I wonder how much of that time is doing nothing talking eating drinking tea going for a wonder around the boat yard,on his phone to other people I've seen it all

I am fumoxed how when a trades men comes in has 20 mins drinking our tea,the the missis makes a sandwich, another 20 mins talking about his boat and then once job is finished he bills me for a extra hour for drinking eating phoning,and talking, but not a lot of working

 

The old saying.

turn over equals vanity

Profit equals sanity

 

All the best

 

Col

[bizzard]

There's a lot of it about,in virtually all the trades,characters working from home or boat,hardly any buisiness overheads,earning a weeks wages,''for some people'', in a day and then slobbing out for the rest of the week.

[FrigateCaptain]

Bugger me, my morco is being fitted at 10 quid per hour and taking 5 hour max!

[bigcol]

Totally agree with Bizzard

 

Lots of folks like that around here in our boat yard

Charge £500 £ 600 pound to fit a boiler in a 6 hours.

Then do bugger all for the rest of the week, because they eating for somone else to rip off

 

Frigate captain thanks for making me spill my coffee

So eloquently put

 

Col

Edited November 10, 2011 by bigcol

[Ark Right]

Bugger me, my morco is being fitted at 10 quid per hour and taking 5 hour max!

Mates rate, right? I don't know of any Bona fide tradesman that would be able to survive if he charged a tenner an hour. Looks like the Op's quote for time to do the job is about right.

Cheers

A

[i love my narrowboat]

Sounds about right, remember you get what you pay for these days. Our Merc truck broke down yesterday and Mercedes charge £90 an hour labour. we got it back today £1900 lighter ..

[Ark Right]

Totally agree with Bizzard

 

Lots of folks like that around here in our boat yard

Charge £500 £ 600 pound to fit a boiler in a 6 hours.

Then do bugger all for the rest of the week, because they eating for somone else to rip off

 

Frigate captain thanks for making me spill my coffee

So eloquently put

 

Col

 

So the quote to the OP of about £300 is spot on, as most have said it seems fair.

Cheers A

[Chertsey]

I am curious. In the past I have come up against a Catch-22 situation in which while the BSS says it's OK to fit a non-room sealed instant water heater, Gas Safe (or CORGI as was) engineers wouldn't fit them because their regulations didn't allow it. Is this no longer the case?