A Guide to Pricing Your Trade in 2022

We are definitely in a bullish market when it comes to people wanting to 'get back to good old-fashioned jobs' and become a tradesman. It's as popular as we've ever known it. What with a skills shortage, opportunities knocking, and a general want to get out into the world and work, different trades are flying at the moment. So we thought that we would give you a little overview on how to price the jobs you are quoting for in your respective trades. 

Difference between tradesman day rates vs hourly rates?

Kicking things off with some of the most popular things we hear on-site: What is the difference when you hear a tradesman talking about charging by a day or hourly rate? 

First off, when you are doing a job, if you are charging a day rate, it means exactly what it says on the tin. You get paid a set fee for the day no matter how many hours you work. Likewise, if you charge by the hour, you will get paid for the exact number of hours you are working for and not a second longer. 

There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to pricing a job. Taking the day rate approach in your trade will usually come down to how long you are working on a particular job or project - because if you are there for a week or longer, you will most likely charge by the day. However, those that charge by the hour will be doing smaller jobs, stuff that can *usually* be completed in a short period of time. Charging by the hour will usually be more expensive for your clients, but that is the cost when you are a skilled tradesman or woman and don't spend an entire day on one particular job. 

What's included in the day rate vs hourly rate?

As we pointed out above, for those trades that price a job on an hourly basis, they will be working smaller jobs that most likely take, on average, a few hours. The client, therefore, should expect that you will include the cost of labour in that price. Any materials or equipment needed on top of this will be an added extra. 

This is opposed to the bigger jobs usually priced at a day rate. For this type of work, a customer or client may expect your business to include any material, labour, and employee expenses in the final day rate figure. If you aren't transparent and withhold any costs, you may give your customers a nasty/ unexpected surprise resulting in them refusing to pay. So make sure everything is out in the open from the beginning. 

How much do tradesmen make per day vs per hour?

It all comes down to what trade you work in, along with several other factors regarding the amount you will charge per hour or per day. Some of these elements include your location, your experience, any qualifications you possess, and even potentially how busy you are. 

Below we have collected some average tradesman hourly rates vs day rates. These figures are up to date as of 2020 and give you a good idea of what your fellow tradies are charging for their jobs.

What insurance do you need as a tradesman?

When wondering what rate you should charge for your trade business, it's always best to keep your trade insurance policy in mind. Having insurance is a sure way to keep your business protected should something go south on the job. Here are some of our most favoured pieces of cover among builders, plumbers, sparky's, chippies and many others.

Rhino's Public Liability Insurance

At Rhino, we are proud to offer Public Liability Insurance to all trades up to 40% cheaper than anywhere else on the market. This type of insurance is your safety net when something goes wrong on-site and is down to your work. If you mistakenly injure your client or a member of the public or cause damage to the customer's home, you are liable for compensation. This policy will cover you for that. Our prices start at just £6.07 a month - find a better price, you simply won't!

Employers' Liability Insurance

Unlike its older brother (Public Liability Insurance), this policy is a legal requirement if you have any staff. Having Employers' Liability Insurance for your trade business will save you if one of your employees brings forward a claim due to the work you are asking them to do. If they cause injury or damage to a customer, then this is the right policy for you. Your local council can fine you up to £2,500 per day if you do not have this insurance in place, and for a mere £72.80 a year, you might as well not take the risk. 

Contractor's All Risks Insurance

A top-rated insurance product for any builders or construction workers. This policy is there to protect the value of your contract in case something goes wrong on the project, it also covers work in progress, so if a wall comes down mid-build, you will be insured to reconstruct it (as long as it's not part of the original structure). It also has your back covered for any machinery you have on-site (whether that's plant equipment that is owned or hired). Finally, it protects you and your employees for any stored belongings on the site. Find out more by reading this Rhino blog post now. 

Tools In Transit Insurance

We have a variety of insurance policies that are excellent choices for tradespeople. We will finish on one of the most popular, Tool Insurance. Without your tools, you won't be able to get much done in your trade. If you suffer from theft or damage, you will be able to claim on your policy and have them replaced immediately. From our research in Summer 2021, tradies said that having their tools pinched is one of their biggest concerns, so with insurance starting at just £3.75 a month, it makes complete business sense to get them covered now. Find out more here. 

What factors impact a tradesman's income?

As mentioned above, it's not just about the trade you work in that equals how much you charge. It can come down to your qualifications, location, experience, and pure demand. 

1) Experience

As a self-employed tradesman or woman, having experience in your line of work is vital when coming to charging the right price. It's normal to assume that as a very experienced tradie, you will set a fair amount for your work as not many others can show that level of knowledge. Experience in your trade can be shown in several ways, whether through word of mouth, reviews online, posting images of work on social media and videos. 

2) Qualifications/ Registrations

When it comes down to your qualifications and any relevant trade registration you have, this can impact your pay rates. As a highly skilled tradesperson with various capabilities, this will only reflect in your work and your pay scale. Think of future technologies. For example, suppose you are a sparky and have gained experience and knowledge installing Electric Vehicle chargers. In that case, you may be able to charge more than others as there will be a high demand for this type of trade. The same can be said for any trade bodies you are associated with. 

3) Location

As the channel 4 program say, Location, Location, Location matters! If you are in a city, you may charge more than in a town. Difference parts of the country are more affluent, making the properties slightly different, needing expertise in other areas. This can all influence the price you set. Whatsmore, depending on the cost of living in a particular area, this will affect the cost of your work. 

4) Demand

Supply and demand are critical factors in our society, and it is no different for trades. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a giant spike in demand for trades to do jobs on our homes. With that demand comes an almost certain price increase as you are wanted more and more. Also, there may be more or less of a specific trade in certain places, so you will be more or less in demand - ultimately affecting your pricing. 

Rhino Trade Insurance is here to help!

We offer quality trade insurance at the best possible price for almost all trades in the UK. We have thousands of happy tradies joining us every year, so if you are looking for some insurance, why not contact one of our UK based experts now. You can call us on 0116 243 7904 or get a quick and easy quote online here.