Help! Cost of installing a cobi boiler???

[Derek Stewart]

After a lot of research I plan to get my old boiler replaced with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 35HE Plus which I can get from

for £832 + VAT. I've done quite a bit of water plumbing myself over the years, but as this also involves gas I called a few CORGI registered installers today to get an idea of pricing for them to do it and am currently in a state of shock! Some wouldn't even give me a price as they said they would only install something they supplied (even although the Energy Smart website above simply send you a voucher to get it from The Plumb Centre). One even said the public shouldn't be allowed to buy the boilers as if he doesn't supply it he can't put his own mark-up on it! The general rate that the others quoted that would fit it was over £400 for one days labour (without any materials) and it would be a 2 to 3 day job! Is it just me or does this seem extreme? Some said they have overheads to cover like their van, tools, training courses, memberships to CORGI etc, but they can't be that much. £8000 per month can pay a lot of overheads! Am I going to get quoted these rates by everyone or have I just been unlucky with the ones I've called so far? If anyone knows a good CORGI registered installer around South Manchester please let me know.

[John Rumm]

What is your old heating system like? were you including (for example) stripping out old cylinders and repiping from a stored water system to a combi?

At least he was honest about it! ;-)

Down sarf that would not be unreasonable, don't know about up there.

A 2 to 3 day job sounds like he would be doing more than just commisioning the gas side of it...

Were you asking for them to do the full install, or were you planning on doing all the non gas stuff? (doing the latter will find you even fewer interested plumbers, but the price should go down to half a days work)

Remember, the object of the exercise (for the plumber at least) is to do more than break even after paying for the overheads - they are not a public service. Given the current state of the market (i.e. lots of demand, not much supply) they can pretty much charge whatever the market will stand. You can probably expect the effects of part P to kick in and hike prices a bit more yet.

How about doing it yourself? You should be able to get enough info to do the gas work safely from the various FAQs on this group and a bit of reading.

[Derek Stewart]

Old system is a conventional strorage system with tank in the loft. Job is to move the pipework from the old system to the new combi boiler that I want about 6 feet away (on an external wall) and cap off the unnecessary pipework in the loft.

It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't been so smug sounding at the same time!

I was asking for them to do it all as the actual unskilled water pipe stuff and installing the vent I didn't think would amount to much. I had considered doing all the water pipe work myself as the Worcester boiler comes with a jig you mount on the wall to connect upto before you do the final comissioning stage of fitting the boiler to it, but as you say, I'd be even less popular with the installers out there and may not get many takers!

I can't blame them. If people are going to pay it then good on them. And I don't mind paying good money for a good job, but it just seems so out of sync with all the other public trades.

I'm seriously considering it again...although the wife want's it done this year!!! I wouldn't touch the gas, but could easily plumb in all the water pipes and fit the flue. But to get the discount from the Energy Smart website for the boiler you have to give them all the details of your Corgi registered fitter who they also contact. Buying it as Joe Public adds a few hundred pounds to the price!

[Jonathan Pearson]

SNIP

It was the case a few years ago (and still probably is the case), but your exact situation is (was?) actively encouraged by Wickes in that if you bought a boiler from them, they gave instructions on how to do all the wet work etc, and the final connection to the gas pipe / comissioning/checking was undertook by a CORGI installer, they had a good idea leaflet with a list of local installers who would undetake the work for you - it may be worth your while poping down to you local wickes and see if they still have the leaflet??, and give the ones listed a try - let us know who you get on!

Good luck Jon

[Derek Stewart]

Cheers!! I'll let you know!

Derek

[Andrew Chesters]

Welcome to the world of the cartel! It'll be just like that with wiring before long...

Interesting to me from the POV that I am shortly (ish) to embark on the same sort of project. May just DIMS (Oh God, that acronym will have to change) and bolix to CORGI.

I wonder how long it will be before the building regs have a Part Q; You must be a paid up plumber, or R; You must be a time served painter & decorator?

Has anyone else noticed that the spell check in Firefox wants to change 'regs' to 'dregs'; I wonder why?

