When you need to use a tradesperson it’s handy to know roughly how much they’ll charge for their services. This helps you to budget for the job you have in mind.
Tradespeople have the skills to help you with plumbing, carpentry, painting, building, electrics, heating and much more.
In this guide, we tell you about the average rates tradespeople and labourers charge. You can find out what affects the cost of hiring a tradesperson, how you can save money on hiring one and how to find and hire the tradesperson you want. Finally, we offer answers to some common frequently asked questions.
Topics
How Much Do Tradespeople and Labourers Charge?
The table below gives you an extensive list of typical jobs carried out by tradespeople and labourers, as well as the estimated costs for their services.
| Job | Hourly Rate | Daily Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Labourer | £10 to £15 | £80 to £120 |
| Builder | £15 to £25 | £120 to £200 |
| Bathroom fitter | £15 to £22 | £120 to £176 |
| Bricklayer | £15 to £25 | £120 to £200 |
| Carpenter | £15 to £22 | £120 to £176 |
| Joiner | £20 to £40 | £160 to £320 |
| Electrician | £30 to £55 | £240 to £440 |
| Gardener | £10 to £30 | £80 to £240 |
| Landscaper | £20 to £40 | £160 to £320 |
| Gas installer or heating engineer | £30 to £60 | £240 to £480 |
| Kitchen fitter | £15 to £25 | £120 to £200 |
| Painter/decorator | £15 to £22 | £120 to £176 |
| Plasterer | £15 to £25 | £120 to £200 |
| Plumber | £40 to £80 | £320 to £680 |
| Roofer | £15 to £30 | £120 to £240 |
| Scaffolder | £12 to £15 | £96 to £200 |
| Tiler | £12 to £20 | £96 to £160 |
| Window cleaner | £8 to £12 | £64 to £96 |
| Window fitter | £15 to £22 | £120 to £176 |
Most tradespeople and labourers charge between £10 and £25 per hour. Gasfitters, plumbers and electricians will charge more expensive rates of between £30 and £80 per hour.
Tradespeople will normally charge by the hour for small jobs and by the day for larger projects.
Some tradespeople will offer a fixed fee for your project. This means you know how much the job costs before it’s started, and this is a great help for arranging a budget.
A typical example of a trade that charges a flat fee is window cleaning. The window cleaner will tell you a flat fee to clean all the windows of your home and you will pay that amount regardless of the amount of time the job takes.
Most trades will also have a minimum call-out charge to cover the cost for smaller jobs. The call-out charge could be between £20 and £50 depending on the trade.
When you want to find a tradesperson HouseholdQuotes can help you! Fill in the online form and tell us briefly what you need.
We’ll then find you tradespeople in your area to give you no-obligation quotes for your project.
Click To Get QuotesWhat Affects the Cost of Hiring a Tradesperson?
A few factors will affect the final cost of hiring a tradesperson or labourer. It’s useful to know what these factors are before hiring anyone so you can set out an appropriate budget.
Size and Scope of the Project
A larger, more complex project will always be more expensive than a smaller, simpler project. Some jobs require experience and energy, like painting or gardening.
Others can be dangerous, like roofing or scaffolding tradesmen that work at height. Some trades require certain qualifications like gas fitters, electricians, and plumbers.
Jobs that may require more experience or specific qualifications from the tradesperson are likely to cost you more.
Hiring a Builder or Project Manager
If you’re anticipating taking on a large project, like building your own home, or want to undergo a complete house renovation, you will need a project manager.
A project manager deals with all the different trades who might be working on site. They make sure everything is running smoothly and deal with any problems if they occur.
There are cases where you can use the builder you hire to do the project management job, or you can hire a professional project manager.
If you want to save money and you have the time to be on-site most days, you can even consider doing the job yourself. You’ll save around 10% from the cost of hiring a builder or professional project manager.
To take on a project management job, you will have to:
- Research what you need to do
- Create a budget
- Tell your neighbours what you intend to do
- Find the trades for each job (Use HouseholdQuotes to make life easier!)
- Check references
- Get to all the building regulations you need to follow
- Arrange insurance
- Abide by health and safety rules
- Buy in materials and negotiate prices
- Create a good working atmosphere
- Make sure there is plenty of tea!
Location
In London and the South East of England, you will always pay more than if you live in other parts of the UK. The North of England is usually the cheapest place to hire a tradesperson or labourer.
For example, the average hourly rate for a builder in the North West of England is around £25 an hour. In Brighton, it is around £30 and in London, you could pay £45.
Independent Contractor or National Firm
The advantage of a national firm is that you probably feel you know them already and are comfortable using their services, thanks to the cash they have for marketing. They produce leaflets and advertise in newspapers and on the TV, as well as producing a lot of customer testimonials.
However, this extensive marketing costs money and that’s just one of the reasons you will pay more to use a national company. Their overheads are much higher than an independent trader.
An independent contractor won’t have the same overheads as a national company meaning they can work at lower rates to compete with bigger companies. You may find that some independent contractors won’t have the qualifications or references of those who are contracted by national firms.
Qualifications and Certifications
Tradespeople often start with an apprenticeship and study on a part-time basis. Others may go to college full-time.
Many traders will have qualifications from City and Guilds or NVQ or SVQ. Qualified tradespeople will charge more for their experience.
Experience
Experience also affects costs. An experienced builder, for example, can charge up to £10 an hour more than a builder straight out of college.
Plus, there’s a current shortage of good bricklayers and carpenters, meaning that a good bricklayer or carpenter can charge more per hour.
