Pricing

[danny7299]

eh up!!

This is something i struggle with, i eventually want to be self employed !!! so its something i have to get better at.

I am just curious, is it as simple as materials + labor ?

do you add on a % onto the materials???

do you add a bit more on for any "problems" ?

i have tried to talk to my boss about pricing up, even about letting me do some... but it went down like the FTSE sock market!

Cheers

 

[dan.]

no one likes pricing up bud.your either too cheap or to dear.

all i do work out how long i reckon it will take times that by the day rate im happy with and add that to materials. if you think its a bitch of a job add a little more to cover the extra work.depends on how much you want/need the job as how keen the price is.you have to have limits and usually end up losing slightly in the first few jobs.

 

[Pyro]

Ey-up, Danny. Are you also a Northern Man?

There are whole lot of points to consider on every job.

Taking a brief look at a domestic, the time for pure electrical work may be "x" days, but are you also having to.......

move client's furniture,

make-good any decorations,

replace special flooring,

do a clinical-quality clean-up as you work,

lift chipboard sheet flooring to then find floorboards underneath,

work with laminate flooring,

cope with pets, or kids, or customers who shoulder-surf or ratchet-jaw all day,

rely on other trades to complete their jobs,

limited on working hours in a tower block,

go out every 4 hours to move the van to a new parking meter,

and so on, and on, and on.....

All these and many more time-suckers will turn "x" days of pure sparking into a much longer mission.

Then there's the "hassle factor" (as noted by Dan) which I look on as being related to the work itself.

Then there's the a##*@le factor which relates to directly to the client. Some clients are great and a real pleasure to work for.... others simply grate and need to be charged accordingly!

Pyro.

 

[dan.]

if you go round and they seem a **** then up the price accordingly if ya get it great if ya dont dont worry would have been hard work anyway.

 

[Pyro]

Danny, here's a good head-scratcher of a thread for a combination of options and potential hassles that have good "time vacuum" potential:

http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1650

Cheers,

The copper-sheathed cable.

 

[danny7299]

cheers lads... all replies are top notch!

i guess it all comes down to practice.. to low , and you know after a few jobs working for nothing to up it, and too high and you will lose the job...

i guess its just time and learning!! :S

 

[extension15]

eh up!! I am just curious, is it as simple as materials + labor ?

do you add on a % onto the materials???

do you add a bit more on for any "problems" ?

IT comes down to experince and YOUR needs, plus consideration (realistic) how long you expect to take, to finish the job in hand.

Material costs depends on the job, Garden/Shed jobs with SWA, weatherproof fittings etc..can be very expensive and time consuming.

These jobs I've lost out on many times..

As for initial labour costs, start out at

 

[danny7299]

cheers!! i will do that then ...start at

 

[extension15]

cheers!! i will do that then ...start at

 

[Apache]

cheers!! i will do that then ...start at

 

[extension15]

My current day rate is a miserly

 

[steptoe]

I recently went with my manager to price a job up,

told him after he had got a materials and labour (2men 2weeks) done to add 2 grand on,

he looked at me like I was a pillock(sometimes I am!)

(firm is a building contractors starting in electrical after subbies.)

the guy in house was a total A**H*LE.

was telling me about different certs etc, and how he didnt want radial here but wanted radial there,

if he knew so much why didnt he do it himself?!

full of furniture too.

I NEVER EVER PRICE RE-WIRES, give a basic for 3 sockets if house is empty, but not if lived in, hate them with a passion,

 

[steptoe]

8 hours @

 

[kme]

you can talk......

 

[Apache]

you can talk......

 

[extension15]

I could have become a doctor, or a solicitor if I wanted to be rich

Everybody lives up to their means, regardless of profession..

 

[steptoe]

pah it's

 

[Apache]

I don't mean to be abrupt steps but it ****es me off when people assume I'm rich because I'm a vet. Our mortage take nearly half our take home earnings. Most people think tradesmen are raking it in

 

[steptoe]

I don't mean to be abrupt steps but it ****es me off when people assume I'm rich because I'm a vet. Our mortage take nearly half our take home earnings. Most people think tradesmen are raking it in

buy a semi like everyone else,

I dont have becks as my neighbour,

WOULDNT ****ING WANT HIM ANYWAY!!!!

chill Apache,

Im not bothered you got an educatuion and make

 

[Apache]

You make me laugh.