How to Price Guttering (Labour Only): Copper Vs PVC

I was pricing a little extension and came across a naughty little copper guttering specification on a fancy house in Foxton beach. So, I thought I might run the numbers on a comparison between PVC and Copper guttering.

When pricing guttering for supply and installation by the lineal meter , here is a simple breakdown to help you get started.

We’ll use a three-bedroom house as an example, with an estimated circumference of 60 lineal meters of guttering.

Material Costs

Guttering (PVC) : Trade cost: $17.58 per lineal meter . [ 5.4m Lengths usually ]

Clips: $3.49 each . For 60 meters , you’ll need approximately 100 clips , which totals $349 .

Downpipes : Each set includes a dropper, downpipe, and clips, costing $23.45 per set . Multiply this by 4 sets , giving a total of $125 .

Miscellaneous Fixings : Includes items like screws, marleys glue and additional accessories, averaging $150 .

Total Material Budget : $1,784.50

Labor Costs

Average installation time: 1.5 days (27 hours) . Now yes you heroes might do it in a day but we are imaging if you were sending employees out to do a day, need to build in that fat.

Hourly labor rates: Lead plumber: $85-$90/hour .

Apprentice: $30-$35/hour .

For simplicity, using an average rate of $75/hour , the total labor cost is: 27 hours x $75/hour = $2,025 .

Total Cost

Adding materials and labor gives a total of: $3,809 + GST .

Dividing this by 60 lineal meters results in a per-meter rate of: $63.49 per lineal meter .

Including vehicle charges and rubbish removal, round this up to $70 per lineal meter .

Copper Guttering Option

If you’re considering premium materials like copper , you can double the material cost but keep labor costs the same. Or add an additional %10 on perhaps.

Want the full breakdown? Drop your email in the comments , and we’ll send it through!

Cheers guys,

David RAPIDQS