Plumbing Trends

[cwoodrow]

Something I wanted to ask (before entering the trade) was the trend patterns. I appreciate that we've gone from a boom to bust economy, but what are the plumbing trends? Has there been a time when the market has been over saturated with plumbers out of work, who then return to other jobs creating an opening in plumbing work? As the recession ends do jobs start to become more regular and with so many people leaving the trade is that not creating a 'lack' of plumbers?

 

[justlead1]

Hi, I am of the opinion that providing you strive to be the best and quickest at any job you can negotiate good rates above the norm. However the plumbing game differs from that of say football There are not set divisions to which plumbers sign up. As a result there is a free for all. With football it would be impossible to enter the high earner table without coming up through the ranks and playing with other footballers for many years. This is both a learning cycle and an opportunity to measure your knowledge and ability against others in your trade. In the plumbing trade this is no longer the case. Plastic mechanics roam the country, poncing a living of ill informed householders. £20 per hour sounds cheap, but a lot spend 8 hours doing work that a plumber would charge £40 for and be on his way in a hour. I do not agree with newly trained C&G etc people entering the trade and working self employed and unsupervised on the housing stock of our Country. Rant over

 

[tamz]

Totally agree with justlead. Infact he read my mind

The market is saturated with plumbers at the moment because of stupid media reporting of shortages of plumbers when really there never has been, and of vastly inflated wages. If you have an emergency and phone a plumber and he says he can't see to you until when ever it is because he is busy doing planned work. Then the complaints come of "you can never get a plumber when you need one." It may come as a shock but most plumbers have never sat watching daytime television waiting on the phone to ring for an emergency job. That is where the emergency plumbers make a killing. If you want a job done now you have a choice of a few. A job next week or the week after, the choice of 1000's. Your average plumbers wage btw is below 25k and mostly hard earned and taken from your body.
Recessions effect the building trades every 10 - 15 years with many being laid off at these times. Some drift to other things but time served men have no other job to "return" to and most survive as best they can until things pick up, when they go back to what they know best.
The difference with this recession than before is the amount of inexperienced career changers who have upset the balance and will undoubtedly be the main casualties, which in my opinion, is a good thing.

 

[Bernie2]

Hmm!

I think the idea is to have a workforce that can migrate between jobs as work becomes available in other areas.

In other words, if there is no Plumbing about you should be able to retrain as a Joiner, Sparks or Welder if there is work in those areas. In other words be multi skilled.

To me they should widen it out to include Doctor, Solicitor, Accountant and so on and that is only for starters. The Professions are heavily protected though and you can't get away with it or get in there. The Plumber and construction trades are free game to all.

You could have other trades open of course such as miller, welder and so on. But there is virtually no manufacturing industry jobs left, so they all pile into construction.

I am not a fan of Maggie Thatcher, but she was trying to break up the professions as much as they could be broken up, to allow others into them, but no luck so far.

Mind you I don't fancy going to a fast track three week course doctor. But lets be honest much of the work a doctor does could probably be done by others. The nurse practitioner is an example.

The law is another area, but how do you get into that, the lawyers write the laws possibly to keep you out.

But they could do something. Its governments job to regulate. You can't leave industries alone to govern themselves, the financial crisis shows that

 

[justlead1]

Mr Woodrow, Over the past 10 or 12 years the Drip is what has made plumbing a popular trade for wanabees. Householders in there 3 bed semi have had access to second mortgages and credit cards. The avocado was out and new was fitted. When quotes for such a job were sort, plumber/firms surveyed the situation. Designed the plumbing system to provide flow rates that would improve the bathroom/shower experience. But others ignored this and stuck the new appliances on the end of existing systems. This is evidenced on a daily via this site. "Can i pump me combi" etc. They were cheaper than responsible plumbers "They are great they do the plumbing, painting, tiling, flooring" The fact that it takes 1/2 an hour to fill the bath seems secondary.
Do your training get experience an play the long game. Plumbing covers lots of knowledge and skill. If you can change a bathroom suit and call your self a plumber, it make a window cleaner a glazier. Good Luck

 

[WHPES]

Hmm. last year I had to take off and re-install several items in bathroom suites which hand't been done properly by so-called plumbers. Most of them were by new start-ups but one was by a time served person who should know better!

One wall had been tiled with porcelain tiles and the installer hadn't got a diamond drill so had simply stuck the basin on with silicone, which had come loose and the basin fell over (being plumbed in with plastic push fit).

 

[kiveton Gas]

a plumber should always keep a well stocked van of tools and consumables working in bathrooms and kitchens a diamond tip drill is essential aswell with regards to basi . Fischer has specialy designed fittings for bathroom fitings.

 

[fuzzy]

Hmm. last year I had to take off and re-install several items in bathroom suites which hand't been done properly by so-called plumbers. Most of them were by new start-ups but one was by a time served person who should know better!

One wall had been tiled with porcelain tiles and the installer hadn't got a diamond drill so had simply stuck the basin on with silicone, which had come loose and the basin fell over (being plumbed in with plastic push fit).

isnt a basin just a big tile really???? he, he

 

[Bernie2]

Hmm!

Genteel Plumbers!!!!!

What is wrong with a lump hammer and chisel job or a couple of 1/2" rawlbolts to hold it on????

 

[bobplum]

i have a window cleaning round,turn over £2,500 a month,tried getting back into plumbing,mainly bathrooms,ive given up going to ride the reccession out on the windows and see whats happening in a year or 2
bob