Have you struggled to get a tradesman lately ?

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Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
My Bro tried to get a bathroom fitter (last year).........they were all booked up for months (which, I suppose, is good).

We need our bathroom converting to a walk in shower etc (due to our health issues).
I phoned the guy who re-fitted it the last time. He cannot fit us in before October:wacko:.
He used to be a one man operation plus plumbers/tilers he would call in. He tells me he now has 5 'gangs' who are booked solid.
What is happening out there ???
 
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biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
We are having some internal painting being done our normal guy is booked for 3 months in advance so we will just wait .

The guy that services our air con is on about 6 week waiting time so we will wait .
 

Drago

Legendary Member
No problems here. I do the bulk myself, and in the rare event I need a tradesman my nephew owns his own building company, and my SiL is a builder snd sparky. That said, neither of them are short of work right now.
 
Most lads I know are in the Building trade and they're all stacked out, people not going on holiday and being around the home a lot more seems to be their feeling why there's more work about.

One lad purely does New Build and just landed a 3 Yr deal so that seems on the up as well.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
We have always found it a problem and not just in the last 12 months.

The good ones get very busy as their reputation grows. Then they take on extra staff, their business grows and they become less interested in the smaller jobs which were once the mainstay of their work.

I wish them all luck as I know them to be decent people worthy of success. I can't help feeling it's a mistake to walk away from once very happy customers.

The ones who do seriously irritate me are those who come to price a job, decide it's not worthwhile and then price it at a ridiculously high level. Why not have the balls to simply say "Sorry this work isn't of interest to me."
 

Kingfisher101

Über Member
Go on My Builder and put the job on, all the tradespeople are vetted etc and there's feedback from their jobs. I've had some great people from there, I've not been ripped off and they have done small jobs as well which often its really hard to get someone for.
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
The ones who do seriously irritate me are those who come to price a job, decide it's not worthwhile and then price it at a ridiculously high level. Why not have the balls to simply say "Sorry this work isn't of interest to me."
Because if you agreed to the price it would be of interest. ^_^
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Brexit exodus plus the above
At risk of swerving this one off topic, my Nephew reckons workers buggering off back home due to covid has had by far the greater impact. His staff that were legal to be here prior to the B word were still legal to remain after the B word, so the shortages there arent down to that.

In the case of my SiL, he was a fitness trainer specialising in visiting old peoples homes. His business dried up within 3 days, so he went back into building and renewed his sparky's ticket. The industry is currently buoyant with staff like him that lost their job elsewhere or couldn't work due to covid so took what work was out there, the still active building industry being the main chance and a reasonable payer. Staff are not the main problem - sheer demand is the big driver on availability at the moment.

Lack of skilled tradesmen is a bit of a concern in the industry, but that one has been about and growing for a decade and easily pre dates a certain referendum who's name shall not be mentioned. The good news is that may improve somewhat as skilled workers return, and new workers forced into the industry by circumstance get qualified.

So there are pressures on the industry, but the B word is waayyy down the list. That problem never really materialised in the manner or to the degree the doomsayers predicted.
 
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welsh dragon

Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
I never get a tradesman in. I have a man what does. We could never aford any when we first got married so Mr WD learned how to do everything himself even 're wiring an entire house, plumbing etc.

And my son also does everything himself. He has never employed anyone.

It saves a fortune and all I have to do is feed Mr WD tea and cake.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
Yes. Long story short; I tried to order up a new fence for my neighbour, and they said the materials would come "hopefully in august". I then decided I couldn't commit to putting up her fence so advised her to go on Check-a-trade or similar. She put her details in and has had no responses. Everywhere you look, people are having windows, driveways, fences, extensions and gardens done. As someone else said, I think many people have more money in their pocket and/or more time to arrange work to be done.
 
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