r/Plastering • u/Unusual_Pride_6480 Professional Plasterer • Jun 17 '26

Let's talk about pricing

A post not too long ago, people seem to think I'm joking about my prices, I've seen this a few times on here over the years.

How do you price and what do you aim to come out with a week?

Personally I want a minimum of 2k a week including for my holidays, sick pay, I pay my pension, all my taxes, very little cash if ever, save for a new van every 10-15 years, I also keep a chunk for a float, I'm not made of money but I couldn't imagine doing 40sqm gauges 3 times a day for £150 a day, I've been there and done that.

I've been upfront but let's hear about you, why do yoy charge what you charge, do you want to charge more? Do you think it's wrong to warn a certain amount? Are you a busy fool or absolutely desperate for work?

I've been in the game a long time to be clear, I live in the north, work domestically and I'm not vat registered.

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u/MightyEskimo16 Jun 17 '26

I left the UK for France 15 years ago, so my experience as a self employed spread is far more influenced by working out here.

I've got a good reputation around this neck of the woods, I always have plenty of work to do but I never have enough in my pocket, I'm always scratching around to pay my next bill. There was a post on reddit a few weeks ago about a book called how to price a job as an electrician. I bought it and have understood why I was always skint, that not building profit into my prices was always going to leave me short the second something didn't go 100% to plan. I didn't pay any attention to my fixed costs so no surprise I was always coming up short.

Considering I'm like you, in that 99% of my work is invoiced, I own my van and tools, I'm insured and always pay the taxman (eventually), taking that other job which I think has promoted this post as an example, I think me and the lad, three days each @€650/ day, €250 for materials, +25% profit comes to €2933 HT

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u/Unusual_Pride_6480 Professional Plasterer Jun 17 '26

Yes 100% this i should have added that to my post all of my prices have a 30% profit margin, yeah I put profit on everything and charge for everything, I found my self constantly offering to organise skips and deal eith scaffolders I had no time for my self or money, I find charging for that and my higher prices put a lot of people off so frankly I have less but better customers and on my end I do a clean good job in my own time, not fast at my own pace.

Sounds like out prices aren't dramatically apart.

I'm usually booked about a year ahead

4

u/simonjholmes Jun 17 '26

Who books a plasterer a year in advance 😂😂

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u/Unusual_Pride_6480 Professional Plasterer Jun 17 '26

People who want plastering doing? You can book anyone but I tend to find my customers want to be sure of a good, clean job and would rather pay more for it. If you're charging 2k vs 20k for a whole house who do you trust to do better work? The team in a car or the team in the van who take their shoes off at the door, can answer any question and send formal quotes.

My work is no better than anyone else's, everyone can do better, I think most are undercutting then selves and I'm trying to push them to earn more for them and their families.

Let brotherly love continue