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The (effective) markup for time/effort/etc is fine but many tradespeople will double dip and do all their procurement during time they're charging out a day rate.
I also suspect a lot of tradespeople have lost sight of just how expensive they are. I don't know what drives the lack of perspective but I hear a lot of chat along the lines of 'I'm cheap at £350 /day', whereas UK average PAYE is less than half that, with none of the 'tax efficiency' available to contractors.
Dramatic_Hammer
I get discounts from my suppliers as I have been loyal to them for a long time (and therefore give them a small but reliable amount of sales).
I do not pass that savings on to my customers, i charge them the standard rate for my supplies.
I take that as profit and therefore pay slightly more tax on it.
I am an intermediary in the supply chain and want to get a slight payment for my time and effort.
It has taken time, money and energy as a skilled professional to get to the point where i am paid for my work, and for the years graft where i did not.
I do not go into Sainsbury's and demand that i pay them the same for a tin of beans as they pay their suppliers, and I expect that most DIY heroes don't either, although i would enjoy seeing them try.
I'm also aware that many tradesmen will use this mechanism to unjustifiably add cash to their mattress; but the practice is not set up to "rip off customers".
It's how you run a business and earn a living, and pay the wages of those who work for you.