Wages for plumbers at different stages in their training

[qplumb2010]

Just out of interest ,what is the general rate for plumbers north west area?

at 1st year
nvq level 2 completed
nvq level 3 completed

If you dont know or are going to say whatever the boss can afford then no need to post as im just looking on experiences hourly employed by someone. not self-employed.

cheers people

 

[Matt 87]

The money I was paid was related to how quickly I was improving and gaining experience not just completing the NVQ's which doesn't really mean that much.

So before tax started out on £150 a week, then £160, £200, £240, £280, £320, £400 then onto normal pay. This was over the three year period of doing my NVQ started in 2005, this was in the South East though but speaking to the other guys on my course they were all on similar money.

Also I paid for some of my courses (unvented, part p, energy efficiency my employers were stingey and I was naive) and would pay reduced rate for holiday pay or not at all (part of the reason I left!)

 

[Nige F]

Also I paid for some of my courses (unvented, part p, energy efficiency my employers were stingey and I was naive) and would pay reduced rate for holiday pay or not at all (part of the reason I left!)

So the top rate was c. £500 a week then ...and you expected holiday pay too Did you think you were working for British Gas Are you on a Grand a week now you`ve left

 

[Nige F]

google JIB PMES any you`ll find the rates ...and a link to Unite Union

 

[Matt 87]

Actually it was on price work back in 2007 and a grand a week was quite easily achievable, some of the guys were making £1500. (No I am not exaggerating at all, when you get £60 to connect a kitchen sink up which took 30mins then you can see why.
Yes its easy work if you know what your doing but I saw many people still f*ck it up badly! I left because I went to become a divemaster so left the industry altogether.

I still know people who work in new build that are making reasonable money.

 

[DeltaT]

JIB rates from 7/6/2010
1st year apprentice £3.22/hour
2nd £4.81
3rd £5.82
4th £7.52

Adult apprentice
2nd year £6.79
3rd £8.45

Plumber, Domestic Heating Fitter & Gaa Service Fitter £11.10
Advanced Plumber etc £12.64
Technical Plumber etc £14.00
Plumbing Labourer £9.90

 

[qplumb2010]

cheers lads.

 

[Agile]

There is a vast range of differing abilities and attitudes.

A good employer will balance an employees capabilities against the needs of the business.

Suppose that man is moving a rad and left on his own to deal with it and then to go somewhere else for another job.

Boss is in hospital having a hernia repair.

Lady asks if he could fit three TRV4s which she has already bought on other rads while its drained down.

What would he do?

Tony

 

[Nige F]

Actually it was on price work back in 2007 and a grand a week was quite easily achievable, some of the guys were making £1500. (No I am not exaggerating at all, when you get £60 to connect a kitchen sink up which took 30mins then you can see why.
Yes its easy work if you know what your doing but I saw many people still f*ck it up badly! I left because I went to become a divemaster so left the industry altogether.

I still know people who work in new build that are making reasonable money.

I don`t disbelieve you. And Im glad you didn`t use the word Tradesman .

 

[Matt 87]

You are pretty much correct about them being tradesmen, house bashers more like, most only lasted a couple of days maybe a week, the only one making good money consistently was the guy who taught me as he knew what he was doing and he was a tradesmen, that was why the company paid him £200 a day day rate.

I would be scared if I knew they were now working in people's homes (as being the apprentice I was sent round to sort out their f*ck ups). As that was at the height of the boom there was a major push from all the big "developers" to complete projects early so the managers got their bonuses. The subcontracting companies would then be pressured into flooding jobs with labour, not matter how sh*t they were, frustrating when you see people come in with an agency getting £130 a day and as an apprentice you know more than them!
(One guy asked for plasterboard fixings for screwing into the plasterboard on an external wall for a boiler, he thought as the wall was plasterboarded the building was being held up by that! No I'm not joking)
Another I walked into the house they were 1st fixing and they had a toilet branch upside down!

Plus I would never buy a new house after seeing them being built by a very large housebuilder (concrete buildings being plasterboarded when the roof wasn't finished so the board would soak up the moisture from the concrete and you would come in the morning to collapsed ceilings)

I have seen so many ways of not to do it is unbelievable, it has benefited me greatly and only after I left did I realise why my old boss told me in my first year how completing an apprenticeship does make you a qualified tradesman. He also said at the time I hope this recession that was coming gets all these chancers back to there jobs in Blockbuster (no offence to people who work there!)

 

[Nige F]

Interesting I had the good fortune to be involved with small local builders most of the time . Then maintenance and remedial stuff , and a fair bit of drain cleaning etc.The diving job sounds interesting ( and well paid I would guess)Good Luck.

 

[omegaman]

when you get £60 to connect a kitchen sink up which took 30mins then you can see why.

Its more like £20 these days

 

[Agile]

Diving is primarily a young mans job, dangerous and for the under 35s.

My wife was the secretary/office manager for Nasali Diving in Qatar when I worked there at the TV station. One day she sent a telegram saying their office was staffed for 25 hours a day. ( That was before emails when people sent telegrams ). She was probably thinking about the TAM.

Its amazing how technology moves on. I built a digital clock in Qatar which apart from the one at Television Centre control room was hardly ever seen then. My friend, an earth station engineer from Cable & Wireless, decided it was three seconds fast so he turned off the mains supply for three seconds and when it was restored the clock just showed 00-00-00 and counting!

Tony

 

[Nige F]

when you get £60 to connect a kitchen sink up which took 30mins then you can see why.

Its more like £20 these days

And so it should be ...I`ll be expecting the price of New Builds to drop accordingly

 

[Matt 87]

New builds are way overpriced, I know as in all businesses the developers are there to make money but they are just way to greedy, I mean the properties I worked in ranged from £320-£500k and they were a pile of crap (when you seem them from groundworks stage to completion).
They look very nice (to start with), MK electrical gear, Megaflos, shiny chrome copper pipes, grohe showers, Villeroy Boch wall hung pans but underneath all that they are utter b&llocks.
I feel a little sorry for people that think they are buying a new quality product and that the NHBC certificate that comes with it guarantees it all, what a joke they are!