How much should a builder charge?

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3095melanie, Feb 21, 5:06am
Just need a couple of small jobs done around the house, nothing structural or major. Have no idea how much builders charge. Have been quoted $45per hour, cash only. Nonregistered, retired builder. Is this fair and reasonable?

krames, Feb 21, 5:33am
if his standard of work is good then 45 is good.
you would normally be charged a min of 55$ +gst +travel.
As long as he is fit and dosent take a hour to do something that a fit carpenter could do in 20 mins.

gabbysnana, Feb 21, 5:41am
As much as he wants, its so hard to get tradesman to do anything!

stevo2, Feb 21, 5:45am
Normally $60 upwards + GST here in Tauranga although for that he will be paying tax and you will be getting a guarantee.

3095melanie, Feb 21, 7:39am
Anyone in the far north?

timturtle, Feb 21, 8:13am
Why not ask for a quote for the jobs you want done ? Don’t worry about the hourly rate

skylab6, Feb 21, 8:19am
1# Quoted price is fair. If hes a retired chippie, the work will be top notch.

ryanm2, Feb 21, 8:22am
Pffft , plenty of crappy retired builders about. Our friend had a retired chippie recommended to her and it ended up being a nightmare.

golfdiver, Feb 21, 9:05am
These were the blokes building in their prime in the 80’s and 90’s . He may be good, but it’s no recommendation

finelawns, Feb 21, 9:40am
And you would support a business not paying taxes. Seriously stop stealing from me and my country and support a legitimate business. We recently had a trades person out our house offer a cash price he was shown the door. I often get asked for a cash price if I’m to walk freely around a customers property they have to trust I won’t steal from them if a person is happy to steal from society then they will steal from a client. But back to your question $85 a hour from a competent efficient qualified and registered company paying his way is a fair enough price he is still taking home less than the thieving tax cheat how could you ever trust him he’s not even a registered builder

lythande1, Feb 21, 8:52pm
"SHould"?!
If you don't like it, get more quotes.
remember cheap does not always mean quality.

cleggyboy, Feb 21, 9:10pm
Stay away from cash only guys, they are fiddling the books, if they are prepared to cheat on IRD they will cheat on you.
I had one wanting cash, but I insisted on internet banking, but when he completed the job I found he had used untreated timber instead of H4 which I insisted, so he got paid nothing. He did not pursue the debt.

sboydnz, Feb 25, 4:33am
You sound like a lovely client that every builder would drop everything to work for. The H4 timber you complain about might have been a supplier problem, the builder might have "Ordered" H4 but was supplied something else & found out too late.
This is one of the problems that causes a shortage of Trades people in this country, everyone sticks it too the trades people. I have been in business for 43 years & met people like you all my business life, Moaner, never happy, complainer, cheaper than quote still complaining, finish job before time but still complaining I notice you never moaned about his workmanship only the product. Surely he's entitled to his labour?
I can tell you the reason the builder never pursued the money , Its not worth it, the cost way out ways the worry/stress & cost of debt collection, that's why he walked away & you're still squawking, feel proud of yourself?

krames, Feb 25, 8:42am
bullshit-anybuilder can tell what treatment hes using if he cant he is a hack

tegretol, Feb 25, 10:00am
You need to get off your high horse and stop being such a jolly hipocrite. You're not a pom by any chance are you?

flancrest, Feb 25, 6:23pm
So, if you were supplied with the wrong timber for the job, you would simply whack it in without discussing with your customer?

Crazy.

tegretol, Feb 25, 8:58pm
So if you know so much about building materials, why did you not do the job yourself?

golfdiver, Feb 25, 9:01pm
There was nothing hypocritical about that post. Tradesmen are sick of being undercut buy unqualified cash cowboys. They give the industry a bad name.

golfdiver, Feb 25, 9:02pm
Because he has a severe injury that makes this sort of work impossible. Not that it’s any of your business. Anyone who builds raised gardens out of untreated timber is a muppet

flancrest, Feb 25, 9:04pm
Really?
Knowing the difference between treated and untreated equates to having the ability to do the job?
Get a grip.

flancrest, Feb 25, 9:05pm
So you’re all for monkeys taking cash jobs and undercutting genuine tradesman who do the job right, and pay taxes like the rest of us?

tegretol, Feb 26, 1:39am
Of course. If a tradie says "$100 for cash or $200 thru the books" then why would a sane person take the latter? I've already paid tax once on the cash I'm spending so why pay it three times?

flancrest, Feb 26, 3:19am
Why? Because, as above, they’re the same kind of idiots who try to slip substandard materials into your job.

cwag, Feb 27, 7:44pm
First thing many customers ask me is what is my hourly rate.
My answer is that they should be more concerned with the total cost of the job.
I point out to them that somebody charging $30 an hour but dragging the work out for the entire day is going to cost them the same as someone charging $60 an hour but completing the work in 4 hours.

martin11, Feb 27, 8:34pm
I am a retired builder with trades Certificate but I am not registered and I am getting asked to do a lot of smaller cash jobs ,FIXING UP LBP's STUFF UPS . Good amount of work around doing this sort of repairs .