Basic plumbing jobs and repairs

[rickb]

Hi,

I wanted to know what people on here thought of a small pluming job business iea. A one man band, me , who would carry out small plumbing jobs such as changing taps, radiators, repairing toilet vales, replacing sinks and toilets.
I am not after doing anything major, just something to keep me busy and supplement my main income which is share dealing.
Do you think there is scope for something like this here in the North West of England, I live in a relatively wealthy area. I am not after a massive amount of money but sometimes that supplements my income whilst being able to arrange my own hours.
Is there a market for this?
Regards

 

[Mark T Jones]

Hi,

I wanted to know what people on here thought of a small pluming job business iea. A one man band, me , who would carry out small plumbing jobs such as changing taps, radiators, repairing toilet vales, replacing sinks and toilets.
I am not after doing anything major, just something to keep me busy and supplement my main income which is share dealing.
Do you think there is scope for something like this here in the North West of England, I live in a relatively wealthy area. I am not after a massive amount of money but sometimes that supplements my income whilst being able to arrange my own hours.
Is there a market for this?
Regards

As long as you're competent, personable & reliability you should be able to build a decent customer base over not too long a time.

 

[fisicx]

Stay local, get a GBP, post on Nextdoor and as Mark says, be reliable, and you should do OK.

But people do like their tradies to be qualified and insured.

 

[rickb]

Would I be better off with a ltd company from the liability point of view or would registering as a sole trader with proper insurance be enough?

 

[fisicx]

Sole trader will suffice.

 

[WaveJumper]

Perhaps a little insurance advice @Frank the Insurance guy but I think your phone will not stop ringing ........as long as you're 100% reliable Best of luck

 

[zomex]

I would think the biggest importance would be having insurance. All it would take is one mistake and you could be in deep trouble especially as a sole trader. Almost every plumber will have 1 or 2 stories where things went horrible wrong.

It sounds like you expect there to be a good demand that creates a nice income so I would personally look at doing things properly. Get the correct insurance, setup as a LTD company.

Start a Google Business Profile and start marketing your services locally.

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

Perhaps a little insurance advice @Frank the Insurance guy but I think your phone will not stop ringing ........as long as you're 100% reliable Best of luck

Yep, consider insurance especially if you are working as a sole trader, otherwise you will have to pay out of your own pocket if things go wrong.

Premiums for a self employed plumber doing minor works is not overly expensive - for something like this you can probably do it yourself on a comparison site like https://quote.simplybusiness.co.uk/

You need to look for Public & Products Liability Insurance, of at least £1m.

If you want more tailored/bespoke advise, speak to an independent insurance broker, but expect to pay an additional fee for their advice.

 

[HFE Signs]

There is always work out there for this type of work. You need to think about your marketing plan and some kind of recommendation incentive. Good luck

 

[fantheflames]

Great advice here. Make sure you're listing all of the emergency repairs you call out for as most people will be looking to hire someone urgently rather than in 2/3 weeks time. As long as you look presentable and professional online, and as others have mentioned, are reliable and friendly to customers, you'll get recommended and get a decent amount of work from it. Everyone needs plumbing services.

 

[rickb]

Hi thank you all for the replies. I think I would prefer a ltd company setup from the liability point of view. Am I correct in saying that the ltd company name would have to feature on invoices etc. etc.?

 

[rickb]

Great advice here. Make sure you're listing all of the emergency repairs you call out for as most people will be looking to hire someone urgently rather than in 2/3 weeks time. As long as you look presentable and professional online, and as others have mentioned, are reliable and friendly to customers, you'll get recommended and get a decent amount of work from it. Everyone needs plumbing services.

would you say a specific website is necessary? It would only be a one arm band.

 

[pentel]

would you say a specific website is necessary?

Definitely. The first place most people look when water is coming through the ceiling is google. emergency plumbers (my location)

 

[fisicx]

Definitely. The first place most people look when water is coming through the ceiling is google. emergency plumbers (my location)

But @rickb is a handyman not an emergency plumber.

If they want to rank for emergency plumber it's a whole different thing.

 

[fisicx]

Hi thank you all for the replies. I think I would prefer a ltd company setup from the liability point of view. Am I correct in saying that the ltd company name would have to feature on invoices etc. etc.?

Yes. And your address. And you need your name, address. telephone on your website, GBP and any other marketing material. If you want to be the local handyman people need to see you are local.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Hi thank you all for the replies. I think I would prefer a ltd company setup from the liability point of view. Am I correct in saying that the ltd company name would have to feature on invoices etc. etc.?

Yes - it's a legal requirement

Where marketing is concerned - firstly, be absolutely clear on where you fit in - it seems a kind of 'handyman / plumber'.

A website may help - not least as a place to park references, credentials and information, but I'd suggest local social media (and your local pub) are solid starting points.

 

[rickb]

I've run a quick search online for liabaility insurance for a ltd company. It comes at about 700 800 pounds a year. Does that sound about right?

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

I've run a quick search online for liabaility insurance for a ltd company. It comes at about 700 800 pounds a year. Does that sound about right?

It all depends on the details and the cover you are looking for - for example will you be carrying out any "heat work", do you want cover for tools etc.

Just had a quick look and based on a single plumber in the Reading area, Public Liability only cover £1m, the annual premium is around £500-£600. If you are including additional covers then 700-800 looks reasonable.

 

[rickb]

It all depends on the details and the cover you are looking for - for example will you be carrying out any "heat work", do you want cover for tools etc.

Just had a quick look and based on a single plumber in the Reading area, Public Liability only cover £1m, the annual premium is around £500-£600. If you are including additional covers then 700-800 looks reasonable.

I checked for a ten million pounds cover for a ltd company. The reason being where I live there are quite a few retirement apartment blocks I don't think 1 million cover would be enough.