tradesmen out of work

[unclemark123]

well im a self employed electrician, and for the first time in 20 years i am struggling to find work (i do subcontracting).

i have honestly never seen things this bad.

of probably the 50 odd elecricians i know, 30ish of them are in the same boat.

its a very strange/unsettling/frustrating and depressing feeling. i want to work, but simply cannot find work

luckily i do have a well paid job starting in may, but nothing until then.

how are other tradesmen finding the resession?

[B17NNS]

I've noticed that it has quietened down a bit (plastering/plumbing/bathroom fitting/tilling) but there is still work out there. Just need to be sharp of pencil and do what you say you will when you say you will do it.

My electrician is rammed with work at the moment.

Continue to provide a good quality service and a fair price and you will be fine. Chin up.

[911motorsport]

I think it's mostly effecting the feckless and the greedy.

ETA not directed at the O.P.

Edited by 911motorsport on Tuesday 17th March 19:24

[Si 330]

It's not just the tradesmen it's anybody construction related.
You really have to think when quoting for work.
Forget what you used to charge bring it right down and be prepared to travel.

[elster]

Well I'm ticking over, however I do a bit of work in other countries as well.

I mainly do project work, have found a lot of projects have been put on ice. So I am doing kind of dull work. So a bit bored.

My dad's cousin has laid off quite a few members of staff he said earlier today.

[croyde]

Yep! My trade ( Cameraman ) has been very slow since Dec. A lot of the companies I worked for have gone under or will no longer use Freelancers. Other work I have hung on to, by dropping my rates to the level I was getting 10 or more years ago and still I am getting undercut.

Some days I am barely getting enough to pay the nanny that allows me to go out and work.

[Gazzab]

Is there not a website to let people find local tradesmen who have availability to do small jobs eg a spare day here or there. So rather than get people in to quote etc just pick someone who has a spare day and who can come and do a quick job (lx/plaster/plumb etc...)

[MK4 Slowride]

My trade, vehicular insurance products is doing fine. January 2009 was the best month ever for sales.

[MJK 24]

Prices for all the trades have come right down.

I am in the process of a refurb on a house.

Last Autumn, I was quoted £35 to hang doors (seven in total).

Didn't get them done. Same chap was around the other day saying he'll do them all for £100. His fee of £50 per unit for kitchen fitting has also mysteriously halved.

[Brink]

Before considering the redundancy option, most companies will first kill off the contractors. It maybe that lessons have been learnt from the past. Make too many of your staff redundant and when the recovery comes, you have no in-house skill left.

[RupertTheFridge]

Gazzab said:

Is there not a website to let people find local tradesmen who have availability to do small jobs eg a spare day here or there. So rather than get people in to quote etc just pick someone who has a spare day and who can come and do a quick job (lx/plaster/plumb etc...)

www.myhammer.co.uk

Edited by RupertTheFridge on Tuesday 17th March 19:45

[richinleeds]

I'm a bricklayer and have been out of work for 6 weeks now and i dont see it getting any better for another 2 years or so thats why i'm going back into the Forces!!!

To posters above saying "there is work out there", well i'm afraid your quite wrong if new houses aren't getting built then there is no work simple as that. I know bricky's who have been out of work for the last 6 months and these are bloke with 20-30 years experience who cant get anything!!!

To the poster who said its only affecting the greedy and feckless, what planet are you on??

[zollburgers]

A good friend of mine set up his own blockpaving company 8 years or so ago. He does a good job and so always had plenty of work and could afford to buy a house and nice car etc. Eventually he grew his buisness and came to emply two other good friends of mine. They are all now on the dole.

[Si 330]

richinleeds said:

I'm a bricklayer and have been out of work for 6 weeks now and i dont see it getting any better for another 2 years or so thats why i'm going back into the Forces!!!

To posters above saying "there is work out there", well i'm afraid your quite wrong if new houses aren't getting built then there is no work simple as that. I know bricky's who have been out of work for the last 6 months and these are bloke with 20-30 years experience who cant get anything!!!

To the poster who said its only affecting the greedy and feckless, what planet are you on??

I'm a freelancer in the construction industry. There is bit's out there you have to be prepared to travel, work for significantly less than you did and put the leg work in to find it.
It's not easy by any means.

[Amaboknaai]

In IT as a contractor. Never been out of work for 9 years and now out of contract for 10 weeks. Rates have come down by as much as 35% for what is out there...

[richinleeds]

Yeah our prices dropped by about 30% before we were all laid off so its not just a struggle now it's been a struggle for the last year.

[spydersingh]

To the OP, bit of topic, but where are you based? I need some work done (sort out full electrics on 2 houses) in the West London area.

In response to OP, been dealing with some real "recommended" retarded tradesmen. Had one builder come and give me a quote. I ring back as quote was reasonable and he was moaning about lack of work and to sort out when he could start ie I wanted it ASAP. The ste called back day later to say he wanted to buy my house and wasn't interested in doing the work! What a knob. Rant over.

Good luck!

[Hereward]

I still can't persuade any heating engineers to come out and service my boiler.

"Oooh...a Baxi Barcelona?!...No...haha...I don't go near those things"

[Pickled Piper]

911motorsport said:

I think it's mostly effecting the feckless and the greedy.

ETA not directed at the O.P.

Edited by 911motorsport on Tuesday 17th March 19:24

Too many expecting to work the same way they did three or four years ago. Reputation and pricing is everything right now.

pp

[Jasandjules]

Possible to advertise in the Free Papers locally?