How to get a quote from workmen

When we needed a new boiler and were new to the area, we contacted three firms, all advertising in the local booklet. All three responded to my calls. One agreed to come but did not turn up, another came to look but did not quote, or respond to reminders. The third came, quoted , got the job and put us in touch with tradesmen for other jobs. He was a lifeline, a great worker at reasonable prices and so cheerful. Sadly he died suddenly and we felt we had lost a friend. His one- time apprentice then partner has carried on and is so reliable.

As for other trades, it is the same old story mostly. Recently I got three tree surgeons to quote. One seemed too elderly to be safe, another priced the job too high, I accepted the third at half that price but still have not got a firm date.

If we need anything done we always tend to go with recommendations and tend to keep to the same trusted electrician builder etc etc

I have found that if I phone a tradesman and put on my best ‘helpless woman’ voice it works far better than if my husband phones them.

Thanks NS. Never thought of that tack. Makes a lot of sense. Will give it a try if (when!) this occurs again. 👍

Kim 19 - subsequently I've said "I know it might not be worth your while but I need someone to do this...
They find it easier if you give them a get-out I think.

I had experience of a one small company telling me :it would be very very expensive to do my complicated but small job. Initially he said it would be "uneconomic" (which I thought was my choice)...

Then he said he could do it possibly but it would cost a lot
Pushed for a sum he said oooh ooh ... "between x and y - depending".

Then I said well when could you do it then?... - he said he couldn't do it for mmmn sigh oooh, ... a long time ... about 12 weeks. I said "if you can do it in 12 weeks I want a date" - more mumbling...

I said - "you really don't want to bother with this job do you?" He admitted no, he didn't.

Then he suggested someone else who was semi-retired!
Job done, - a fraction of the price.

It was obvious he didn't want the job once he'd seen it! Nice guy. Struggled to turn work down but as others have said he wanted to take on bigger straightforward jobs.

I just wish they would have the honesty to tell me if they're not interested in my job when they come to measure and estimate. No offence would be taken and the situation clarified. If only..........

Most towns have a Facebook page and you just have to ask on there if anyone can recommend a business or a skilled person to give you a quote .

I have done this on our local Facebook page for a gardener and I have one now that does a very good job, plus he comes once a month to keep it tidy.

I had to be selective too but I never failed to return a call or email. Basic good manners.

I suspect tradesmen do not return calls because they are overwhelmed with them and have to select what they ocnsder will be the best and most productive.

if you make your living doing something, there is a limit to how much time you want to spend visiting and assesssing and evenings preparing quotes, when youy could be actually working on a job and spending your evenings with your nearest and dearest

Be careful with Nextdoor. I wanted my lawn mowed, (long story!) and saw beautiful photos on Nextdoor. The man turned up on a bike but had tools with him. He did not believe I owned the area I asked him to mow, and he took one look and doubled the price but I said no. He was supposed to work for an hour. He did about 1/2 in 20 minutes and was packing up when I pointed out the front and another area. He also wanted to charge extra for taking away the grass. No need because I pay the council annually.

I found another company on Nextdoor this time by word of mouth and what a difference- I now pay 1/3 less because it is manageable.

Same boat here. It's unbelievable how calls are not returned.

I was going to suggest the OP used 'Checkatrade' but even there, with builders having hundreds of excellent reviews, calls are not returned.

Quite dispiriting.

Isn't the long-term solution to offer apprenticeships to young people or to people willing to retrain? We have been let down by about 6 people who promised to quote or to come and see us to look at a job. Nothing from any of them. Also the ones you do manage to find can virtually name their price. If I was young I'd definitely think about training as a decorator or landscaper.

M0nica

The problem is quite simple. At the moment, there is more work than workmen to do it. It has been that way for over a year.

We had an extension built in 2021. The first six months, with some COVID restraints still in place went like a doddle, our builder, could get all the tradesmen he wanted, then COVID sanctions ended, all the house building sites opened up - and who wanted to pidde around with little domestic jobs when they can get a contract with a builder to do whatever their trade is on 200 houses and have a year's assured work?

It took us six months to find a landscape gardener to ro do the garden, it included moving earth terracing as well as wall and patio bulding - and this was a contract worth many thousands of £s. DH laid a wood floor in one room becaue it looked we would have a year or more wait to get a professional.

