“I Can’t Charge That” — The Pricing Mindset Keeping Tradesmen Stuck In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle one of the biggest pricing problems in the trade industry: “I can’t charge that.” After seeing comments from tradesmen claiming you cannot charge more than a certain day rate or hourly rate in their area, Wayne and Andy break down why this mindset is holding so many plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, gas engineers, joiners, builders and trade business owners back. The truth is, most tradesmen are not pricing based on their actual business costs, profit targets, overheads, time, risk or value. They are pricing based on what other accidental business owners are charging. Wayne and Andy explain why £60–£80 per hour might feel normal in the trade industry, but often leaves no real profit once you factor in fuel, vans, admin, tools, insurance, tax, holidays, downtime, quoting time and the cost of actually running a business. Inside this episode, we cover: Why “I can’t charge that” is often a business owner problem Why copying local competitors is dangerous Why most trade pricing is built by accidental business owners How to reverse-engineer your hourly rate properly Why profit must be built into your pricing The difference between price and value Why some businesses can charge £150+ VAT per hour Why customers pay more when the value is clear How reviews help justify premium pricing Why Review Lion helps build trust across multiple platforms Why branding, websites, workwear and van presentation matter Why customer experience wraps around the job itself Why your current customers might not be your future customers How marketing helps you attract better-paying customers Why cheap customers often keep you trapped Why different trades need different pricing models Why knowing your numbers is non-negotiable This episode is perfect for UK tradesmen who know they need to put their prices up but keep talking themselves out of it. Whether you are a heating engineer, plumber, electrician, builder, carpenter, joiner or trade business owner, this episode will challenge how you think about pricing, value, positioning and profit. Because the issue is not always that customers will not pay more. Sometimes the issue is that your business is not positioned, branded, reviewed, marketed or systemised well enough to justify charging more yet. You cannot just wake up tomorrow and charge premium prices. You have to build a business that delivers premium value. Better systems, better reviews, better communication, better branding, better marketing and a better customer experience all give you the confidence and proof to charge what the business actually needs. If you keep pricing like everyone else, you will stay stuck like everyone else. Key Takeaway You cannot just wake up tomorrow and charge premium prices. You have to build a business that delivers premium value. Better systems, better reviews, better communication, better branding, better marketing and a better customer experience all give you the confidence and proof to charge what the business actually needs. If you keep pricing like everyone else, you will stay stuck like everyone else.
