Mates rates or average for job?

[Andyk78]

Hi Chaps,

About to kick off some work and an old mate of mine who i recently bumped into by chance has offered his services and just wanted to know if he really is a mate or not from the following price I have been given?
Not had others round to quote yet but if this sounds good then may not bother and just use him as I know him.

Install new SVP to gable end and connect to new drains

Install new bathroom suite to existing bathroom straight swap of bath/sink/toilet and also swap an old radiator for new same size

Extend hot and cold feed into new En suite and Install new bathroom suite standalone shower/toilet/sink and heated towel rail in required areas and branch all new waste pipework through gable and t into SVP

Install toilet and sink and heated towel rail in downstairs W/C again hot and cold pipework will be needed as none at present and will need to go through gable and t into SVP

Inspect and service boiler and supply gas safe certificate/take condensate pipe from boiler through gable and out to drain

Relocate radiator in dining room to other side of room

Install radiator in master bedroom no current pipework in place

* he is gas safe registered and we are in the North
West area.

Total cost for his services £1,800

I will be supplying all bathroom suites radiators towel rails only, everything else in terms of pipework and SVP etc is supplied by him at the above price

I appreciate this may be hard to comment on without seeing the job as most will say, but on the face of things does this sound ok for the money?
Does this price sound fair/good/about right?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I think most bathroom fitters would charge around that figure for installing the bathroom suite!

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

I think regardless of a "mate" or not you should not expect a cheaper quote just cause he was one of your old drinking partners.

If he offers to just help you out etc then fair enough but your bang out of order to expect it.

 

[Armo74]

Sounds a reasonable price to me a little on the cheap side.

Depends how much work he has on and how much he wants the job.

Unless you have some more quotes from people who have actually seen the job you have nothing to compare it to.

 

[Andyk78]

I think regardless of a "mate" or not you should not expect a cheaper quote just cause he was one of your old drinking partners.

If he offers to just help you out etc then fair enough but your bang out of order to expect it.[/quote

Wow....bit strong there mate
Was only asking if it was a good deal I.e cheaper than your average price for the above mentioned works, but obviously enough so he can feed the family ha-ha!!

Or is the price about the same most would quote our there give or take a few ££

 

[Andyk78]

Thanks Armo74, kind of answer I was hoping for and I do appreciate its very hard to say without seeing the job, but as a rough guide from the list above you get a general idea. Would like to use him as he is someone we know and and also willingh to do the work around our timeframe and also this is first and second fix as other work is to be done around this.

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

I'd say its ok mate.

 

[bolshy]

The only downside to using someone you know and getting "mates rates" is if they do a poor job, and you have to challenge them over it. Can be more trouble than it's worth. Unless you've seen some of his installations, and they meet your expectations.

 

[oilboffin]

Good quote but mates can turn out to be your worst enemy if the slightest thing goes wrong they always want jobs done cheap I never ask my mates for cheap rates and they don't ask me we respect each others skills and realise that we need to pay the going rate that way we stay mates the only thing we do is if I needed a lift with something then at a weekend they all come round lift the thing and that's it beers all round down the pub keep your mates that way

 

[Dan Robinson]

I avoid going to friend's ans family's houses with the van now. The only person that does something I can't is my brother who's a lawyer we have an arrangement

 

[Andyk78]

Thanks for all your feedback guys, I think that generally you are all saying I have a decent price for the works involved. And as my pocket is key to getting the work finished for as little as possible and I know from other people now that his work is sound, that's good enough for me
Don't think I would be interested in say paying an extra few hundred pounds for going with someone I don't know to save the mates relationship should something go wrong as still this could happen with another person and would have to have choice words to sort things out either way!

 

[big-all]

to me mates rates are because you have something to offer in return in other words you give a reduced price in return for there services in return at mates rates at a later date
off course it wont always balance out but you must have something to offer otherwise its taking advantage off your good will

 

[Andyk78]

OR it could just be that a real friend who you have grown up with just wants to simply help a mate out with their first house knowing how expensive things can be, and at the same time is getting some work out of it albeit less than they would charge on a normal job but still enough to make money from as he isn't doing the job for free

 

[big-all]

OR it could just be that a real friend who you have grown up with just wants to simply help a mate out with their first house knowing how expensive things can be, and at the same time is getting some work out of it albeit less than they would charge on a normal job but still enough to make money from as he isn't doing the job for free

i have made many a bit off bespoked furniture for materials and a few pints to help people out when they have little or no money just to find my "good will " has been abused when they go on an expensive holiday
now it dosent often happen lol but it puts you off helping people when they think its ok to use your generosity
i am not for one second saying you would take advantage but some do

 

[Andyk78]

Haha, fair enough and appreciate what you are saying, but honestly we are on the bones of our arses with the work needed to be done on this house and holidays for us will be a thing of the past for a while as once our money runs out we know we will still have a fair bit to do and that means back to saving whilst trying to pay the bills and fight off those pescy mortgage payments
Will get there with it and we are excited as its our first house and more than just your average wallpaper change and carpets to do. But that's the reason we bought it for the challenge.....god help us