Quiet an interesting topic, one i have been surprised at. I qualified as a plumber, and a tiler...before you ask they were both time served courses, totalling 10 years back to back. I spent the first 6months as a tiler, i watching my mentor, fetching, cleaning, scraping! Didnt fix my first tile for 18 months, after the cleaning and carrying i was promoted to "preper".....removing old tiles and flooring, priming, sealing!!!
I asked my mentor why i was given the remidial tasks and he said " i'll tell thee why lad" he was from yorkshire..." if tha' can do wit cleanin' and stuff, wi'owt bother, thee wonna go wrong learnin' trade from tha' ground up. am i reet" (excuse my yorkshire accent but you get the idea)
Interesting to see what you guys have put for tile prices. My prices start from £20pm for ceramics and increase with the type/size of tile.
depending on the job, i will charge a meterage rate to include materials, or a day rate depending on the work involved. I also have standard package prices for full rip outs and installs.
This could include back to brick and restarts in an older property, or re boarding for plasterboard that has deteriorated. A typical average day rate for me is £140, a typical average package bathroom install - not including materials is £1460.
I am based in the north west, just above wales! I moved here 4 years ago and started to do social housing work to get some money coming in. knocked that on the head when i realised i had to tile shower cubicles with no primer or tanking sealer! not prepared to do that!.
My question to you guys is, after reading some of the posts, how would you price up the following.
example 1, Concrete base conservatory with standard DPM, like a ploughed field. 6M square room with 60x60 porcelains.
Also, if you had to prepare damaged floor in a bathroom priot to starting a job, i.e rotten boards, that you could not see before removing the existing floor covering, how would some of you make money on the job, somw have said if the job went over you would not charge any extra? likewise if the render/plaster had blown of the wall. would you get that repaired at your own expense?
Also i was told once by a building contractor, that tilers are ten a penny, anyone can do that!
Which is quite true, i have been undercut on many jobs to the tune of £60 a day!
I like to feel that for my £140 a day, my customers are getting good quality service from a tiler skilled in what he does. And i agree with one comment that this trade needs to be regulated and treated the same as gas fitter, plumbers and such. Whilst we have the TTA, its not really a governing body that can regulate and keep a tight reign on the cowboy odd jobbers that bring our trade into disrepute.