Quote
Depending on the scope and nature of the job – most tradesmen will engage other tradesmen for work that they cannot do themselves on an hourly rate for the following reasons:
- Quoting is not an exact science so a contingency or profit margin is built into the price over and above their charge out rate. This can be significant.
- Materials and products used in the job are usually marked up between 20% to 100%.
- If the contractor is running behind on the job they will ask for more money and/or take shortcuts to finish the job quickly.
Brisbane Handyman Quotes are based at the lower end of the industry average charge out rate and all but the smallest jobs include a written specification of how the job will done and the materials used. Materials are provided at our trade invoiced cost.
TIP; If you are getting a number of quotes on work – for example painting, we strongly suggest you have a written specification which should detail such things as;
Description and level of preparation required – this should be as detailed as possible – scraping, sanding, filling, binding, plastering and general making good.
- Number of paint coats – eg. sealer/primer, undercoat, number of finish coats, premium brand or trade line. Paint colours and finishes.
- Scope of work – specifically what is included as work to be done.
- Agreed upfront and timing of progress payments. – Weekly and/or job progress.
- Estimated completion time – This will not only assist in your planning but stop your contractor from disappearing to other jobs.
If you make the effort to do the above – all of your free quote contractors will be singing from the same song sheet and you are far less likely to have a problem with the quality of the work and the standard of finish. Painting and painting prep can be disruptive, messy and expensive so you want it to last!
If you need help starting your own DIY project – Brisbane Handyman has a unique service called Get Me Started where we spend 2 or 3 hours with you to get you started on the right track with some on the spot , hands on painting tips and make sure you are off to a flying start. For smaller jobs it ‘s possible we could get all or most of the job done during this time. We can also help with design, colour and finish advice and generally help to get you organised for the project.
Hourly Rate
Not all Handymen are created equal. We all come from different backgrounds with varying levels of trade experience and competence. This is one area where cheap can really be nasty. You should be aware that really cheap “handymen” are unlikely to have the experience or tools to get the job done efficiently in a reasonable time so do not be misled by cheap operators as this can easily cost you much more than paying a trade experienced Handyman the average market rate. Fixing up inferior work (that wasn’t cheap) keeps Brisbane Handyman busy but it can be heartbreaking for the customer.
At the other end of the scale are the larger Franchise operations. You only have to look at their advertisements for Franchisee’s promising very serious money but your best bet is to pay an average market rate which is around $50.00 to $60 dollars an hour depending on the job.
Some of these Franchisee’s have a trade background but you should be aware that many are entering the business from the corporate world with limited experience of the trades which you really need to be effective in this industry.
Brisbane Handyman provides services on a sliding hourly rate depending on the number of hours involved. An estimate of the time expected to complete the job will be provided and this is usually a pretty good guide. Handyman for a day is a popular and cost effective way of catching up on several outstanding jobs around the home at the one time.
I have never had a “slacker” when paying for trades by the hour as its second nature for them to get on with the job and move on to the next one. If you want a fixed price be prepared to pay a bit more because the tradie carries the risk.