£3,000 to repair pinhole leaks in lead flashing?

[robinbanks]

He charges me £250 for a single lift at first floor window height on a terraced house.

I bought a 3 storey Alu tower at the start of my renovation, for 700 quid; been so handy for so much stuff and is a doddle to erect and dismantle.
If your customers are happy to pay 250 for scaffolding perhaps getting your own scaff would be worthwhile to you?

 

[opps]

I bought a 3 storey Alu tower at the start of my renovation, for 700 quid; been so handy for so much stuff and is a doddle to erect and dismantle.
If your customers are happy to pay 250 for scaffolding perhaps getting your own scaff would be worthwhile to you?

I see your logic but I would need an open bed lorry, storage space and more importantly, I would need to learn how to drive.

I could work off ladders but it would be a PITA and much, much slower (and less safe). I am a decorator. When working on scaffolding I use a tarp to cover my dust extractor, hand tools and paints over night. It saves me an hour a day. My sanders, I bring them down each evening at £550+ per sander, I cannot afford to replace them at short notice if they got stolen. I have 4 different dust extractors, if one gets stolen it isn't a major inconvenience.

If I am painting the front of victorian house with timber sliding sash, with the scaffolding (charged to the customer) I will probably charge about £2500. If I had to do it off a ladder, I would probably need to charge about £3500, and the quality of finish would not be as good.

 

[robinbanks]

You don't drive? Impressive (and wondering how you get ladders to a job)

Wouldn't need a flat bed for this particular tower scaff; it'd fit on a roof rack..

 

[opps]

You don't drive? Impressive (and wondering how you get ladders to a job)

Wouldn't need a flat bed for this particular tower scaff; it'd fit on a roof rack..

Fair comment.

Over the years I have purchased (multifunction) step ladders that fold down and will fit in the boot of a cab. You can reach first floor window sills with those.

These days I seldom spend less than a month or three at any customer's house. £30 to drop off your tools is an insignificant cost relative to the total bill.

I live in (very) west London. Most of my exterior work is via Colin the pointer, he has the scaffolding up, I follow along once he acid washes the bricks and repoints them.

Admittedly.. from time to time he will have the scaffolding erected as per his needs, and then I notice that I can not open side hung casement sashes fully because the vertical poles are in the way. I end up needing to use a double 12 ladder to reach those parts after the scaffolding is removed but he always has a double 12 ladder on site.

I seldom work in central London, but if you had an older van, or car, you would be looking at £30+ just in charges (fees) to get to site and then £60+ for parking each day

I turn up. Do an 8 hour day and spend about a tenner to use public transport. It works for me... most of the time.

 

[datarebal]

£60+ for parking each day

and some ,just pass it on, they can blame khan

 

[scbk]

Fair comment.

Over the years I have purchased (multifunction) step ladders that fold down and will fit in the boot of a cab. You can reach first floor window sills with those.

These days I seldom spend less than a month or three at any customer's house. £30 to drop off your tools is an insignificant cost relative to the total bill.

I live in (very) west London. Most of my exterior work is via Colin the pointer, he has the scaffolding up, I follow along once he acid washes the bricks and repoints them.

Admittedly.. from time to time he will have the scaffolding erected as per his needs, and then I notice that I can not open side hung casement sashes fully because the vertical poles are in the way. I end up needing to use a double 12 ladder to reach those parts after the scaffolding is removed but he always has a double 12 ladder on site.

I seldom work in central London, but if you had an older van, or car, you would be looking at £30+ just in charges (fees) to get to site and then £60+ for parking each day

I turn up. Do an 8 hour day and spend about a tenner to use public transport. It works for me... most of the time.

You should get a cargo bike! Or even just an electric bike with panniers/trailer

 

[opps]

and some ,just pass it on, they can blame khan

In no way am I an apologist for the guy but parking charges are down to local councils. He is responsible for the ulez and congestion charges.

 

[opps]

You should get a cargo bike! Or even just an electric bike with panniers/trailer

Yeah... the guy with the electric bike carrying a double extension ladder, if nothing else, I would become a TikTok sensation for 5 minutes.

 

[datarebal]

I seldom work in central London, but if you had an older van, or car, you would be looking at £30+ just in charges (fees) to get to site and then £60+ for parking each day

and its being extended , you don't need to work central to be in ulez

 

[opps]

and its being extended , you don't need to work central to be in ulez

Good call, AFAIK it is currently the north and south circular. Areas up to 6 or 7 miles from the centre of London. I think that the ULEZ for HGVs extends much further out.