What do you charge?? - Page 3 - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

NolaTigaBait · 11-05-2009, 09:28 PM

Mines like 175 a day.

NolaTigaBait · 11-05-2009, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDM

Me??

Yeah, I'm just joking. I have turrets syndrome.

oldman · 11-05-2009, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rewire

If this was the middle of December then things would not be so bad.No large projects out their but I have bid a dozen small jobs this week the largest was only 10 grand.The service truck is still bringing in cash which keeps the lights on.The last two weeks of October we were doing a thousand a day but this week its been closer to $400.00. I am hoping that all the stuff I am bidding now will materialize at the end of the month.

that's per truck I hope...

BuzzKill · 11-05-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NolaTigaBait

Yeah, I'm just joking. I have turrets syndrome.

He is a RAT so being called a cockroach can't be that bad.

BuzzKill · 11-05-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NolaTigaBait

Mines like 175 a day.

I clear $1K a week in profit, I'm fine. I'm not out to take over the world. More would be great, don't get me wrong...

Magnettica · 11-05-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuzzKill

$375 as day to "break even"....so 5 days a week making that breakeven amount is $97.5K....and you are treading water? NJ must be the priceist place in the world to live and do biz. You must be supporting a family of 3-4? THAT, I could believe, and sympathise with.

Yes, but it's not $97 a year if I'm not working everyday. I am just looking forward to being "steady" and it might be a year or two before that happens. The #1 thing in being successful in this business is people, you have to connect with them and be real. They have to be your #1 priority and you always have to keep in mind that they are the reason you started doing your own thing in the first place.

robnj772 · 11-05-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDM

I generally go with $50/hr cash. If it's a pain in the ass, such as attic work in the Summer, I might make it $60/hr. If the customer is a hot chick or the work is especially easy I might lower it to $40/hr.

Are you licensed and insured to work in NJ? I don't think that your are because 50 an hour ain't gonna cut it.

EDM · 11-05-2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnj772

Are you licensed and insured to work in NJ? I don't think that your are because 50 an hour ain't gonna cut it.

$40/hr if the homeowner is hot.

robnj772 · 11-05-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuzzKill

$375 as day to "break even"....so 5 days a week making that breakeven amount is $97.5K....and you are treading water? NJ must be the priceist place in the world to live and do biz. You must be supporting a family of 3-4? THAT, I could believe, and sympathise with.

Thats about right for living and doing business in NJ.

BTW Magnettica my phone rang 3 times today

3 guys called me asking if I was hiring

robnj772 · 11-05-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDM

$40/hr if the homeowner is hot.

So your just A SCUMBAG HACK stealing work from the legit guys

Hopefully the hall puts you to work soon since you have so much free time to rack up 200 post in 4 days

People like you hopefully will burn in hell

Magnettica · 11-05-2009, 10:35 PM

And for the record.... I have figured Saturday and Sundays off, all of the major holidays including the day after Thanksgiving, and 2 weeks vacation. That breaks down to 243 working days a year.

Salary, trucks, maintenance, tool allowances, gas, oil changes, paper, ink, phones, etc, etc, etc (and there's a lot of etc), is how you come up with the overhead number. Take that number and divide it by the number of working days and you have the amount you need per day to keep going. For instance, if I'm going to be on a job for only 4 hours, the rate changes to $75.00 per hour. If I'm there for the whole day that rate CAN become less if I think I need to do that to get the job. Obviously, if I do a 200 amp upgrade twice a week then I really don't need to work any other days that week to meet my number.

Some days you make more than others so charge accordingly and don't forget about the value of the work you do. Just because you make more than the number you need doesn't mean you should charge less just to be a nice guy.

You can also get a free subscription to Remodeling Magazine and read articles by Shawn McCadden on business by going here: RemodelingMagazine.com

EDM · 11-05-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnj772

So your just A SCUMBAG HACK stealing work from the legit guys

Hopefully the hall puts you to work soon since you have so much free time to rack up 200 post in 4 days

People like you hopefully will burn in hell

It was a joke, calm down.

