Manual Trades - for big money?

[Rob13]

Having been reading a number of posts about salaries, trades and the like, I am particularly curious of how these manual trades stack up. Of course, they like any other trade require training and apprenticeships, however once established how much are these trades making? Lets say for example, a freshly self employed gas plumber or spark, what would roughly be their £ per hour after overheads assuming that the quoted labour cost has to factor in paying the accountant/van lease etc

[GG89]

self employed time served plasterers look for around 150-200 pounds a day, It's good if you have the work.

[Puggit]

Judging by the houses I'm seeing white vans parked outside on my evening and Sunday cycles in the South Oxon countryside - they've done ok in the past...

[mfmman]

The real money is not made by the hour but on priced work, go like the clappers and get the job done quick, on to the next job. A pair of Air Con engineers I know will regularly make a grand between the two of them for two days work after all expenses other than tax and NI are taken out, ie £250 per day. Over £50K a year for a 40 hour week, extra with out of hours work. As long as the work comes in of course.

[phr33k]

mfmman said:

The real money is not made by the hour but on priced work, go like the clappers and get the job done quick, on to the next job. A pair of Air Con engineers I know will regularly make a grand between the two of them for two days work after all expenses other than tax and NI are taken out, ie £250 per day. Over £50K a year for a 40 hour week, extra with out of hours work. As long as the work comes in of course.

Indeed. Air Con engineer I know has a nice detached house, not long ago changed his BMW X5 for an Audi A5. Very nice indeed. Works hard for it. But rolling in it.

[v15ben]

It can be great if you have the work coming in, but all too often and especially in this climate it just isn't the case. I know plenty of trades guys and girls who can command a very good rate for their work, but currently very few people want / can afford it.

[sone]

I've been in contracting all my working life and there's no where near the money in it there used to be!. It might sound good earning 50k a year plus but consider you will be running up and down the country at all sorts of hours, weekend and nights to do it. You will also struggle to get your money, 30-60-90 day credit terms being the norm.
200 pound a day might sound like good money but take out traveling and or out of town expenses tax etc and it stops looking so attractive. Add to that no holiday or sick pay and I'd say its looking worse and worse.
There are a few tax breaks but nothings for nowt in this world, so if your thinking of getting rich as a contractor youve missed the boat I'm afraid.