Are You Getting a Good Deal with Your Chosen Tradesmen?
Have you ever tried getting your garden landscaped? Did you once call a person to fix the
plumbing? Did you have a heating system
installed? All these jobs take more than
a Do-it-Yourself manual. Needless to
say, you need a professional to accomplish these tasks. And if you live in your own house – you will
come across the difficult task of hiring a tradesman
to do a difficult job in your home.
With so many companies out there, how do you know if you’re choosing the right person/company for the job? There are several ways to reduce the risk.
First, look at the experience of your tradesman. Has he been in the business for a long time? Has he handled a lot of clients that has given him the experience to do a good job? Can he handle troubleshooting? Most of the time, really experienced tradesmen come at a higher hourly rate as they normally deliver better end results. Think about the experience the person you are hiring has in his/her field – chances are if they have been around long enough, they should be pretty good at what they do.
Second, the coverage of the job is also necessary. Is he working on just a part or on the whole of the garden? Is he renovating just the kitchen or is the dining area included? Consequentially, the larger the area covered means the higher the rate of the tradesman. It’s sometimes better to keep your tradesmen numbers down.
Third, the tools can contribute to the reasonableness of the deal. Most state-of-the-art tools are used by tradesmen. With these tools, the work is much faster and more efficient. In effect, their rates are higher. Some want to do things manually which can take a lot of manpower and time.
Fourth, the materials to be used in the project also add up to the deal. Some clients want to entrust to the tradesman the task of choosing and purchasing the materials that will be used. For example, clients may want the tradesman to do the shopping for gravel and plants for the landscaping project. There are also clients who want to provide the materials and just require the tradesman to perform the labor. Remember, if you ask any third party contractor to select and purchase items on your behalf, chances are, the price you pay might be marked up 5-10%. It pays to select your own materials, but talk it over with the person you select for your work.
Finally, the number of tradesmen to undertake the job is also important. Logically, the more tradesmen mean more people to pay services to. However, the faster it is to get the job done. Be the judge if the job you want done requires two or more persons. Negotiate a project cost as opposed to an hourly cost per person on the job.
Considering these elements will help you determine whether or not you are getting a good deal. Make sure that the price of the deal is sensible and at the same time, keeping in mind the end product whether it be a new kitchen, garden – whatever the project.
With so many companies out there, how do you know if you’re choosing the right person/company for the job? There are several ways to reduce the risk.
First, look at the experience of your tradesman. Has he been in the business for a long time? Has he handled a lot of clients that has given him the experience to do a good job? Can he handle troubleshooting? Most of the time, really experienced tradesmen come at a higher hourly rate as they normally deliver better end results. Think about the experience the person you are hiring has in his/her field – chances are if they have been around long enough, they should be pretty good at what they do.
Second, the coverage of the job is also necessary. Is he working on just a part or on the whole of the garden? Is he renovating just the kitchen or is the dining area included? Consequentially, the larger the area covered means the higher the rate of the tradesman. It’s sometimes better to keep your tradesmen numbers down.
Third, the tools can contribute to the reasonableness of the deal. Most state-of-the-art tools are used by tradesmen. With these tools, the work is much faster and more efficient. In effect, their rates are higher. Some want to do things manually which can take a lot of manpower and time.
Fourth, the materials to be used in the project also add up to the deal. Some clients want to entrust to the tradesman the task of choosing and purchasing the materials that will be used. For example, clients may want the tradesman to do the shopping for gravel and plants for the landscaping project. There are also clients who want to provide the materials and just require the tradesman to perform the labor. Remember, if you ask any third party contractor to select and purchase items on your behalf, chances are, the price you pay might be marked up 5-10%. It pays to select your own materials, but talk it over with the person you select for your work.
Finally, the number of tradesmen to undertake the job is also important. Logically, the more tradesmen mean more people to pay services to. However, the faster it is to get the job done. Be the judge if the job you want done requires two or more persons. Negotiate a project cost as opposed to an hourly cost per person on the job.
Considering these elements will help you determine whether or not you are getting a good deal. Make sure that the price of the deal is sensible and at the same time, keeping in mind the end product whether it be a new kitchen, garden – whatever the project.
