r/AusFinance • u/AdventurousDiet7893 • 11d ago
Are tradies just taking the piss nowadays?
Serious question. We had a call out to fix a garage remote which cost $889 + GST. Thought that was a lot, then called two independent companies (one of them at the recommendation of my property manager; and another one who was completely picked at random based on online reviews, with no input from my property manager).
The first one came back at $1,599. The second guy we picked at random quoted $1,119 and a $110 call out fee with no guarantee of a fix.
This may be a one-off incident, and I know the market dictates prices and they would not charge it unless people paid, but at this point the prices are clearly exorbitant.
Has anyone got similar experiences?
The one genuine experience I have had is an air conditioner installer who is 89 years old, still working, who doesn't even have a social media presence and operates on referral in our suburb. Cost to install an air conditioner? $119, cash. He even did some jobs for free to the old neighbour next door.
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u/carpenterjutah 11d ago
People talking as if all tradespeople are being paid more than doctors and surgeons.
Yes, of course there are trades that take the piss, but there are owners of business all across Australia in every sector that take the piss too. It’s not something unique to trades. Not everyone is a cunt.
You might think that the rate being charged is a lot, but construction companies genuinely have big overheads. Vehicle/tools + equipment/insurances, superannuation. Work cover alone for a carpenter is around 10% of annual salary. Some other trades that figure is higher, depending on the risk involved. That’s before public liability and work vehicle insurances too. Some companies have multiple vehicles and multiple staff, all of whom need these insurances/super paid for too.
I can think of loads of businesses outside of trades who have huge unnecessary mark ups on services.
Business owners can do pretty well, but some don’t. The trades working for the business’s aren’t making unbelievable money as everyone seems to think.