EDM · 11-05-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

And for the record.... I have figured Saturday and Sundays off, all of the major holidays including the day after Thanksgiving, and 2 weeks vacation. That breaks down to 243 working days a year.

Salary, trucks, maintenance, tool allowances, gas, oil changes, paper, ink, phones, etc, etc, etc (and there's a lot of etc), is how you come up with the overhead number. Take that number and divide it by the number of working days and you have the amount you need per day to keep going. For instance, if I'm going to be on a job for only 4 hours, the rate changes to $75.00 per hour. If I'm there for the whole day that rate CAN become less if I think I need to do that to get the job. Obviously, if I do a 200 amp upgrade twice a week then I really don't need to work any other days that week to meet my number.

Some days you make more than others so charge accordingly and don't forget about the value of the work you do. Just because you make more than the number you need doesn't mean you should charge less just to be a nice guy.

You can also get a free subscription to Remodeling Magazine and read articles by Shawn McCadden on business by going here: RemodelingMagazine.com

With all that overhead you listed, are you figuring in enough for your salary? NJ is expensive.

Magnettica · 11-05-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnj772

Thats about right for living and doing business in NJ.

BTW Magnettica my phone rang 3 times today

3 guys called me asking if I was hiring

No one has called me about that..... yet.

Magnettica · 11-05-2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDM

With all that overhead you listed, are you figuring in enough for your salary? NJ is expensive.

That's not a lot of overhead, believe me. Wait'll the big guys chime in and call me out on being so cheap. But that doesn't matter because I'm not running their business and they're not running mine. I'm still working out of the 2 family house that I rent and the dining room is filled with electrical crap that I refuse to just throw away.

EDM · 11-05-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

That's not a lot of overhead, believe me. Wait'll the big guys chime in and call me out on being so cheap. But that doesn't matter because I'm not running their business and they're not running mine. I'm still working out of the 2 family house that I rent and the dining room is filled with electrical crap that I refuse to just throw away.

Well, I hope things pick up for you. I got a friend who just went out on his own, much like you he has a stocked van and a spare bedroom filled with material and extra tools. But he's not getting the calls that he needs to keep working. He gave up his union card which was a $100K/year job, it looks like it's going to take him a while to get back up there, and hopefully once he's there he can maintain it.

Magnettica · 11-05-2009, 10:54 PM

We have ex-union guys here who have succeeded without the unions help. In fact, one of them just chewed you out for charging only $40 per hour.

But he's a good guy.

EDM · 11-05-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

We have ex-union guys here who have succeeded without the unions help.

I can't wait until I am one of them! But it's a big leap in a bad economy.

BuzzKill · 11-05-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robnj772

So your just A SCUMBAG HACK stealing work from the legit guys

Hopefully the hall puts you to work soon since you have so much free time to rack up 200 post in 4 days

People like you hopefully will burn in hell

Zing!

BuzzKill · 11-05-2009, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

And for the record.... I have figured Saturday and Sundays off, all of the major holidays including the day after Thanksgiving, and 2 weeks vacation. That breaks down to 243 working days a year.

Salary, trucks, maintenance, tool allowances, gas, oil changes, paper, ink, phones, etc, etc, etc (and there's a lot of etc), is how you come up with the overhead number. Take that number and divide it by the number of working days and you have the amount you need per day to keep going. For instance, if I'm going to be on a job for only 4 hours, the rate changes to $75.00 per hour. If I'm there for the whole day that rate CAN become less if I think I need to do that to get the job. Obviously, if I do a 200 amp upgrade twice a week then I really don't need to work any other days that week to meet my number.

Some days you make more than others so charge accordingly and don't forget about the value of the work you do. Just because you make more than the number you need doesn't mean you should charge less just to be a nice guy.

You can also get a free subscription to Remodeling Magazine and read articles by Shawn McCadden on business by going here: RemodelingMagazine.com

I hear you...it's atough road and I'm new too. Fortunately, my wife works also so I get a bit of a cushion, as I am not the sole breadwinner. If I was, I'd still be working for the man, going for a foreman or PM position.