Pices Of Labour Compared To The UK

Scottish Neil

Hi guys, Im writting from Scotland as you can tell by the user name, Im just wondering what the labour rates compare from here to there? I sub contract to a decking company here in Scotland and get £25 a square metre and after the first 2 steps you get £20 a step. All the decks are made from pressure treated timber. So on a 30 square metre deck we do it in 2 days and wel make about £900 give or take after you add up the stepps and the digging if theres any. I tried to work out how much itd be in feet but didnt do that well. Just wondering to see how much the labour rate varies from here to there or if its roughly the same everywhere if your a good tradesmen???

ProWallGuy

Its gonna take me a minute to find a conversion calculator.
I have no idea what pounds and meters convert to in US terms.
(Obviously feet and dollars, but don't know the conversion rate)

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

ProWallGuy

30 sq meters convert to 323 sq ft.
900 pounds converts to $1703.02.

So, deck guys, does $1700 sound about right for a 323 sq ft deck?

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

DecksEtc

Neil,

I'm going to assume that when you say you make about £900 that your talking about your profit and wages above materials. You say you are subbing to another deck company and if they are doing all the ordering and paying for the materials, etc. and after comparing the conversions (Thanks PWG!) to US$, your rate seems about right. Now, if you are fronting all the money for materials and doing all the behind the scenes work than your rate seems a little low to me.

Scottish Neil

I just turn up on the job and do the deck, I dont do any ordering or deal with the home owners or buy any of the mterials including fixings.

RobertCDF

Lucky you... so many times I wish I was just doing the labor work for the decks. Instead of EVERYTHING ELSE too.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

Stone Mountain

I pay my men $6/sq ft for a fairly basic deck, with rail and steps. More than 4-5 steps and I'll pay more. A multi level, complicated deck made with composite, pays more again. If it's really a lengthy drive from the shop, I'll pay gas. I pay for everything in terms of material, concrete nails, hangers, etc.
The crew supplies their own tools and transportation.
So, let's see. 323 sq ft x $6 = $1938.00. This should take a 2 man crew about a week. (some of my guys can do that by themselves, one of my men could do it in 3 days, and one of my crews would take 10 days).
Usually, one man owns the truck and tools, and pays the other as a helper.

What really matters though when comparing it the cost of living in Scotland. Here in Toronto, a man making $1000 a week can drive a late model truck, own a small home, and support a family, (if his wife is working). Not a lot of room for luxuries, but he can hold his head up proudly.
If your wage allows you to do that, then it's fair.

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Residential Deck Specialist: Vist our Website
www.fenceanddeck.ca

ProWallGuy

Good call, great insight. That just took this thread up a notch.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Scottish Neil

If a tradsemanover there makes $1000 a week the equivalent over here would be roughly bout £600 which probably works out the same "equivalents" as you stated. So if you make £600 a week theres 17.5% income tax that comes off then you have roughly £5.00 national insurance contributions (goes towards retirement pension and National health care) your left with about £490. which is not much considering the finance payments on a vehicle to get to work woul be about £200 a month for a vehicle £8000-£10000 then diesel being 0.98p per litre getting 30 miles to the gallon and doing approx 150-200 miles a week. then youv got food which a 2 litr bottle of coca cola is approx £1.40 for 1 bottle thats about $2.50. This is an expensive country, Its hard to work out everything to see the equivalent but i think you get more for your money over there where over here you are taxed for everything but thats a different issue.

Stone Mountain

Canada is near the top of the list for tax rate. Here we have "tax freedom day," which is the day that all the taxes are paid for the year and any money earned we keep. In toronto is Is the end of June!

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Residential Deck Specialist: Vist our Website
www.fenceanddeck.ca