The important thing to consider here is the results. Above all else, you are paying to have your glass restored to its orignal intended condition.
We don’t say this to sneakily increase the charges for our members, we say it because it is true and that very often a contract becomes a matter of cost and not about the results.
The industry standard charge rate for a glass polisher is;
- £440 per man day – within the M25
- £395 per man day – outside the M25
Firstly, you should be asking for a fixed cost estimate. The total cost for the repairs. Agreeing to a day rate means very little if this does not relate to a fixed cost.
There are companies out there who quote lower day rates to secure contracts, but extend their time on site and charge accordingly. This often results in you paying more.
If a company tells you that a fixed quote is not possible, it usually means that they do not have the experience or they cannot be bothered to assess your project properly. When is a fixed quote not viable? – Only on ‘blind contracts’ when a proper site assessment is not possible. This means that you are paying for time onsite only.
Additional costs – this is another good reason to ask for a fixed cost of repair. Some companies will offer you a low day rate and then charge ‘extras’ such a mileage, parking, congestion charges, accomodation expenses, etc. The problem is that you never know what these additonal charges will be until you recieve the final invoice, by which time it is too late.
But this is the key factor. What can be repaired in a day? Glass polishers charge for the amount of time they spend onsite. Most companies offering glass polishing services currently quote between 25 and 35 sheets of A4 per day. This relates to the size or area of glass repaired by each man in a day, around 2 square meters.
If a glass polisher is quoting £350 for a man day to achevie 25 sheets of A4 and you have an area of 50 sheets of A4 – they will be onsite for 2 man days = £700
A Guild Qualified Glass Polisher should be able to repair around 3 square meters or around 50 sheets of A4 in a typical man day. Some of our more experienced polishers have been known to complete upto 100 sheets of A4 in one day.
A Guild Qualified Glass Polisher will repair the same 50 sheets of A4 in 1 man day = £440.
Note: This is not an exact rate as glass type, situation and ‘FA time‘ (moving tools and laying protection between units to be repaired) varies on each contract.
Justified additional charges – Charges for specialist equipment such as Elevated Working Platforms, access towers and specialist protection are a justifiable additional costs. The same applies for specialist insurance cover such as Airside or Trackside insurance.
So when approaching a glass polisher about your scratched glass repair, ask them what size area they can complete in one day, what their day rate is and ask for a fixed cost estimate for the total contract.
If you are in any doubt, call us and we will do our best to assist you.