We are currently trying to get quotes to get the outside of the house painted, again a big and valuable job, as the house is large and Listed. We are in the same position as the OP.

By the way, having lived in our house for 25 years, we have valued workmen, and we have tried them and 'word of mouth' either they are fully committed or talk about 6-9 month waits.

Agree and empathise with all of this M0nica but what frustrates me most is that they don’t even have the courtesy to answer calls.

We needed the outside of our house painted very badly (flaking paint and rotting wood). Last summer a good firm of painters let us down as they had serious illness so I was feeling pretty desperate. This concentrated my mind and I really tackled it energetically. Consulted the Which trusted-trader lists and looked up local references. Got three firms to come and quote over the winter and chose the one who seemed most reliable and trustworthy and promised to start early in the summer. Thankfully they have stuck to their word. Have had 2 or 3 painters on the job now for about a week and a half. Seem to be doing a very thorough job and I am delighted.

My GS has his own decorating business and he has so much work he’s asking people to wait till after Christmas at least and hates letting people down, he’s taken on an apprentice and an older friend to try and keep up but is struggling. As others have said there is more work than people can cope with. Luckily his customers are mostly word of mouth now and are willing to wait for a good job. I guess ask around friends and be prepared to wait is a good plan.

Our lovely local small builder retired - we had used him for years for jobs large and small, so I now use a local building firm who are not cheap but who do come when they say they will and do a good and reliable job. I can’t risk cowboys, and even if I have to wait to get the appropriate tradesman at least they do come eventually.

Not quite the same but we recently got quotes for taking a huge tree down. Quotes were so different it was a joke. One quoted nearly $10,000 and others between 3 and 5,000. All were registered tree fellers. We don’t have a problem getting quotes here but I agree with others, word of mouth and previously completed work you can look at is best

It’s a real pain, this. I’ve been trying to get someone to come and give me a quote for rebedding my ridge tiles for over a year; have been given recommendations, but they either don’t answer the phone, or arrange to come and look, then don’t turn up. I finally, thanks to a friend, managed to get a gardener to come and give me a quote which I have accepted. I hope he doesn’t change his mind! I shall commit hari kiri by impaling myself on the pyracantha!!

There is a shortage of tradesmen, meaning they will obviously prioritise the best jobs.

We’re fortunate as we have some friends in the trades, but if stuck, use our local Facebook site. As has been said, good people are in demand, anyone immediately available I’d be wary of and scrupulously check references.

Thanks pascal I'd forgotten about Nextdoor, it's worth a try 🤞

Tell me about it! Decorators in our case. The whole house, inside and out, so not a small job. They don't turn up to look at the job, or if they do you never hear from them again despite reminders. Which I call plain bad manners. One decorator was honest and said he had a lot of work on, and we eventually found another who gave us a quote, turned up when he promised and did a good job. Long wait for him to start as he's in demand. There are a lot of holiday cottages in my area and the tradespeople get plenty of work from them throughout the year. They like to keep in with the cottage owners as it's a regular supply of work. Tough for those of us who live here all year.

Do you have a Nextdoor website near you? People give recommendations and because it is a neighbourhood site all the trades like to keep their good name. I find all my builders, window cleaners,carpenters etc through this site..

The problem is quite simple. At the moment, there is more work than workmen to do it. It has been that way for over a year.

We had an extension built in 2021. The first six months, with some COVID restraints still in place went like a doddle, our builder, could get all the tradesmen he wanted, then COVID sanctions ended, all the house building sites opened up - and who wanted to pidde around with little domestic jobs when they can get a contract with a builder to do whatever their trade is on 200 houses and have a year's assured work?

It took us six months to find a landscape gardener to ro do the garden, it included moving earth terracing as well as wall and patio bulding - and this was a contract worth many thousands of £s. DH laid a wood floor in one room becaue it looked we would have a year or more wait to get a professional.

We are currently trying to get quotes to get the outside of the house painted, again a big and valuable job, as the house is large and Listed. We are in the same position as the OP.

By the way, having lived in our house for 25 years, we have valued workmen, and we have tried them and 'word of mouth' either they are fully committed or talk about 6-9 month waits.