A new data survey by building work pricing site HaMuch.com has revealed the stark differences between the southeast and the rest of the UK when it comes to the cost of building work. The divide appears to be drawn at Watford Gap, with the Midlands offering best value, whilst Surrey and London have the most expensive tradesmen.
The spread of prices for common household jobs across the recently-launched website’s 12,000 tradesmen ranged from £10-per-hour to an incredible £250-per-hour, with builders in Surrey charging as much as 25-times more than their counterparts in Nottingham. Plumbers in Surrey also charged an eye-watering 20-times more than those in Caerphilly. Meanwhile, hiring an electrician in London could cost you £250-per-hour, compared with a bargain basement £10-per-hour in Birmingham.
The startling prices were uncovered by the data processing team for HaMuch as part of their efforts to ensure that homeowners know the cost of jobs up-front. The website lists a labour cost for each tradesperson listed on the service and allows homeowners to search trades in their area by cost, so that no one busts their budget building an extension to having a boiler serviced.
“We knew there was a wide disparity in charges between the southeast and the rest of the UK, but we were shocked just how wide that was,” says HaMuch founder Tarquin Purdie. “The prices show that the market can take a lot in the southeast, whereas rates in parts of the Midlands and north may not have increased for several years. It is certainly something that will make the industry and even government ministers sit up and pay attention.
“We are committed to making sure homeowners and renters alike know the cost of a job before they even approach a plumber or a painter. Not all builders and trades will like it, but we think that the best are only too happy to be honest and up-front on costs.”
The most inexpensive painter and decorator and carpenter both charged £10-per-hour and were in Nuneaton and Doncaster respectively. The most costly were in Brighton and Islington, at £150 and £100.
The full breakdown of low and high prices is as follows:
- Building work: Cheapest, £10-per-hour in Nottingham, East Midlands. Most costly, £250-per-hour in Camberley, Surrey.
- Electricians: Cheapest, £10-per-hour in Birmingham, West Midlands. Most costly, £250 in Edgware, London.
- Plumbing: Cheapest, £10-per-hour in Blackwood, Caerphilly. Most costly, £200-per-hour in Addlestone, Surrey.
- Painting and decorating: Cheapest, £10-per-hour in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Most costly, £150-per-hour in Brighton, East Sussex.
- Carpenters: Cheapest, £10-per-hour in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Most costly, £100 in Islington, London.
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