They want Saturday because they work. You also work. Saturday is not leftover time. If your Monday–Friday rate already assumes five days, a sixth is overtime you never wrote down.
A simple split
| When | Typical approach |
|---|---|
| Mon–Fri daytime | Standard rate / job price |
| Saturday | 1.25–1.5× or Saturday minimum |
| Sunday / bank holiday | 1.5–2×, or do not offer |
| You always work Saturdays | Then Saturday is standard — do not fake a premium |
Worked: weekday job £480 labour. Saturday at 1.5× is £720 labour, same hours. Tell them before they “book Saturday” in the chat as if it were Tuesday.
I can do Tuesday at the quoted £480 labour, or Saturday at £720 labour (weekend rate). Materials unchanged. Which day do you want?
What people miss
The same PDF for Saturday and Tuesday. You will do Saturday for Tuesday money. Change the date, change the figure.
Bank holiday “because everyone else is off.” That is the point. Premium or closed.
Sliding into Sunday to finish, weekday rate. If the overrun is yours, swallow it. If they added work, it is Sunday money.
Advertising 7-day availability with a 5-day rate. Then you priced a shop you do not run.
Related guides
FAQ
- School-run only Saturdays?
- If Saturday is when you work, treat it as a normal day. Premium is for days you would not otherwise sell.
- They can only do weekends.
- Then they buy the weekend rate. Their job is not your problem to subsidise.
- Materials on a Sunday?
- Usually the same markup. The premium is your time, unless the merchant is emergency prices.
- Half day Saturday?
- Minimum still applies. A “quick Saturday pop-in” is a Saturday call-out.
