coving prices

**johnk** · 14-03-2009, 05:24 PM

Apologies if i posted in the wrong forum but does anyone know what the going rate is per linear metre for fitting 4" gyproc coving? thanx in advance.

**TonyM** · 14-03-2009, 08:41 PM

New work, clear house, fully coved, £3.25 is a fair price.

**amestaper** · 07-04-2009, 06:41 AM

According to a QS I know. On your own job with no middlemen between you and the customer, expect to charge between £9 and £11 per metre for labour and materials. Sorry I am 3 weeks late in replying.

**TonyM** · 07-04-2009, 05:27 PM

Your QS is way off. Would you charge £200 to cove an average lounge?

**amestaper** · 07-04-2009, 05:56 PM

Like I said Tony, these are his prices, not mine and this is the going rate for the Edinburgh area. That's what he allows for on a bill of quantities and he is always busy.

**TonyM** · 07-04-2009, 06:09 PM

I'll be up shortly.

**TonyM** · 07-04-2009, 06:18 PM

I remember back in the 80's when I was painting, me and my mate had a Builders Bible, and we used to take the prices out of there, halve them, and still be too expensive.
I did a coving job last year on a new site for a major housebuilder. The customer wanted coving as an extra as the housebuilders had stopped fitting it as part of the build, to cut costs. I went in and put up 200 metres of 127mm cove and charged the drylining contractor £3.00 a metre supply & fix and it took a day and couple hours. The electricians had got hold of the "Extras" list from the site agent for the details of some additional electrical requirements, and on it was a costing for the coving to the customer - £1600!!!!!!!!!
Robbing bastards!

**amestaper** · 07-04-2009, 09:12 PM

Yeah I know mate, and I wasn't telling fibs about those prices. At £8 a metre it's one helluva markup.

You want to see what the going rate is for taping, it opened my eyes.... then made them water. I'm trying to stay away from the new builds and major housebuilders for a while. I did a job in January for what was already a crap price, they now have another phase of 20 houses to be built 4 or 5 at a time and asked all the trades to take a further 20% cut in prices. You have to buy your work from these guys now.

**TonyM** · 07-04-2009, 09:33 PM

I haven't done big sites for a year or so now. I'm working for small developers and general builders. Had 3 calls yesterday for work, a small barn conversion, 2 houses, and a property to just cove. Quoted my normal rates over the phone and got 3 ok's. The builders know that they can get it done cheaper, but they still use me.

**bdcbv** · 08-04-2009, 12:21 PM

Our boss estimated just over the £7 mark for a 10 box coving job last autumn and got it.
@Tony. Regarding the extras list the sparks managed to get hold of. Any lists I have been given always have pieces torn from it or is a heavily edited photocopy. Fair play to the electricians for sharing the info but staff morale must have crashed on site after word got around?

**TonyM** · 08-04-2009, 06:20 PM

I'm too cheap then!

**the_tapeinator** · 11-04-2009, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by TonyM

I'm too cheap then!

Cheap but busy is far better than broke and unemployed.

**wiimo** · 12-04-2009, 02:32 PM

A local company took £150 to fit a 5 inch cornice around a 5X4 room. About £8.33 a metre and happy with price.

It was cheaper than some other quotes I got.

**belmoreboy** · 07-05-2009, 01:25 PM

Tony M

Your price is about right around south and south east bordering on london you can get £3.50 - £4.00
East Anglia same as Tony £3.25 maybe push £3.50

Think i need to move to Scotland and cove all day long !!!! Id be a millionaire in no time!!

**DMC** · 22-05-2010, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by amestaper

Like I said Tony, these are his prices, not mine and this is the going rate for the Edinburgh area. That's what he allows for on a bill of quantities and he is always busy.

I'm on my way through

**Brian S** · 23-05-2010, 06:43 PM

Slightly off topic, but still on pricing, I found out a few years ago about an extra that was done on a new build, Bearing in mind the Metal Stud was already erected.
In a 1.5 metre long wall, board and form an 900mm semi circular Arch and tape and joint.

Boarder was paid £12.00 extra to form the arch, Taper £10 extra to tape it.
The Drywall contractor was paid £200 plus. Nice work if you can get away with it.

**crack filler** · 23-05-2010, 08:25 PM

Brian S this is standard pricing but nobody tells the taper or boarder they can invoice for it mostly put down to swings and roundabouts sneaky gits, as for coving the big house builders use to charge a £100 pound a room whether it was a lounge or downstairs cloakroom.