A day in the life of a self employed carpenter

[@nathannicholas1071]

Some unreal comments on this video! Fair enough on your first price bro. I imagine someone called you and said “my floors broken it’s under carpet and I don’t know what’s wrong” you probably had no idea what you were getting into so you said a price that would cover you in case it was a real drama. Makes total sense to me. From a fellow self employed chippy - good work mate

[@00Reeper]

The framing for the loft door does not seem adequate. Its going to sag at the top

[@evocarti]

That's not a "family member", that's your grandad. Anyway, as a brickie I love the channel and the humble, down-to-earth content. Respect from London.

[@patpending8134]

Correct. He wouldn't even have come into being without his grandad. Should have been for free, never mind £40.

[@zephyr1408]

I charge $150 for pre hung doors, recently a guy wanted his door turned around to open inside ( like it should hv) new threshold , jame , architrave, caulk done! $400. He thought it was too much so I told him how easy it was and left instructions ? He will never call me again! I am through being taken advantage of! They can do it theirselfs!

[@cameronsmith2928]

shouldnt have charged your grandad mate , hes had to put up with you being a kid )

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

True

[@davidtuffin6993]

I never charge family i actually made a full oak kitchen for my in laws and never charged a penny . I just look at the free child care we have of them they gave me crates of stella for months so i was well happy. Just look at what you made on the first job it covers you for helping your grandad.

[@mattp5518]

That's good for you. Some people got bills to pay

[@davidtuffin6993]

@@mattp5518 got bills to pay aswell but would never dream of charging family especially when they don't have much money.

[@davidtuffin6993]

​@@mattp5518I've got to make living aswell still wouldn't want to charge family .

[@zephyr1408]

I am rooting for you from the states! You’re a hard working man ! Your gonna be very successful Contractor!

[@KylePrentice4x4]

Family and friends should support your business as much as anyone else. Whilst doing jobs for them you still have to pay all of your out-goings, plus loss of earnings for the time taken. Mom and dad I agree, they’ve raised you and spent a lot of money doing so, anyone else should pay definitely, maybe not the full cost, but should pay👍🏻

[@DsoundsOfficial]

I think you set yourself up for failure and potentially unnecessary tension between a family member. You either do the work for free or you offer them a mates rate i.e. 50% off what you would normally charge. You can't ask someone to pay what they think it's worth then get upset when it doesn't match your own expectations. A lesson learnt is knowledge gained!

[@bullhurley-uv8ys]

My grandad died years ago, I've got his WW2 medals in a cabinet, if i was you id give him the £40 back. But thats just me.

[@christopherinteriors6521]

I am happy to help out close family members to a point. Friends are the tricky ones. A friend of mine is a barber. When he started his business he charged £10 for a hair cut. Rather than his friends expecting free haircuts, we would give him £20. That is because we wanted to support him. It has to work both ways for friends and family.

[@hewoguys2506]

thats all good but if hes my boy hes cutting that shit for free😅😅😅

[@Nz2ez]

Prices are what they are, overheads such insurance, maintenance, equipment, fuel etc. all factor in to your billable hour rate. Your time is valuable and you have to have your minimum charges to cover operating expenses and general living. As for charging family members, same as above applies. They would need to pay to get someone in for the work regardless, so it might as well be someone they know and trust will have their homes best interests at heart as well and can enjoy a cup of tea with during smoko. My family members wouldn't won't me to loose out on a paying job just so they can have a freebie.

[@Jordd3041]

Working for family and friends is always a difficult one, if they’re close family then a slight discount maybe but at the end of the day it’s you’re livelihood and you’re running a business not a charity and if you didn’t do it they’d have to pay someone else so they should surely rather put the money in your pocket rather than a stranger.

[@fireblaster9961]

Those floor boards looked a right mess. Definitely would have renewed in full lengths

[@C013ain]

and charging £200 for it, sounds crasy... I work on site as a carpenter, with todays rates I am happy if I make £250 a day

[@1nnu3ndo]

@@C013ain Easy to judge on pricing, but perhaps he drove 40 minutes there and back for the job. We don't know... but £200 for 1,5h travel & 1h work wouldn't be crazy. His day rate he mentions around 13:00 is very fair. At least the rates I've been quoted at over the last 2 years of doing renovations at home.

[@C013ain]

@@1nnu3ndo i didnt judge him, obviously he charges whatever he wants if people pay for it. But still I travel 40minutes to work and noone pays for that. Also the quality of the work was questionable. He should have replaced the whole length of boards. Those little peaces of timber with couple screws wont hold a lot and it was the landing of a stair so it will be really high traffic.

