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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:30 pm
by Millse
I have a simple question.. Am I missing something (no puns please) How long does it take for Landscapers to give quotations on work to be carried out? I am still waiting in my third week for replies from affiliated companies from APL etc. Purchasing Tony's excellent book and following advice this should sort the wheat from the chaff. Perhaps business is too good and mine isn't wanted or am I being too impatient? Any advice please. Thanks.
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:56 pm
by Pablo
Most firms will get back to you within 10 days anymore and I'd say they couldn't be arsed. If there was a design to draw or unusual spec then it may take longer. If your job is a fiddly small one then chances no one will want to go near it. Try chasing them up it may be that they have forgotten to post it or lost it etc. I've lost the odd one now and again which is why I e-mail when I can.
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:07 pm
by Millse
Thanks Pablo. Unfortunately I have already chased to no avail thus far. My day job is planning and I have drawn up and measured my design accurately, which is simple patio paving, 2 circles and 2 level changes and possibly some drainage work. Total area 44.7m2. Advice suggests projects below 30m2 are small? I will try once more and move on or I'll have to do it myself in time for summer!(not) :;):
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:50 pm
by Rich H
If I haven't done a quote within a week, I'll call to apologise. 2 weeks is too long but for those of us who work mainly with the residential sector this is traditionally our busiest time of the year for quotes. Easter school holidays and the sun is out. I am booked until the end of the month for site surveys.
Millse, 2 circles and 2 levels changes isn't necessarily simple! One patio pack laid in a rectangle is simple!
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:53 pm
by Rich H
My other thought is that sometimes customers have an extremely clear idea of what they want, and it might not actually work well. Not saying this what's happening so please don't be insulted. I work with a garden designer who keeps designing patios which are exactly 4.0m out from a wall or walls which are exactly 500mm high. I try to explain but the designs keep coming out the same...
What I'm saying is that when that sort of thing happens it takes longer to sort out solutions than if you'd just said I want the paving to come to 'about here' etc etc
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:15 pm
by Tony McC
We are now at the peak of the silly season, when everyone suddenly gets the urge to have the patio/driveway done in time for summer, and most residential contractors are inundated with jobs to price. It's really not that unusual for a contractor to have 10 jobs per day to look at, while a typical two gang company will need to win just three jobs per week to be fully booked.
So, this results in "no shows", which I feel plays a large part in the awful reputation our trade has - FFS: how much trouble does it take to phone and say you're too busy/not interested? From my own experience and from talking to contractors, I reckon somewhere around 2 out of 3 "appointments" made by contractors to view potential jobs result in a no-show at this time of the year..
Assuming you get past the no-show, there's the "how big" question. If a client has a day or two of work, that has less appeal to a contractor than a week or a two-week job. Next: profit potential. Is this a job where the contractor can make a good wedge or is it a fiddly, finicky job that will be more trouble than it's worth?
What about the client? Do they seem like reasonable people or is it one of those bloody know-alls that's going to be weighing how many grammes of cement you put into each mortar mix and telling you that you're 6mm short on sub-base depth?
We all know the stories about cowboy contractors: they even have their own TV programme, but what about the nightmare clients (not that I'm suggesting for one moment that the OP falls into that category)? I've known some would-be clients that have repeatedly failed to find a contractor purely and simply because they have "trouble" written all over them.
Clients should be aware of the seasonality that affects our trade. If they call for a quote in March-May, then the sad truth is that they should expect to be stood-up, not answered, left hanging, dumped. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. Too many contractors are feckless and make empty promises when they should simply inform the client that the work is of no interest.
And those contractors should be more honest. Don't threaten to send a price in the post if you have no intention of so doing: just tell the client you're really busy, it's not the type of work you're doing at the moment, that you just can't help with this project. If you've agreed to go out and see a job, and then the pub starts calling your name, phone the client and tell them that you won't be able to make it for "personal reasons" (well, what you drink in your local is 'personal', isn't it?). If you don't want to go another day, tell them you're over-booked or just be brutally honest and tell them you're simply not interested.
What contractors should never do is to stand-up a client. It reflects badly on the rest of the trade, on those contractors that do make an effort to keep appointments. The number one complaint I hear from clients is the 'no-show': it besmirches the entire home improvement industry, whether it's patios or plastering, and it's plain bad manners.
Clients: if the contractor has been, and you've heard nothing after a week, call and ask whether they will be submitting a price, because you're keen to push ahead with the work and you don't want to keep other contractors waiting for a decision. Leave a message if you can't speak to the contractor directly, asking for a return call, but if you have to chase them to get a price, ask yourself how much of a runaround would you get if you were to let them do the job? Personally, if a contractor didn't submit a price within a week, and then didn't return a call, I'd drop them.
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:32 pm
by Millse
Thanks for the advice. No offence taken as the "client" from Tony's reply. I would never suggest to an expert how to do their job as it would defeat the object of finding the expert in the first place! All the client wants is honesty and respect, if you can't do it say so and we move on, it's no problem even at this busy time of year.
I would dearly like to have a stab at my own project but it is hard work (even though I'm still fit!), would take ages and the benefits of an experienced contractor we feel is worth paying the money for. Just have to keep looking I guess. Thanks again. 
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:21 pm
by warnergrounds.co.uk
You could try the following to find a local tradesmen: -
yourlocaltrades.co.uk
ratedpeople.com
problemsolved.co.uk
They are all free to the homeowner and will pass your details on to contractors interested in your work. The beauty is only interested contractors will pay for the lead which should sort the wheat from the chaff a bit.
Also make sure you see references and memberships of trade bodies where available - see the choosing a contractor section.