[quisquiliae]

In central London I've just had a quote for a new combi -- £3,000 +vat

[Nodge]

I've just paid £2550 to install a new Worcester Bosch 28i Junior (not condensing) plus supply and fit 2 new rads and fit a towel warmer in the bathroom. This replaced the old back boiler and hot tank in the airing cupboard & cold tank in the loft. It also included replacing all the old pipework under the floorboards upstairs. Took 3 guys just under 2 1/2 days. I'm in north west Kent.

Nodge

[Paul Barker]

I'll travel to Manchester or London, give you a fair price, not sel you what you don't need. Check me out on corgi website for contac details. reg no 211400

-- Paul Barker

[Paul Barker]

Although I personally recommend Buderus over Worcester, both now owne by Bosch, Buderus are a real engineers boiler (2 year guarante extendable to 5 years parts and labour for only £95), far superior t Worcester in construction quality and design, with a 25 year prove condensing technowlogy in Holland where over 80% of boilers ar condensing.. I'll still fit your Worcester if you've already bought it they aren't too bad, and a lot better thanm the cheap boilers which I' rather not fit at all, 'cause I don't like going back to show peopl how to press the reset button again and again and again

-- Paul Barker

[Ed Sirett]

I'd set other work to one side for that. And there'd be no vat. Even allow for the parking fines and getting the van towed away/vandalized/broken into it should pay.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Most areas have resident's parking, and allow the purchase of a daily pass for tradesmen, etc. But you must know this? ;-)

[Ed Sirett]

When talking about _central_ London all the rules are rewritten. There are places where there is NO parking whatsoever. The congestion charge. Places where there is very limited parking that is not available to mere mortals etc.etc.

[Paul Barker]

arrange digs where you can park the van, deliver all tools and work mates to job, go back to digs with van and go back to join mates by public transport. The job pays sufficient for hotel accomodation.

I did a job in Hounslow with another guy from Yorkshire, we undercut the locals by £1,000, yet after accomodation, travel and the cost of eating out every night we made more money than we are acustomed to, and the customer got a first rate job done. Only downside was all those aircraft over your head. I understand the locals don't hear them.

You'd have to pay me a lot of money to live and work in London. I don't mind the occasional job down there, but I love the North for quality of life. As far as I'm conscerned for ordinary folk the north south divide is luxury up north, slum living down south.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Oh, indeed. But there are roads in near every town where parking is not allowed at all.

It may be possible to make special arrangements with the council - think things like film units, etc.

Not cheap, but possible. For your 3000 quid one off job. ;-) But a nightmare for the 'jobber' who needs a van to carry tools and materials.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A mate who was having major works done provided a couple of rooms for the out of town builders to sleep in - and gave them a decent evening meal. Said it was well worth it for the savings, and decent workmanship. Certainly worth thinking about if you know of good builders and haven't yet moved in.

[quisquiliae]

Did that when the tree surgeons needed to cart away the remnants of something that that climbed all over the garden wall. (Until thick neighbour burnt garden rubbish too close, set fire to it -- fire engines etc.) Camden's charge was something like £150 a day to suspend a parking bay. (The traffic wardens are based in the old police station 50 yards down the road, so we see rather a lot of them when they change shifts.)

[Paul Barker]

Ouch £150 a day to park. That would pay the hotel bill and publi transport. 'course it's always a bummer that no matter how much an ol hand you are you find a few hours into the job half a dozen thing you've forgotten to bring. Just have to get it black cabbed over suppose?

Oh how lucky we are working and living where we do. I understand mos normal people in central London don't keep a car. You'd have to pay m a lot more than loncoin weighting to prize my independence off me Thank goodness I moved out of the smoke in '97 to the more afluent (fo ordinary folk) north

-- Paul Barker

[Derek Stewart]

Just to let you know I finally found a Corgi plumber through a friend who will do the job for £150 a day. 2 Day job so cost of the boiler + £100 misc materials +£300 labour. Sorted!! Sanity at last.