When billing by the hour....

Right now most of my jobs are billed by the hour. I charge for the time I'm there plus a service charge of $82 to cover travel if it's local. I'm starting to think that's not enough. DO you charge for travel? Both ways? Truck loading time and material pickup time?>>>

One point I meant to make- I think that I could justify charging a lot more when I look at the amount I pay every year for insurance. Liability, Work comp, trucks, health, disability and more. It's got to be approaching 100K! :angry: I'm not going to look right now. Ouch.

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$250 minimum, then $65. an hour.

Though I went to just look at one, online lead, and the client knew my fees. I had to caulk a nail in a cap, in a valley where I set the ladder. I charged only $80.00>>>

I have been working on this myself for a while. What to charge? I am aiming for $250 minimum for 1 hour and $85 per hour after that plus materials. The problem I have is that I have a hard time getting myself to charge so much when I am looking at a repair like a bead of caulk on a storm collar, or a single tab missing or a wad of leaves plugging a downspout. On the real easy things I will usually give them a $75 or $125 service charge. I find that being flexible is a good way to deal with some of these things. If I charge $250 for a 10 minute job they will pay it, but they are usually not going to call you back if they think you are taking advantage. Good will = good referals. Most repairs I quote on the spot and expect to get the job. Last year we did over 250 repairs. They averaged $400 apiece. That's the best I have ever done on repairs but I plan to top it this year.>>>

On a job taking about the same labor as elcid's plumber, I would be at a starting point of $208 (service charge, 2hr labor). But I would be looking to get the total up just under $300., people are relieved when you're under that point on small repairs, I'd shoot for around $290. If I throw something away,$10 disposal, if I even look at my caulking gun, you've bought a $12 tube, a couple tiles from my boneyard and you're there. If I string three of them together for a day, I've made enough to survive and I'm done early.>>>

You can try charging port to port ( your shop is the port) and use map quest as your documentation. Let the customer know how you are billing and they can check for themselves. If the trip will be 22 minites, then your return trip will total 44 min. multiply that to your billing rate. When you get to the job site begin your clock. The customer will know how long you are on the job anyways because they are tracking as well. It keeps your business honest even though they do not agree with your rate.

When I was called out for leaks, we would bill $97.50 and hr. If I could not solve the problem, we would then tarp the roof...charge for materials and collect a check for the call. We would them follow up with a bid @ $79.50 an hr + materials for a permanent fix if the customer agrees to have you do a bid. Write the bid up in the truck while your on the clock, that way your bid will not be done in vain.>>>

Had a plumber do some work for me today which took him less than 1-1/2 hrs(1 man) to complete. His charge was $346 plus $69 travel time, and he had the gall to tell me it was the standard price charged by the statewide association of plumbers.All he did was open up the water serving the house and light the hw boiler. IMHO that is tantamount to price fixing, and I let him know it, by citing the case whereby,local contractor association tried to establish a standard warranty , but we were warned not to standardize any thing by the feds, cause it would be interpreted as a conspiracy.>>>

What Mac said with a lower minimum. As far as the charge its roughly $200 an hour plus materials! Thats for all time involved including travel, shopping, standing in line at home depot, crawling through the attic, standing around chit chatting with the h/o or whatever! Money back guarantee! One year warranty! Sometimes i pass a job if theres too much liability in it! Or if its 4 stories on a 12/12 pitch up near the ridge above the concrete driveway i've been known to pass as well! lol>>>

we do not give free repair estimates, we go out under the auspices that we are going to enact the repair. With one caveat though, we have a minimum repair price of $350, if, for instance if the repair wd exceed that price, that is in essence when they wd get a free quote. For example, Mrs Smith it will cost u $800, what wd u like to do? IF the repair is doable for $350 (most are) then they are obligated.

Mac>>>

Johnny, that's about where I am on price ($63 per hour) plus about half of what I'm doing now is cleanings where I charge another $6 per hour for the machine. The hourly rate doesn't have to cover an office staff or sales commisions, so I think it's fair. Most hourly work I do that is bid has a price range and not an exact price.>>>

Repairs make up a lot of my calls lately. I am usually succesful at fixing problems first time around and I charge as much as I think the market will bear. $65.00/hr I charge about 1 hour travel locally, My material mark up is 30% (approx so I dont always charge for time picking up materials) My biggest problem is "estimating" repairs. I try to explain that I do not always know what I will find. I tell people I did not roof this, whoever did was not following industry standards, so it is difficult to project exactly what I will come across. When I look at similar posts on these forums I think I undercharge but my part of our state (WA) is cheaper than much of the rest of the nation for labor although the cost of living is high. Some repair clients foolishly shop for low "bids" on repairs from such I turn away. I make it clear no guarantees no warranties on repairs. In WA you must be careful because if you do not make such a disclaimer a lifetime warranty is assumed in some cases. I do not know which so I asssume all.>>>