A new study from Ironmongery Direct has found that UK tradespeople lose over £1300 a year due to bad weather, with plumbers the hardest hit – they lose £1723 through seven days of lost work.

IronmongeryDirect surveyed a range of tradespeople about the impact of bad weather on their work and finances and found they are missing 7.2 days a year because of factors like rain, snow and wind.

Plumbers miss slightly fewer days than the overall UK average – just 6.5 per year – but they see the biggest hit to their incomes. With the average plumber charging £265 a day, by missing almost a week of work each year, they lose £1723. 18% miss more than a week of work, and 11% miss more than a fortnight.

Around 6% of plumbers simply can’t afford to miss any work, whatever the weather, while 25% say they will work in any weather. Clients also put pressure on them, with 11% of plumbers saying they are expected to work in any conditions.

Numbers for all tradespeople surveyed

Many tradespeople don’t get paid for days they don’t work, which explains why almost a third (29%) say they can’t afford to pause jobs for bad weather. A fifth all the trades surveyed work in all conditions and say that doing so is just part of the industry.

Sadly, this means many people put their health and safety at risk. Almost one in ten (9%) tradespeople say they have felt ill after working in bad weather; one in 12 (8%) have felt unsafe and one in 16 (6%) have been injured.

Some trades are more likely to be affected by the weather than others. Landscapers suffer the most, with 85% having to stop work when conditions take a turn for the worse. They are followed by builders (84%), surveyors (83%) and bricklayers (83%).

The trades which lose the most money each year because of bad weather are:

1) Plumber – £1,723 (7 days)
2) Electrician – £1,570 (7 days)
3) Builder – £1,548 (7 days)
4) Painter decorator – £1,335 (9 days)
5) Landscaper – £1,213 (10 days)
6) Building surveyor – £1,120 (6 days)
7) Carpenter – £990 (7 days)
8) Bricklayer – £969 (6 days)
9) Plasterer – £765 (5 days)
10) Joiner – £680 (3 days)

Dominick Sandford, MD at IronmongeryDirect, says: “Many tradespeople work outside on a regular basis and in the UK that inevitably means that weather is often an issue. This can be incredibly frustrating, with deadlines, finances and clients all adding pressure, but no-one should put themselves at risk by working in bad conditions.

“If you have to work, make sure you check the forecast before committing to dates and ensure you have the right clothing and equipment to keep yourself safe.”

For more information about the research, including which trades are hit hardest during winter, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/top-tips-for-staying-safe-whilst-working-in-bad-weather