[@l33864]

£200 for that repair on the stairs is a robbery I could do that for half and still feel like I've had there pants down

[@epttgtopshottak5021]

I don't agree 200 was perfectly fare for the work what if the boards were broken that's a trip to the building store 30 pound for wood 20 in gas and a extra hour of time and if you don't know those half boards that were there was best to use then new lumber is going to shrink and make more noise in the future. Ps you could haf put some glue tho a little subfloor pl or something you could be called back for noise now if it's creeking but good job

[@clintonhumphries9329]

Can remember fitting 7 doors for my brother years ago in a house he was renting,the door frames were horrific and it took me all day to fit them ( was a Sunday as well mind ! ) and all I got was a can of Carling at the end of it 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@keithkench9432]

Not anymore, been bitten to many times and remember, nothings for free.

[@CAVjoinery]

:)) nice watching your videos pall keep up with the good work

[@hs964]

What about if you do a family rate for extended family e.g 25% discount ( 75% of your usual fee). Tell them up front so no-one can complain.

[@skygod1975]

Without hearing what you charge id of put it the other way around. £40 for the stairs at approx hours work, £200 day rate for the doors. Not including materials. I fired up 7 fire doors for my estate agent brother as a just finished my apprenticeship joiner in the 90s and i fell into that very same trap of lots of effort for lesser reward!

[@felixdowse3042]

Starting a carpentry apprenticeship rate your videos highly geeza

[@shanesaunders2191]

Hate to be "that guy" but oak door require 3 hinges! And £200 for that first job is ridiculous

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

Agreed but I charge what I charge and I did advice 3 but he said nope

[@l33864]

Mate I've been watching your channel for a while now time served 18 years nvq 3 carpenter I've seen your pricing grow over the videos but I totally agree on this comment 3 hinges are a must on a oak veneer regardless of the customers opinion 3 hinges = no call backs with door sag etc and the stair repair I could of charged half and still felt like I was robbing them... You said it yourself in the video took no longer than a hour😂😂😂

[@TheKing-tl8si]

It’s a difficult one. Depends on how close u r with your granddad. Helping out family Members that u like it shouldn’t matter.

[@joshuamatheron1]

You normally do a decent job but some of these were questionable. Putting in the new opening especially. The upright above the door is now floating. Should’ve cut off the extra and had the header run through.

[@Shieldsy-Rfc]

ive helped family before but i give a discount of 30% av never had a family member give 40 pound for a shift i was shocked when you said 40 lol

[@Joe-jv5mm]

40 quid Wouldn't pay for the Screws, diesel or a breakfast roll

[@patpending8134]

It doesn't matter - you shouldn't charge your Mum, Dad or Granparent anything.

[@ImranKhan-dr8bb]

Haha Your grandad still sees you as a young one, good problem to have. Shame he didn't chuck in a bag of Werther's Original. Never work with friends or family though. Wiser people than us have said this. They expect you to do it for cheap and not realise the effort - its an across the board reality. It only works like that if you can write it off as something that wont affect you.

[@TomByrne-nk1hl]

The state of that floor!! £200 at least replace that floor?! How long before that small slither snaps have a bit of pride in your work

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

…

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

It won’t snap if the client has any issues with the floor being damaged in this area she can call me back and I will rectify free of charge I always give guarantee with my work , do you watch the Chanel ? I have pride in my work this is under the carpet ,the floor is secure you must not be self employed because why would I add more work for same result 😅

[@darrenhutchinson5435]

Some new tools mate ,woodent mine a review on that single 54v miter saw you’ve got 👍

[@SkyDiverTO]

Why didn’t you give him a rate and negotiate with him keeping in mind that he is family? Maybe like a 20-35% discount. You live and you learn.

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

Yep we live and we learn ,I find money is always a touchy subject when it comes to family

[@patpending8134]

@@ttdowgcarpentry2390 You should not charge your grandparent anything at all.

[@aaronbell8527]

How I look at it for mate’s family members if you weren’t in the trade they would have to pay another trades man 👌

[@Tinychase010]

hiya what type of carpentry is this im intrested of doing it when i go to college im year 11

[@andyrice859]

Got to love the grandad 😅 Family is Family, I suppose.

[@samuelbeckett485]

Probably would have glued and screwed it

[@itsmerob6120]

Damn dawg u got skills. Get your paper right and attack, salute from LA

[@Schinney]

Great video m8, nice work 👍

[@andrewsalter2681]

Some time's it's nice to give back

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

Agreed

[@martinsmith3454]

Couldn't watch, I bet he reckoned he conned folk out of hundreds or thousands per day

[@Manvstools]

I always do friends and family for free or full price as mates rates for me is if your a mate you pay what im worth lol

[@yassinhani1600]

I think this is the career I want is it well paid?

