Am I overpricing? - Page 4 - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

**Highlander** · 18-04-2008

Well guys just tiled ensuite 12m2 walls, Laid warmup insulation board and element and tiled floor 4.5m2 12hrs start to finish will go back tomorrow for cople of hrs and grout. And will will charge £620.00 for the honour lol commercial job by the way.

Speed takes time but what I think happens is that guys spend to much time measuring and measuring and measuring debating in your head etc. Old guy used to work with said know what the difference between a good tiler and a crap tiler ? Well a good tiler knows what his last cut is roughly going to be by looking. And if you look at some of the cuts on jobs i have seen there are a lot of crap tilers out there. I aint saying measuring is bad but you aint going to get fast if you spend hours prepin when there is no need. I guess it comes with experience.

Just my opinion guys so may the force be with you

Highlander

TilingLogistics · 19-04-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highlander

Well guys just tiled ensuite 12m2 walls, Laid warmup insulation board and element and tiled floor 4.5m2 12hrs start to finish will go back tomorrow for cople of hrs and grout. And will will charge £620.00 for the honour lol commercial job by the way.

Speed takes time but what I think happens is that guys spend to much time measuring and measuring and measuring debating in your head etc. Old guy used to work with said know what the difference between a good tiler and a crap tiler ? Well a good tiler knows what his last cut is roughly going to be by looking. And if you look at some of the cuts on jobs i have seen there are a lot of crap tilers out there. I aint saying measuring is bad but you aint going to get fast if you spend hours prepin when there is no need. I guess it comes with experience.

Just my opinion guys so may the force be with you

Highlander

Gary,

You don't half talk some crap sometimes. Tiling has nothing to do with Star Wars! Go and get yourself a wee dram and relax ! It might get some of that swelling down

Kev

Branty · 19-04-2008

You did all of that on your own Highland?

**sWe** · 19-04-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highlander

Speed takes time but what I think happens is that guys spend to much time measuring and measuring and measuring debating in your head etc. Old guy used to work with said know what the difference between a good tiler and a crap tiler ? Well a good tiler knows what his last cut is roughly going to be by looking. And if you look at some of the cuts on jobs i have seen there are a lot of crap tilers out there. I aint saying measuring is bad but you aint going to get fast if you spend hours prepin when there is no need. I guess it comes with experience.

Everybody to their own, but here's my view on the matter.
Please don't take this personal or anything like that, I'm just writing in general.

TBH, if a tiler needs to spend hours measuring and thinking about how he (or she) is going to do a job, he's either really bad at it, or he simply haven't done it enough times to become fast.

I spend an average of 15 minutes measuring, marking, and planing, on an average bathroom. I'd say that allows me to work faster than if I just start straight off. When I start tiling, most variables are already considered and taken into account, and I can focus on even and straight grout lines, flush tiles, etc, instead of solving problems.

To be honest, the actual tiling (and particularly the grouting and siliconing) is what takes the least time on an average job, for me atleast. Counted in both pure working hours, and in drying times (which I refer to as dead time), prepping substrates and such takes alot more time.

My the force be with you too

(I'm a major Star Wars buff

)

mz30 · 19-04-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpygrouter

Thanks mz30 wasn't doubting what you say. Just that I have been in the trade now for just coming up a year and there is no way I can tile that quickly yet. There always seems to be one obsticle or another to have to straighten out, cut around or the need to back butter tiles. I don't do site work nor contracts/builders work so everything is pretty much old walls.

I do work alone so don't have the benefit of a "boy" to mix, clean or generally assist so maybe that is why it takes so long. I suspect most of the guys/gals on the forum work the same way as me.

Hi grumpy ,
I always say that with experience comes speed ,once you can do the job without thinking ,then speed will take over.

Sometimes having an apprentice can hinder you especially if you are doing a small bathroom and there no room for the both of you.

aejrd · 19-04-2008

a would of said 350 would take 2days tops

bloody hell!!! 12oo+ materials!! uve done well to get that mind ..think al put my prices up!!

its crazy isnt it.. 70quid!! u wud hav 2 do 2 a day just 2 keep ya head above water..

aejrd · 19-04-2008

too right m8 if you rush around in someones house yr more likely to damage something or make a mess!! u have to b careful customers dont like mess!! or chipped enamel on baths or shower trays!!

ross lewiss · 19-04-2008

is it really possible to earn £80,000-00p per year tiling:grin:
i have just handed my notice in as a retail manager on £35,000-00p per year and i was told thats how much i could earn when i get a couple of years behind me but £80,000-00p is amazing. never thought that there would be that much money to be made. my brother in law is a successful heating engineer in essex with 8 guys working for him and he cleared £75,000-00p profit last year but hes been going 20 years and he makes money off the guys who work for him. looks like ive picked a good trade to learn, feeling more happy about my decision to quit my job now.

thanks, ross

Dirrty · 19-04-2008

You said you put 'close on £80,000 through the books' mz30......so was that turnover or net profit?

**Highlander** · 19-04-2008

In reply to Branty aye I did it all myself and worked my arse off

.

And in reply to Kev (tilinglogistics)

watch you are now in the dark side.

Lol

And I agree with sWe

Branty · 20-04-2008

Thats good going.
I think I would have taken 2 days. And charged £550 plus mats.

jocky102 · 08-05-2008

[quote=TilingLogistics;75085]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW tiler

Quoted for a bathroom last night, the guy nearly choked on his tea when I gave him the price. When I get calls from the paper I rarely get the job, when it's recommendations, I always get them.

Anyway, the job last night was a three piece bathroom plus a shower cubicle. Only the bath and the shower base would be installed. The plasterer was there skimming the walls so nice smooth walls.

The customer wanted tiling approx 1.1m up the wall and all around the shower cubicle. A few holes needed drilling for shower, radiator and toilet pipes etc, and cuts around the bath. No window as the tiling would come just under it. Total metreage was 11. Customer wanted metal trim.

The floor was approx 5m2, again only cutting aroung the bath and shower base. Also the toilet waste pipe.

All tiling would be straight set, size of tiles not decided but not "big" tiles.

I think your quote was reasonable. However, there are some customers it will never be cheap enough for

Kev

i agree some customers still think you can get into a cinema and have dinner afterwards with a taxi home with 2 bob and still have change... classic case my next door neighbour wanted some tiling done, she asked my wife if i could go around and measure up, i said i would when i got home so she had another tiler go around (polish) and he said he would tile her bathroom floor for £50 and kitchen floor £50 too, bathroom was 2.5m2 and kitchen 6ishm2, she nearly choked too so i told my wife to tell her i wasnt coming around to waste MY time, and if i was her i would accept that offer because there is NO way she will ever get it any cheaper