Kitchen Fitter Required

[ByronBlack]

I'm looking for a kitchen fitter, or someone who has worked at joining and fitting worktops to help me out with a very small job. I need to install a sink and make a single postform joint. I have the worktops already and can cut to size, I just need someone who can help with the single joint and fitting of the sink - all the plumbing is there, it's just a straight fit.

I'm happy to pay for this service, i'm not looking for a freebie or anything, but thought I'd put out the call here before contacting the local rip-off merchants/tradesman.

If anyone is interested and can do this job next weekend or during an evening in the week please get in touch. Cheers.

Also, i need someone who can do a bit of plastering (single wall) so please PM if you fancy that also.

 

[tiler99]

As a tradesman i feel very offended by your choice of words. Not every one is a rip off merchant.

 

[ByronBlack]

well, I would say that 90% of all tradesman i've dealt with in my local area over the last few years are exactly as described. But like anything in the world, there are always exceptions and i'm sure you're an honest and hardworking chap - it's just almost everyone I have had the misfortune off dealing with are daylight robbers.

Example given: I was quoted today £90+ VAT per every half-hour plus £40 rate for jets to clear a blocked toilet, other quotes come in over £75+ VAT - this is day rate btw. And evening rate starts at 4.00pm!! It's a total joke and a rip-off, and this is not an isolated case.

Another example: I was quoted £1200 to fit a simple shower - and this was with no decorating or finishing needed, just the fitting.

I could go on and on and on etc..

But there was no intention to offend any tradesman on here, hence my asking if there was anyone around who wanted a simple job.

 

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of people under estimate the average wage most trades men earn these days; as society has this urge to send every child to university, those few who become tradesmen will find their earning potential going up and up.
Our kitchen fitters earn more than Air Traffic Controllers :shock:

 

[Gary M]

As a tradesman i feel very offended by your choice of words. Not every one is a rip off merchant.

=D> =D> =D> Here,Here Tiler99 !!!

Single postform joint (masons mitre) £125.00

fitting of sink worktop cut out £150.00

plastering of single wall (depending on size) £150.00


Byron i do not wish to offend but you seem to class all these jobs as simple or very small. if this is the case why do you not do them yourself?

go to your local hire shop and get a quote for everything you need for a worktop joint
jig up to £30.00 per day, router the same, clamps £5.00 , you cant hire a cutter so another £20.00 to buy one all plus vat :shock:
total hire costs for a very small job £99.88 :shock: :shock: oh and of course the small matter of cutting and fitting the worktop !!

i would be taking the risk of cutting the hole for your sink :!:
fitting your sink,
sealing the worktop edges,
sealing the sink to worktop,
fitting isolating valves (if not already there, normally not)
fitting electrical earth,
fitting waste (they dont always line up with the old :!: )
ect ect ect !!!

plastering the wall (depending on the size) could take up to a day depending on how bad it is
may need bonded first or may just need skimmed.
ect ect ect !!!

as for the shower there is a mulititude of problems you can encounter, although £1200 sounds a bit much!!

drain/toilet jetting is a specialised job, and believe me if you ever seen the mess a blocked drain or toilet can make £90 +vat is well worth it !!

as i said i do not wish to offend, but the general public have no idea how much expenditure a tradesman has to outlay to have all the tools required to do these simple jobs never mind the time and effort put into learning their trade !!

 

[mailee]

Pity you aren't closer to me Byron I could have done the worktops for you. I do agree with some of the other comments on here though it is not a simple job, if it was everyone would be doing it. I started practicing on worktops many many moons ago now on scrap worktops to get the joints right, when I had enough confidence I then went on to doing them for customers. I never rush one usually taking around 45 mins to one hour for each but they normally turn out well. I have spent over £500 on kit to do it and a has been mentioned a new cutter for each job at a cost of around £20. I won't say what I charge as it is not a trade rate just needless to say I make my money back with a little extra. As for the plastering it is not my forte as mine always looks like the Himilayas. I hope you find a fitter that is kind to your poket mate, all the best. :wink:

 

[wizer]

Byron: I have a worktop jig you are welcome to borrow for gratis. You'll have to come pick it up and drop it back off again. Of course I can't tell you how to use it as I never have!

