Reply With QuoteLet us know what he quotes you then I'll let you know if I think he's loosening your belt !
Hi all, I’ve got a standard sized doorway I would like bricking up at the back of my house, matching bricks on the outside and breeze block inner with some insulation between, I’m not bothered about finishing like plastering. So my question to the hive mind is “how much do you think it should cost?”
I have a builder coming tomorrow and would like to know if he is pulling my pants down.
Any advice gratefully received...
Gaz
Let us know what he quotes you then I'll let you know if I think he's loosening your belt !
Search in google and check their reviews before calling them.
I've no idea, but whatever price is quoted I`d ask him how he arrives at the number. My wife's a former accountant, that's what she does and it's surprising how effective it is. She always has a realistic figure in mind for how much these guys should be paying themselves (don`t forget national insurance, holidays, running costs of the van etc) and she uses this to decide if we're being ripped off. It's essential to know how long they'll take and how many guys will be doing the job.
Always worth asking about other jobs they've completed locally and looking for good feedback. I`d never deal with someone I couldn't check out first and I wouldn't be tempted to always go with the cheapest.
I see a vision....£1,500 .
He rebuilt a wall for my parents a few years ago and the price was fair and they turned up when they said they would but in my experience some tradesmen try to charge what they think you can afford not what it actually costs.Originally Posted by walkerwek1958
Gaz
I hope you’re pretty far from the mark tbh! It can’t be more than a days work for a brickie and a labourer. If I’m getting quotes like that I will probably have a go myself, my house isn’t open to the elements so if I lay 1 brick a day it wouldn’t really matter.
Gaz
Me too....there was some whistling through teeth in mine though....
Ask local friends for recommendations.
It's the only way to do it imo.
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And at a guess, £450ish
There's a bit more time on this than you might think as quite a bit of prep to take out some courses so the new bricks can bond in, and it'll take more than a day for the new build as you can't lay more than half a dozen or so courses in one go as the bottom unset mortar will get squished out. I reckon a grand would be minimum for this job.
Brickie and labourer, two days, £600.
Im not sure they’ll be able to lay all the courses in one day (they would have time, but you can’t overload the bottom courses before they’re set) ((Already mentioned above, sorry))
Materials and costs £400.
I think £1000 will be your quote, maybe a smidge under.
If it’s just a straight case of brick the opening without toothing out the original courses then it’s easily doable in a day for a brickie and a labourer so here in Bristol I’d estimate labour £350, materials ie; bricks,concrete blocks, celotex insulation, ties, sand & cement £250. If your wanting the bricks toothed in add £100 and plastered inside to finish it off nicely £100 all in.
Yeah this is more like what I was thinking, I’m not too bothered at this moment about the plastering, it’s an outside toilet that I want to make an inside toilet so the whole room will need plastering and a plumber to put a sink in but all at a later date. If it’s getting near a grand I will have a go myself as I’ve got a two week shutdown coming up and can do a few courses each day.
I’m also in North Wales so I imagine prices will differ by region with the south being significantly more expensive for building work.
Gaz
If it comes in over £500 -£600 I'd be surprised
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Yes this
Who's ripping old door and frame out? Maybe a charge for getting rid of this if your not going to the tip.
£1200-1290.
I’m a Surveyor and think you’ll not likely see any change from a grand from most builders.
If you can find a brick layer/small jobbing builder you may be pleasantly surprised.
Good luck
I’ll take the frame out myself, shouldn’t be more than a 10 minute job it’s only wood!
Yeah I’m hoping it’s a Saturday job for someone if you know what I mean? Got a plasterer mate who said his brickie would be about £250, if I supple the bricks myself, if it’s bangers and mash with no vodka and tonic.
Why bother getting anymore quotes
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In fact, just do it yourself, then we'll all be out of a job.
I’ve not spoken to the brickie direct and also while price is a concern, so is the quality of the finish. I would rather pay a bit more and be certain of the quality that just a friend of a friend. I’m waiting in for a quote from a builder now who is 43minutes late, not a great start...
Are you a brickie Reggie? Just noticed your reasonably local.
I work on the basis of £1 to £1.20 per house brick laid.
Doesn’t include the cost of a brick, say another £1 if cheap ones are used.
So £2-£2.20 per brick.
Maybe more £2.5 to £3 if it’s a small, and only job
Last edited by noTAGlove; 1st May 2019 at 20:21.
Doh!!
I am.
Only 43 minutes wait till you give him the job it will run into days
Most decent builders are very busy and booked up months in advance.
You will be lucky to get one of those and most will probably give it a miss, not what you want to read but it's how it is.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Me too, and I'm pretty much in agreement.
What was the quote you received? Interested to see how it stacked up as thinking of doing the same to mine when I convert the garage.
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Hi, I’ve had two quotes so far. I’ve had a £250 and a £300 and another guy is coming over the weekend but that’s just labour looking at another £150 for bricks and blocks. I think maybe a lot of people in the comments are from down south?
Both builders have so far said it would be a weekend job for them as they do contracted work through the week.
Gaz
Just in case anyone else ever has to do this I’ll update the thread to say I’ve gone with a slightly more expensive quote but a well respected and highly recommended builder who is charging £220 a day for him and his labourer and 2 days work. So £440 labour in the end so roughly £600 all in.
Gaz
Your getting a bargain for that price.Yes I guessed £1,500 and I’m on South Coast.If I haggled and got a quote below that I would have been happy.
That’s a great deal. I was well off but as suggested I am down south and most builders in these parts won’t get out of bed for anything under a grand. Good work sir.
Yeah I know there is a big disparity between North and South prices so I may have been a little silly asking in a forum made up of people across the whole island and beyond! But that you for your replies none the less and it might help someone in the future.
Gaz
^^^^^^ yep, next time I need an extension on one of my properties I will get some northern builders down to do the job!!
I did that for my wetroom in London to save £3k. Unfortunately he made a total balls of the job. No reflection on northern builders but logistically not as easy as getting someone local to fix it.
I paid £500 for this exact job, but he also plastered the internal wall and supplied everything. South of England, 2017. Sold the house and drove past recently - they have opened it back up and installed a door again!
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What an absolute bargain. Mininimum/living wage is about £60 a day, so they're noy a huge amount above that.
I feel that skilled tradesmen are seriously undervalued in this country, not least by themselves. How much should a decent builder earn? I'd have thought that £30,000 a year would be near the bare minimum to have any kind of lifestyle while running a business, and maintaining tools and vehicle etc., and that would be for someone without premises.
This is why most of my jobs are in London,and charge London prices .
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