A labourer with a blue construction skills certification card (CSCS) and at least three years’ experience is likely to charge more than a labourer with a green CSCS card and only one years’ experience.
Emergency Call-Out Charges
Trades like plumbers are often called out to deal with plumbing problems as an emergency. A plumber’s emergency call-out charge can range from between £90 and £110.
This is just the call-out charge for coming out of hours. On top of this, you will pay them to fix the problem. It will quite possibly cost more than their usual hourly rate.
As mentioned previously, you can expect to pay more if you live in London.
Ease of Access
You should also expect to pay more if you live in a remote location or in a home that’s hard to access, as this will take up your contractor’s time.
Carrying out work on a site that’s local to the tradesperson will cost less in petrol and time than a job that needs to be travelled to in a remote part of the country.
Skip Hire
Quite often a project at home can involve getting rid of waste like concrete and bricks (if you’re demolishing a wall, for example), or you may need to shift all the accumulated bags and boxes you have in the garage (if your project is a garage conversion or something similar).
A tradesperson might include the cost of a skip hire in a quotation, but if they don’t then you might have to hire a skip yourself. Depending on the size of the skip you can pay between £90 and £350, with prices higher in London.
If you need to find a tradesperson quickly, use HouseholdQuotes! All you need to do is fill in our online form.
Tell us briefly what you need, and we’ll find you the right tradespeople to give you no-obligation quotes for your project.
Click To Get QuotesHow Can I Save Money When Hiring a Tradesperson for My Job?
There are a few ways you can save money when it comes to hiring a tradesperson or labourer to work on your job.
Plan ahead! Do some research especially if you want to buy furniture or building materials.
You can buy in the sales, or second hand, from websites like Gumtree or Preloved. Don’t be afraid to ask the tradesperson you choose for advice or help saving money, they may have some useful tips.
You should also consider choosing independent contractors or small firms. As we have mentioned, larger firms charge more.
If you want to save money, try to choose a local firm or an independent contractor. It’s important to choose someone with relevant certifications or qualifications (where applicable), so if your project means you need a tradesperson with experience and skill, choose someone with the appropriate qualifications.
Make sure to compare quotes. When you ask for quotes, make sure each tradesperson gives you a price for the same job. That way quotes are easier to compare, and you can choose who you consider is the best person for the job.
How Do I Find and Hire Tradespeople for My Job?
Always ask your family, friends, and work colleagues. They just might have had some work done and can recommend a tradesperson or labourer to help you out.
You can also use HouseholdQuotes to find the perfect tradesperson for you! Simply fill in the online form (it takes less than a minute) and tell us briefly what you need.
We’ll then do the hard work for you and find you tradespeople and labourers to give you no-obligation quotes for your project.
Click To Get QuotesEnsuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
It’s a good idea to make sure you have a list of questions ready to verify that the tradesperson you want to hire is the right fit for you. Use the questions below to make sure they’re up to the job:
- What experience do you have? It’s always useful to know if they are a well-established company or they are just starting out. You might find that a newer company is slightly cheaper, or you may prefer to pay more for their experience.
- Are you a member of any trade associations? Trade associations will only grant membership to tradespeople with a good work record. They should also have a high standard of workmanship.
- Have you got customer feedback and photographs of any work you’ve done in the past? The tradesperson may have a portfolio to show you, or they may direct you to their website. Websites often have case studies, photographs, and customer testimonials.
- Do you have insurance? Is your public liability insurance up to date? Public liability insurance is vital for all tradespeople. It protects them and you from any injury or damage claims. For example, if someone is injured while you have work going on.
- Do you dispose of any waste after a job, or do I need to organise that?
As you can see various things affect the price a tradesperson will charge and there are some ways you can save money. Always get at least three quotes for any job so that you can compare prices efficiently.
Use HouseholdQuotes to find the tradespeople you need. All you have to do is fill in the online form and give us a brief description of what you want doing and we’ll find local tradespeople to give you no-obligation quotes for your project.
Click To Get QuotesFinal Checklist
Use the below checklist to make sure you’ve got everything to hire the best tradesperson or labourer for you:
- Decide which tradesperson you need for the job
- Collect at least 3 quotations (HouseholdQuotes can help you with this!)
- Consider any ways you can save money
- Choose a tradesperson
- Contact your local planning department to find out about planning permission and building regulations
- Make a date for the work to start
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need Planning Permission or Building Regs Approval for My Project?
Other jobs, however, like fitting a window, building a stud wall, or installing a new floor will need building control approval.
It’s always advisable to contact your local planning department and tell them about your project if you’re unsure. They will let you know what you have to do to comply with planning laws or Building Regulations.
What Type of Insurance Should a Tradesperson Have?
Public liability insurance covers the tradesperson for legal costs or compensation. This is needed when a customer claims damages or an injury that was caused by the negligence of the tradesperson.
This means if you are injured or something is damaged in your home, you don’t need to worry about payment – if it is proved the tradesperson was negligent – because they have insurance to cover the costs.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Surveyor?
You might need a surveyor if you need to send a Party Wall Agreement to your neighbour or are planning on making structural changes to your home.
How Much Do Structural Engineers Charge?
Many structural engineers charge set fees for projects like calculating RSJ installations, structural drawings, or a structural survey.
What’s the Cost of Hiring an Architect?
Do I Need to Pay VAT on Labour?
Any person or company with a turnover of more than 60,000 should be VAT registered.