Hiring a builder
Builder Day Rate: What UK Builders Charge per Day and Hour
A builder's day rate is the price of a working day on your job, and on its own it tells you little until you know who will be on site and what it leaves out. Here are the day rates for builders and the trades around them, the hourly rates, how a self-employed builder compares with a building company, and what a day-rate quote should state.
Builder day rates by trade
A builder typically charges around £400 a day on the figures in Checkatrade’s builder day rate guide, and its table sets four other trades alongside the builder.
| Trade | Day rate |
|---|---|
| Builder | £400 |
| Bricklayer | £240 to £320 |
| Labourer | £112 to £280 |
| Scaffolder | £280 to £320 |
| Roofer | £280 to £360 |
Rates are often higher in London and the South East, Checkatrade says. A builder usually carries out skilled construction work and may manage parts of the project, while a labourer does manual tasks such as moving materials and clearing areas, according to the same guide.
Day rates on a house renovation
The labour table in Checkatrade’s house renovation cost guide puts a general builder at £200 to £250 a day, £225 on average. Checkatrade’s builder day rate guide puts a builder at around £400 a day, the figure it also gives for a building company.
The renovation guide’s table gives a labourer £150 to £180 a day and a roofer £200 to £250, alongside day rates for the other trades on a house renovation, such as plumbers, electricians and plasterers.
Builder hourly rates
More experienced builders on demanding projects charge around £50 an hour, and a self-employed builder around £40 an hour, on Checkatrade’s figures. Checkatrade’s double storey extension cost guide puts a plumber at £50 an hour on average and an electrician at around £50 an hour, level with an experienced builder.
Day rate, hourly rate or fixed price
Builders may charge by the day, by the hour, which is normally for smaller jobs, or with a fixed project quote, Checkatrade says. Larger projects are usually quoted as a full job, since the quote may need to include materials, several trades, waste removal, structural work and building regulations.
Ask whether the job will be charged daily, hourly or at a fixed price, how many people will be on site, and whether materials, waste removal, scaffolding or other trades are included or needed, Checkatrade advises.
Asking a builder about their rate
Do this
Will you charge a day rate, an hourly rate or a fixed price for this job, how many of you will be on site, and are materials, waste removal and scaffolding included?
Not this
What's your day rate?
Self-employed builder or building company
Checkatrade’s builder day rate guide compares hiring a self-employed builder with hiring a building company.
| On Checkatrade’s figures | Self-employed builder | Building company |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | Around £40 an hour | Around £400 a day |
| Best suited to | Smaller jobs, repairs and straightforward projects | Larger projects, renovations and jobs needing several trades |
| What to check | Insurance, availability, what is included and whether extra trades are needed | Project management, the payment schedule, who will be on site and exclusions |
A building company’s rate might include project management, admin support, insurance, equipment and a wider team, the same guide says, and a lower hourly rate is not automatically the cheapest overall.
Among the Nottingham building companies we rank, Buon Construction in St Ann’s renovates single rooms and whole houses with one in-house team and gives fixed-price quotes, and Constructive Choice in Sneinton offers project management.
What changes a builder’s day rate
Experience, the complexity of the job, location, team size, access, specialist work and the type of business all affect what a builder charges, Checkatrade says. Structural or heritage work costs more than repairs, and roofing, scaffolding, brickwork and structural changes count as specialist work.
Work affecting walls, roofs, foundations, drainage, openings or load-bearing areas is usually better done by an experienced builder than as DIY, the same guide says, since mistakes can cause problems with safety, insurance or the paperwork when you come to sell.
Costs on top of a builder’s day rate
Checkatrade lists the other costs to budget for as materials, waste removal, scaffolding hire, extra labourers, specialist trades, professional fees for drawings or structural calculations, building control fees, parking or access, and tool or equipment hire. Ask for itemised written quotes, it advises, so each cost is priced on its own line.
Every extra person on site adds a day rate of their own.
One day with a builder, a bricklayer and a labourer
| Builder | £400 |
|---|---|
| Bricklayer | £240 to £320 |
| Labourer | £112 to £280 |
Total £752 to £1,000
Day rates on Checkatrade's figures, all from its builder day rate guide. Leaves out materials, waste removal, scaffolding hire, any other trades and VAT if applicable.
Deposits and payment terms
The deposit amount should be specified in the quote or written contract, Checkatrade says, and you should be extra cautious of paying anything over 10% of the project value.
Never pay a builder's deposit in cash
Checkatrade warns that cash payments are untraceable, so if the job goes wrong there is no payment trail to show what you handed over.
What a day-rate quote should show
A written quote should show the labour rate and the estimated number of days alongside every cost around them, Checkatrade says, and everything, including payment terms, should be in writing before work starts.
What a day-rate quote should state
- The labour rate and the estimated number of days
- The materials
- Waste removal
- Access equipment, such as scaffolding
- Any extra trades
- VAT, if applicable
- The start date, timescale and payment schedule
- Exclusions
Describe the work clearly and get at least three quotes before you choose a builder, Checkatrade advises.
Common questions
How much does a builder charge per day?
A builder typically charges around £400 a day in Checkatrade's builder day rate guide, and rates are often higher in London and the South East. The labour table in Checkatrade's house renovation cost guide puts a general builder at £200 to £250 a day, £225 on average.
What is a builder's hourly rate in the UK?
Around £50 an hour for a more experienced builder on a demanding project, and around £40 an hour for a self-employed builder, on Checkatrade's figures. Checkatrade says charging by the hour is normally for smaller jobs.
How much does a bricklayer charge per day?
A bricklayer charges £240 to £320 a day in Checkatrade's builder day rate guide. On the same guide's figures, a builder, a bricklayer and a labourer on site together cost £752 to £1,000 for one day, before materials, waste removal and scaffolding hire.
How much does a labourer cost per day?
A labourer costs £112 to £280 a day in Checkatrade's builder day rate guide. Checkatrade's house renovation cost guide puts a labourer at £150 to £180 a day, £165 on average. A labourer does manual tasks such as moving materials and clearing areas, while a builder carries out the skilled construction work.
Do builders charge by the day or by the job?
Both, and some charge by the hour. Checkatrade says builders may charge by the day, by the hour, normally for smaller jobs, or with a fixed project quote. Larger projects are usually quoted as a full job, since the quote may need to include materials, several trades, waste removal, structural work and building regulations.
Is a self-employed builder cheaper than a building company?
Not automatically. A self-employed builder charges around £40 an hour and a building company around £400 a day on Checkatrade's figures, but Checkatrade says a lower hourly rate is not automatically the cheapest overall. A building company's rate might include project management, admin support, insurance, equipment and a wider team.
What should a builder's quote include?
The labour rate, the estimated number of days, materials, waste removal, access equipment, extra trades, VAT if applicable, the start date and timescale, the payment schedule and exclusions, Checkatrade says. Get everything in writing, including payment terms, before work starts.
Where the figures come from
- Checkatrade, builder day rate read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, house renovation cost read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, double storey extension cost read 2026-09-17
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