Renovating, building a new home or general plumbing and building maintenance, no matter the reason for engaging the services of a tradesperson, our first thoughts are usual 'How much is this going to cost me?'

Fixed Price Quotation

An easy way to workout the cost of your project or maintenance need is to have the builder, plumber, electrician or the tradesperson required to complete your job, provide a fixed price quotation. Many trade business will offer a free quote services which enables you to decide wether the job or project will be able to be completed within your budget.

It is often advisable to source more than one fixed price quotation so as to do a comparison, however it is important that when comparing one company's quote to another that you are in fact comparing apples with apples. Unfortunately not all tradespeople are created equal and there can be many reasons why one quote may come in higher than another. Some of these factors are: Experience in quoting on similar jobs to yours, inclusions and exclusions such as machine hire and removing debris from site. Supply & demand of service , Overheads, company overheads can vary dramatically and affect the price a company is willing and able to do the job for.

Engaging a tradesperson on the basis of a fixed price is the most reliable way of knowing what a job will cost to complete and to ensure all works are completed as per the written agreement. It gives an opportunity for you to accept or decline the services before any work has commenced. The price will be based on the job scope and price. When providing a fixed price for a service, the tradesperson assumes the responsibility for reasonable unforeseeable and overlooked cost or issues associated with it, wether it be time or material related. Some company's will have variation clause written into their quotation, just another example of the importance of making sure you are comparing apples with apples.

Do and Charge

'Do and Charge' also referred to as 'Cost Plus' is another way of engaging a tradesperson to complete your required works. This method is as simple as it sounds. The tradesperson does the work then charges you for the time taken to complete the job and material used. The actual cost however is not a simple to work out as it will be dependant on many varying factors such as the tradesperson or company's fee structure

e.g. call out fee and labour cost. Another thing to take into consideration is that each tradesperson will have a different buy and sell price for material. Experience with similar jobs or projects also plays a role when looking at engaging tradesperson on do and charge basis as it may effect the amount of time taken to complete the job. Another thing to take into consideration is that each tradesperson will have a different buy and sell price for material. Material buy and sell prices will not often be disclosed. It is one of the few reasonable "trade secrets" as their negotiating skills with their suppliers can provide a competitive edge for many tradespeople.

'Do and Charge' can provide an opportunity to save money if everything on the job goes smoothly, however if your tradesperson hits a few unforseable obstacles along the way, which can often be the case in renovation or maintenance work, you run the risk of blowing your budget.

When comparing one tradespersons persons price to another its important to remember that no matter which way you go, experience with similar jobs and good references is often key to making sure that your job runs smoothly and is cost effective. There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you get the right tradesperson or company for your job.

Simple steps to take when deciding on a tradesperson

- Ask your neighbours, family and colleagues for referrals

- Research: look for reviews, google, social media, ask around.

- Check if they have industry membership E.g.: Master Plumbers Association of Queensland

-Make sure they are licensed to carry out all works required in the state you are living in. Eg. Queensland Building and Commission licence

- Ask for history/experience on similar jobs and for references