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I was absolutely shocked today when I got my sparkies bill to fix a fault at my home. The guy just put his rates up to 75+GST/hour and that's at trade price! Did I miss something? Surely this cant be right? With all the license fee's I have to pay, CPD and all the crap I have to put up with in my trade my sparky is laughing all the way to the bank. What do they have to do to maintain their license? Maybe im exaggerating? Can they really justify $75+GST? I might be wrong here, can anyone shed some light? What do your sparkies charge?
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Their licence is around $94 and they do CPD every two years - refresher for first aid and fault finding. It takes about 16 hours maximum. Our sparkies charge (trade price) $45 - $50 plus GST. What can I say to you but shift out of Auckland mate.
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Jaxcat honestly I wish I could. My family and my wife's family are all here in Auckland, we worked very hard to get into our first home here as well so too much invested time and sweat to give it all up. I'm just not sure where this is all heading, yesterday I lost a job I quoted at a 5% profit margin, how does anyone else work for less than that? Have spoken to my suppliers and they are telling me that this year they have had several guy's re-open accounts under a different company name, why would they let them knowing? Soon sparkies will be charging $85+GST and we wont be able to charge more than $65 + GST, how ironic is that? :-X It's almost like the whole system is about crumble.
I have now committed to get my limited electrical license so I can do my own wiring, I suppose that's the best way to fight back at this stage.
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Plumber, wait until the builders start too (when they have the same shit to deal with as us). You think housing is expensive now!
The only legitimate business left will be those with conntacts and in with the click, taking the lion share of the work and intimidating the rest.....every one else working under the radar and not helping this country with the missed tax and shoddy work......the only people who will be able to afford the legal work will be those with money......mark my words mate.
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So what can you do? Just wait it out or can you actually be prepared?
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We need to apply pressure on the people who should be doing something!
The NZ Law Commission states that any industry Board's should be free of any interest or industry groups, fact.
CPD is not based in law and the disciplinary fee looks dodgy too.....
The Auditor General's office report being referred to by Kern Uren as "one man's opinion, every one is entitled to an opinion"....is just not on mate....who do these Muppet's think they are.......the countries top lawyers and the Auditor General tell them they are wrong and they just say thanks for your opinion and carry on with the same shit......
I truly believe we should put out a national advert in the countries best selling news paper and call them all out, list anything that we know is true..... but very controversial and stuff most people won't because of the threat of slander suits.....but if it is true then the fault lies with the people who carry out the corruption....not the people who bring it to light....it needs to be put under public scrutiny...... and the public would be sooooo very pissed off when we can show why they can't afford a tradesman anymore.......then the politicians would have to put it right......exposure and truth is the only way, bit of openness and transparency is required....
Either that or a debate (my favorite choice) lets have the Master Plumber's, the Board and the Federation on question time in public,,,,, man that would be beautiful......
Which I think then would have to lead to a public enquiry, as to why for a whole decade it has been so badly run, with over tones of nepotism and corruption......there are so so many people who have Board horror stories....these people will come forward as soon as they feel safe to....and as soon as it starts to crumble all the dodgy bully's will all turn on each other..... because when you fill your ranks with arse kissers, bully's and dodgy bastards.... they do to each other what they did to everyone else when put on the spot.....if they had any sense they would get out now and distance themselves from the really really dodgy ones.....
Basically public exposure and scrutiny, with common sense and natural justice.......which has not happened for 10 long shit years.........
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Plumber - what are the average rates for plumbers and gasfitters in Auckland. Around our area they are charging around $60 - $73 per hour. But that is not the whole story, some charge a first hour on site charge, so in fact while they charge maybe $60 then they charge an on site fee of $35, so the first hour is $95. Some charge travel, some don't. Some charge for kango hammers, some say you get them and their van full of tools for $73. It is cost vs value for money. Traditionally I think sparkies have always been a bit cheaper than plumbers and gasfitters - they don't appear to need as many of the bigger tools etc.
