Diving into a new self-build home project is an exciting concept. From the foundational work to choosing carpets and lampshades that match the furniture, you can transform your new interior space into your dream home. There are many advantages to building your own home, the main one being that you can tailor it to match your specific lifestyle needs. From a financial standpoint, self-builds are also a great project that, in the long run, can draw in a large income too – many self-build projects can make a 25 per cent return in profits.
However, it’s no secret that they can be expensive, and depending on which area of the UK you’re planning to start building, the costs associated with the labour required can vary. With this said, using search data collected on the average cost to hire different tradesmen in different regions of the UK, we discuss the most affordable places to hire tradesmen.
Cost of hiring a builder
Northern Ireland is home to the most affordable builders in the UK, averaging at £131 per day. This is followed by Wales, where the average daily rate for hiring a builder is £178.
Tied third place as the region with the most affordable builders is the North West of England and the Midlands, both with an average daily rate of £194. Finally, West Midlands takes the fifth position for most affordable private builder hire, standing at £198 per day on average.
On the other hand, which regions are the most expensive when it comes to private builder hire? The South East takes the top position for this, averaging at £220 per day, followed by the East of England, where you can expect to pay a daily rate of £218. Scotland takes third place, averaging at a daily rate of £216 to hire a builder.
Taking fourth and fifth position for the regions in the UK with the highest daily rate for a builder, London and the South West region charge around £215 and £211 per day.
Ranking regions from least to most expensive builders
| Region | Average Daily Rate |
| Northern Ireland | £131 |
| Wales | £178 |
| North West | £194 |
| East Midlands | £194 |
| West Midlands | £198 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £199 |
| North East | £205 |
| South West | £211 |
| London | £215 |
| Scotland | £216 |
| East of England | £218 |
| South East | £220 |
Cost of hiring a plumber
If you’re looking to hire a plumber to help with your self-build project, data reveals that your location will definitely affect your budget.
Once again, Northern Ireland takes the top spot for the most affordable tradesmen, with an average daily rate of £200 for a plumber. In second place, plumbers in Yorkshire and the Humber will charge an average daily rate of £221, followed by plumbers in North West region, who charge £229 per day, making these the second and third most affordable regions for private plumber hire.
For those in the East Midlands region, you’ll be pleased to know that this is the fourth most affordable region for private plumbing hire, averaging at £232 per day. As for those in West Midlands, you can expect to pay £244 for this service.
Wales has the most expensive daily rate with an average of £357. This is followed by London, where you can expect to pay an average of £279 per day for a plumber. Moving on to the South West region, this area charges the third most expensive daily rate for a plumber, averaging at £268.
As for the fourth most expensive daily rate for a plumber, you can expect to pay an average of £263 in East England. Finally, the fifth most expensive place to hire a plumber is the South East, where a daily budget of £261 is expected for this work.
Ranking regions from least to most expensive plumbers
| Region | Average Daily Rate |
| Northern Ireland | £200 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £221 |
| North West | £229 |
| East Midlands | £232 |
| West Midlands | £244 |
| North East | £245 |
| Scotland | £259 |
| South East | £261 |
| East of England | £263 |
| South West | £268 |
| London | £279 |
| Wales | £357 |
Cost of hiring an electrician
Taking the top position for the most affordable place to hire an electrician is, once again, Northern Ireland, where you can expect to pay a daily rate of £162 on average. The second most affordable place to hire a plumber is in the East Midlands, with a daily rate of £210 on average.
They are closely followed by a daily rate of £214 in the North East, £215 in North West, and £219 in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Alternatively, those situated in London, Scotland, and the South East can expect to pay the three highest average daily rates for an electrician, with it costing £266 in London, £251 in Scotland, and £245 in the South East per day.
In the East England region of the UK, electricians cost £242 per day on average, making this the fourth most expensive place to hire an electrician, followed by the South West region, where you can expect to pay £234 on average per day.
Ranking regions from least to most expensive electricians
| Region | Average Daily Rate |
| Northern Ireland | £162 |
| East Midlands | £210 |
| North East | £214 |
| North West | £215 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £219 |
| West Midlands | £219 |
| Wales | £223 |
| South West | £234 |
| East of England | £242 |
| South East | £245 |
| Scotland | £251 |
| London | £266 |
Now that we have uncovered the most affordable and the most expensive places in the UK to hire tradesmen, where will your next self-build be? Of course, the financial aspect shouldn’t be the ultimate decider when choosing the perfect destination to start a new self-build project. However, it is definitely something to take note of! Plus, there are many ways you can look at reducing costs in other aspects of your project, such as affordable skip hire and looking for the most affordable resources and materials to use.