 

[ByronBlack]

Cheers for all the feedback. Wizer - cheers mate, that might well be an option, i'll get back to you on that one.

Mailee - you were one of the first persons I thought of, but remembered you were in the blackened depths of the north

 

[ByronBlack]

Update: I may have this sorted, so thanks for all the feedback, and again, don't be offended my views, their just based on tradesman that i've dealt with in the area, and i'm sure across the country you aint all bad.

I'll probably still need a plasterer though, it's mainly for reparing a wall - where i've scraped of the tile adhesive from the previous setup it's taken some chunks of plaster off. PM me if your interested, I can post some pics of the state of the wall if that helps with pricing the job.

 

[devonwoody]

Byron I can support some of your views, I have painted my outside walls a few times over the past 23 years, and each wall takes around 3 hours of painting.

I was quoted £200 last year to paint one wall (plus paint), so that was one rip off mechant that didn't get the job. Must get my ladders out and do that wall this summer though!

Anyone offers? :wink:

 

[woodbloke]

BB - you can use the white universal plaster to redo small areas (say where a couple of tiles have come off) but I wouldn't recommend doing a larger area. Once the plaster's set, sand it in..make sure you wear a mask tho' :wink: This is how I've done all my plastering, ain't perfect but has saved a whole pile of dosh :wink: - Rob

 

[WellsWood]

BB, sorry I've only just seen this thread. If you're sorted out for your worktop stuff then ignore this. If not let me know, I can come over at the weekend (9/10). I'll get you you pay for the router bit but other than that I'll do it for Karma.
PM me if I can help.

Mark

 

[ByronBlack]

HI Mark,

Cheers for the offer - very kind of you, I have a fellow forum member coming to help me out on sunday, but I appreciate your offer

 

[WellsWood]

No probs, best of luck with the refurb.

Mark

 

[houtslager]

Devonwoody wrote

Byron I can support some of your views, I have painted my outside walls a few times over the past 23 years, and each wall takes around 3 hours of painting.

I was quoted £200 last year to paint one wall (plus paint), so that was one rip off mechant that didn't get the job. Must get my ladders out and do that wall this summer though!

Be warned with the new H & S law in action one can no longer use a laddwe above 1.5m for longer then 30 minutes at a time, so a pro painting firm has to scaffold up and then paint a house front.
Of course the really smart painter/s would have invested in a small trailer cherry picker and do these types of front walls in a day, but still it would cost £ 300 or more.
Just my euro cents worth :twisted:

 

[ByronBlack]

Devonwoody wrote

Byron I can support some of your views, I have painted my outside walls a few times over the past 23 years, and each wall takes around 3 hours of painting.

I was quoted £200 last year to paint one wall (plus paint), so that was one rip off mechant that didn't get the job. Must get my ladders out and do that wall this summer though!

Be warned with the new H & S law in action one can no longer use a laddwe above 1.5m for longer then 30 minutes at a time, so a pro painting firm has to scaffold up and then paint a house front.
Of course the really smart painter/s would have invested in a small trailer cherry picker and do these types of front walls in a day, but still it would cost £ 300 or more.
Just my euro cents worth :twisted:

H&S is just another form of increasing facism we have in this country/EU - I would say buy a ladder and do it how our fathers/grandfathers used to do it, aslong as you aren't stupid, you aren't going to suddenly stop being able to do things we've being do for years..

Eek, i'm getting a bit political here...

 

[devonwoody]

I wonder how long it will be before they ban the householder from going above 1.5m as well.

Better get the job done shortly, me thinks.

 

[nickson71]

I wonder how long it will be before they ban the householder from going above 1.5m as well.

If that happens they will have to fight me for my ladder ........ saying that if they won I'd make another out of timber

 

[woodbloke]

On the opposite tack, my daughter Megs is an archaeologist and isn't allowed to dig a hole deeper than about 1m (I think) - Rob

 

[lurker]

Sorry to spoil the show lads but this ain't true!

No height limit no time limit however you do need to do a risk assessment to show control of hazards. Ladders CAN be OK however its often safer, quicker, cheaper to look at other access methods.

Like wise the hole & archeologist deeper than a metre (rule of the thumb by the way), where sides might cave in and smother you. Then a assessment & controls (shoring) needs to be considered.

Most of the stories about H&S bans are figments of some journalists imagination.