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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Electrical Questions >> should I? https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1088924703 Message started by minos26 on Jul 4^th, 2004, 8:05am

Title: should I?
Post by minos26 on Jul 4^th, 2004, 8:05am

Hi, finally found this forum after reading screwfix for a couple of months,
I am currently working 4on/4off as a multiskilled maintenance technician for a pharmacutical company and am fed up working for the yankee dollar !I am thinking about setting up as a maintenance company for factories,comercial,letting agancies etc offering preventative maintenance services, repairs and installations etc. I have 2 questions really:
1, Is pat testing a viable source of supplymentary income for the short term ?
2, Does anybody think this is a good idea as there seems to be a shortage of industrial electricians. You domestic guys dont take offence as I'm just a sparks who made the move into maintenance 10 years ago! ;)cheers for any replies.

Title: Re: should I?
Post by rabbit_rabbit on Jul 4^th, 2004, 8:14am

Commercial PAT testing? Never made a bean out of it a complete waste of time and effort. You will be knocked down to some �1 per item.

'Domestic' PAT testing can be quite lucrative indeed - as in for landlords and/or agencies on rented property. Last time I did any PAT testing (over a year ago and gave it all up) I charged �45 per property. Putting that into perspective a 'property' comprised generally of a fridge, a freezer, a washing machine and maybe a dryer.
And so - �15 per item.

True in commercial work you get a LOT of items on one site. But to get through those items to make a reasonbale income? never, not possible.

Best of Luck by the way I do hope it works out for you.

RR

Title: Re: should I?
Post by Beanzy on Jul 4^th, 2004, 9:59pm

Worth it for rentals etc. for schools / local authority stuff you'll probably need to be NICEIC reg'd to get any decent volume of business.

Title: Re: should I?
Post by Toaster on Jul 4^th, 2004, 11:39pm

PAT testing is just part of the service I provide to various small industrial clients, and although mind numbing it is fairly lucrative. My main business is industrial and commercial maintenance, I have gradually built up a good customer base by offering quick response to breakdowns for reasonable rates and have taken a fair bit of work from the local big boys, try writing a few letters with a brief CV to a few firms

Title: Re: should I?
Post by rabbit_rabbit on Jul 5^th, 2004, 8:37am

Sorry I did not want to sound to negative. But for ANY local authority you WILL have to be NICEIC and the way things are going same applies for many estate agents acting on behalf of landlords.

I assume that you already have all the test kit and related items (including temporary fence for doing commercial work, as daft as it it). If not start adding it all up (costs that is) plus NIC membership and ya have to test a LOT of kit to recover the investment.

Now you other business that is TOTALLY different!

RR