[@amwartwork]

u wudnt be here if it wasnt for your grandad, neither your mum or dad, so respect that 40 quid payment

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

Agreed I will cherish it

[@nickharrison6694]

£200 for 1hr and no materials.... wow and i thought £100 a door was high, still cant get over the 200 for a hours work.

[@456Brian]

i went how much if he can get that sort of money y not

[@simplydad2015]

@@HannadayFLO does a barrister work harder? Moron

[@akshomeimprovements]

To be fair. They are paying for the experience. Might take someone else over 2 to 3hours

[@stephenfoster5449]

I never work for family.

[@g60gerry]

But to be honest, i also think you could've done a better job on the floor, at least use thicker timber, and longer boards man ......

[@mattp5518]

Some people don't want to pay for all the extra bs. The job will do fine for carpet

[@g60gerry]

@@mattp5518 I hear you , and that is very true, i also had them clients ... keep up the good content tho bro ....

[@patrickoconnor8431]

£700 for 4 oak doors and one flush door and a lining 😂😂😂😂 wtf that should only take half a day

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

Don’t forget the floor repair too

[@l33864]

Lol there's always one 5 doors lining and floor repair In half a day mabey a house basher doing shite site work but old frames new doors TO A GOOD STANDARD no chance in half a day

[@joshuamatheron1]

You’re talking Bo**ocks. No way on earth is that half a days work. Thats a good days work if done to a good standard. Maybe the Irish are just faster….

[@aaronbell8527]

You charge 100 to fit pal door woudnt get that round here

[@g60gerry]

But all the same i enjoy the content ....keep it up

[@ChrisKennedy789]

Hate working for family but sometimes just has to be done 🤮

[@g60gerry]

To tell you the truth, i wouldn't expect no money from my grandad, but if hes a principle man, and want to pay ( by false!! you know principle people will false the payment), then i will allow him to set the amount, if i think think its to high ... ill return most of the money ( i'll slip it in his jacket when hes not looking ..LO L)

[@damon9153]

Don’t worry mate you’ll get the inheritance 😂

[@andrewfraser7351]

You’re lucky you got £40 🤣 a cup of tea and a biscuit if you’re lucky.

[@chris-w4n9w]

200 is bit steep for that first job, I suppose your grandad's job made up for it.😊

[@shoudd]

£200 for that small floor repair is excessive, it borders on exploiting. The thing I find is it wouldn't surprise me if he felt hard done by lets say for example his work van was faulty and he took it into a garage for diagnostics and lets say they charged £60 for this. He would probably say this is excessive. You can't shout this out and be guilty of this yourself.

[@mattp5518]

Some people just want the job done and don't care what it costs... if it's urgent/ travel etc. Trades do call out fees/ minimum payments. On his GPS it said 40 minutes. Thats 1.5 hours in travel alone. Would I pay it? He'll no.. but would others happily?? Definitely

[@geoffwa3]

40 quid off your grandad! you mustn't be one of his favourite grandkids 😂😂😂

[@Passion4plumbing]

Have a feeling the news is something to do with you maybe having a kid 😂😅 am I right or wrong

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

😂😂😂 I have a son already I’m not having another for now 😂

[@robertmcewan9358]

No disrespect, but your workmanship is not worth £200 per hour. Karma there with the £40. You deserved that for ripping off the previous customer. You didn't even do a decent repair of it nevermind the amateurish frame work above the extended door opening. A good joiner wouldn't have done that. We all need to make a living, but you charge way out of your league.

[@ttdowgcarpentry2390]

@@robertmcewan9358 👍 you do realise that clients don’t have to accept my price ? i take it your not in the trade to be saying this ?

[@paulbowes2099]

200 for that $hit hack repair on the stairs wtf like ,i wouldnt have the bottle to charge it

[@marcussullens2573]

Bro. Seriously. Get knee pads

[@maddogpro85]

Don't charge your family just charge them fuel costs at most that is real stingy charging family Disgusting For that act alone I've unsubscribed

[@KylePrentice4x4]

What a Karen😂 family and friends should support your business as much as anyone. I agree maybe not the full cost. But as he is a self employed carpenter, that job has actually cost him £500+ in time😂 plus when he’s working for family he still has to pay fuel, finance on van, insurances etc

[@haydenl6761]

Surely this has to be a piss-take 😂

[@leeconnor9934]

Bet he's gutted. Ya fucking whopper.

[@RBC0405]

​@@KylePrentice4x4bollocks. He earns a packet from views alone, let alone his actual work. How can anyone charge their grandad? Greed is a horrible trait to posses.

[@mattp5518]

​@RBCh0405 hahahhaha packets off views alone. You can't make this shit up. If anything he's probably losing money setting up cameras all day, editing etc. With this little views too... your living in a dream land