Auckland is a bloody expensive place to live, if you ever shifted you would be well set up - selling a house in Auckland and buying real estate just about anywhere else in the country would see change in your pocket. I wonder how young ones can afford to purchase a house in Auckland - you would definitely need two incomes to do it I would think.
Sparkies seem pretty relaxed about their upskilling Badger, at the moment its not to expensive, its clear cut, its every two years and they know what they have to do. On top of that their licence fees have been incredibly stable over a lot of years. They also don't appear to have the politics with the Registration Board that our industries have.
If $75 were his trade rates, what does he charge the public?
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I had work done on my van $65+ for mostly the apprentice. A grand for an hour at a dentist and i took the cheapest option. I wont talk about the law dog........ it still hurts.
Crikey! and they call plumbers robbers in overalls... Im putting my rate up at the end of this financial year.
On a happier note one of my mates got his certifying exam results back and passed 64% well done i say.
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Average rate for a man in a van is around $60-70 + GST. We charge $75+GST (have several employees) and the minimum charge is $90 + GST and that includes the first half hour of labor.
We don't charge extra for tools, as drainlayers we charge at 65+ and gas 85+ (110+gst minimum charge on gas). I know many charge the same and I also know If charged any more I would be without work. Had the bute-line rep over today (pizza and beers awesome Cheers Bute-line!) and he recons there are now over 1700 plumbers in Auckland! My understanding is that there are over 8000 registered electrical related trades with the ewrb and you never hear that they have these issues. What are they doing do differently or maybe better?
Jax I emailed the sparky the same day with that exact question and never got an answer. I think I will only hear from him when he notices I haven't paid his bill. :) Naa I'm not like that, will pay it and that will be the last time. What do you guys think I should be charging in Auckland?
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From colleagues I have in Auckland I heard around the $90 incl GST mark - so you are there or thereabouts. It's not easy to say without knowing what the costs are. I imagine having a workshop anywhere in Auckland would be expensive, as well as the travel costs and dead time caught on motorways etc. I have often wondered how a bigger plumbing firm would operate in such a vast area and whether in fact you would start your guys from home and leave them working in one geographic area. That or the plumbers up there stick to a defined area simply to keep costs in hand. My experiences in Auckland traffic have not been good and a lot of time can be wasted sittingin a gridlock at peak times.
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That sums it just about up Jax. The guys get to take the vans home and usually go straight to the job from there, we have them all using Google calender on their smartphones so they always know where to go and what needs to be done in advance. After the job is complete they log on to a special designed smartphone APP where they quickly fill in all the job details, make a picture and "submit" the admin takes it from there. We find technology works magic when its all about being efficient. Where we lack is always having the right gear on the van and then having to drive down to the merchant that's an absolute nightmare and no client is willing to pay for the travel time :(
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Hi all.
Who cares what others are charging. Charge what you need to charge to recover your costs and to make a profit. If your providing a good service you will get the work.
I was told a long time ago not to let the customers dictate the price because they all want it as low as possible so if they had their way we would be doing the work for free. We are not a division of the Salvation Army so why give everything away.
The Board may think they are a Registered Charity but we don't have to be charities. The Old saying "Charity begins at home" is quite appropriate as you need the home first and then you can help others once you are secure yourself.
If tradersmen get into price wars the only people to win are the customers.
If you are fair you will get business.
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Well said Watchdog, your absolutely right in what you are saying. It's very hard to find that balance but like you say a line has to be drawn.
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OK, have now registered to get my "related trade" electrical license. Isn't cheap but if successful then should have my return on investment in a few months :) you might find this interesting >>
http://www.ewrb.govt.nz/content/board-rules/12th_July_Teaching_Guidelines_for_Associated_Tradesperson_-__15_.pdf
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Some good thoughts here! In my experience, people will use/buy off, you if they like you personally. A recent survey showed price was third consideration when purchasing behind need and value for money, ie: quality; and people would rather go to the guy they like and negotiate than use the opposition.
Good on you Plumber! All the best!