Time is money: Congestion between jobs could cost UK tradespeople up to £5,045 each year
Posted by: electime 23rd February 2024
Zego’s data found that the average tradesperson in the UK travels 65.91 minutes every working day, meaning it could cost up to £5,045 annually in their time.
For those who travel long distances between jobs, that cost could be much higher. This is particularly important when considering that many tradespeople don’t receive payment for their time until they have got to and completed the job.
A carpenter’s time is the most expensive, potentially losing over £6,221 in travel
Zego discovered, via a poll, that the average distance travelled by tradespeople is 66 minutes each day, taking into account traffic and other factors. According to this data on the time spent travelling compared to the average salary, a carpenter’s time is the most costly. Travelling between jobs could cost a carpenter up to a staggering £6,221 every year – proving time is money on the busy roads.
Carpenters, incidentally, are also the second most in-demand trade of the 10 Zego analysed, with them, and joiners, experiencing unprecedented demand.
Plumbers round up the second spot, with their average travelling distance for jobs potentially costing them up to £5,821 a year. It’s reported that the UK needs up to 72,000 new plumbers by 2032, meaning travelling time could increase as the demand for jobs continues. On the dates analysed, there were 2,093 plumber jobs solely on Indeed, indicating that the demand is growing.
Electricians have the third most valuable time when looking at travel distance and average salary, with commuting for them valued up to £5,812.
Of the 10 trade jobs analysed, window cleaners ‘lose’ the least when it comes to travelling for jobs. However, that cost is still a huge £3,287 each year.
Just 10 minutes of traffic each day costs UK van drivers £765 annually
Zego’s study found that in the UK, carpenters are the worst off, with the tradies potentially missing out on £944 by sitting in their van waiting to move between jobs. Similarly, 10 minutes of additional traffic could cost plumbers up to £883 and electricians up to £882.
