Job pricing

[DurhamSparky]

Sorry chaps i know you aint here to price my jobs but im getting mixed reactions from customers regarding pricing, some say WOW some say HOW the **** you get that!! its only bit of cable and metal..


Just examples of jobs i priced this week

i wont say if i got them or not just guagung your oppinion


Power to a SHED

2x lenght of 3m 20mm steel conduit (shaped in to nice angles) and 2x stop ends,
1x Unswitched FCU and Box 13a with 7m worth of 2.5mm rubber Cable,
1x Switched FCU 3a and Box 1m worth of 1mm cable and a Light
2 x 2G 13a Sockets

full tests and Building notification
also trench digging for conduit and drilling off wall and bit of surface trunking insde house


£110 all in...!!



out door light on house wall...

1x FCU 3a & cavity box
1x 500w PIR
2m of 1.5mm Rubber flex

Certificate and Building notification

£80.00



garage conversion

new supply cable 12m of 16mm 3 core swa + DP Isolator
new 4w RCD CU + mcbs
40m of 2.5 t&e
5 socket outlets
pendant and switches and cabling 15m 1.5mm
10m of 6m T+E plus cooker flate and outlet

certs and building notification

£500

 

[bugsy]

Item 1 too cheap ( why conduit and not SWA )
Item 2 too cheap
Item 3 about right ( all metalclad accessories I assume)

 

[pennywise]

First one think your robbing yourself, second one I would say is about right and the third I would expect more. Saying that I'm in London rates vary so much on location.

 

[DurhamSparky]

hmm the conduit question surfaces again!! lol..!! i got a stash of it i need to shift!

 

[pennywise]

Is it the first time with steel.

 

[DurhamSparky]

no metaclad stuff in garage conversion apart from teh box im terminating into (directly underneath Insulated Cu)


i will use SWA when i shifted my lengths of Conduit!!

not used conduit or swa before as never had a need for it!

i may actually use the coduit to make cable reels with if i dont shift it!!

 

[pennywise]

Are you just desperate to have a go with the conduit as you've never used it before and trying to find an excuse, I will admit I have done several jobs in the past in conduit that probably didn't need it because I just wanted to have a go and feel like a plumber for a couple of days

 

[cbw]

Stolen from Bugsy because I agree,

Item 1 too cheap ( why conduit and not SWA )
Item 2 too cheap
Item 3 about right ( all metalclad accessories I assume)

 

[Guest123]

1. much too cheap.

2. on the money.

3. sounds ok.

 

[keith915]

No.1 Very cheap
No.2 Spot on
No.3 Slightly cheap

Considering the extra time and materials needed for the shed compared to the outside light you need a lot more than £30 extra....

 

[andrew692003]

I would say 1 and 3 are to cheap m8 especially number1! Conduit takes time and a good bit of effort and I honestly would charge double what your taking. I would say thats a good 5 or 6 hours work and if they can get anyone cheaper then no loss unless you're a bit slack.

No2 I would say about right but no less for sure!

No3 I would add another £100 onto that!

Obviously I've not seen the jobs but that would be my opinion I suppose it all depends hou busy you are.

Cheers

 

[rocker]

On 3 where you say 'building notification' do you mean you are actually going to notify building control i.e. you arent on a compentent course? Cos if you are, I'd charge another 100 for the job, another 100 for the notification and use the money to get registered!!!

I'm agreeing with everyone here

1. I'd quote at least double
2. I'd want another 10, probably would quote another 15-20 for haggling purposes
3. another 50-100.

And I am not in a particularly highly priced area.

Going back to the original point, you will always, ALWAYS get people who go 'what, all that for a bit of wire you must be joking blah blah'. These people are what are known as misers, and in a more affluent economical climate I would recommend walking away from the jobs because everything you do will be wrong, and getting your money will be like getting man-fat from a breezeblock.

 

[pennywise]

Durham are adding 20-25% on top for materials.

 

[DurhamSparky]

added 20%

 

[pennywise]

worried you hadn't for a sec, m8s company add around 35-40% for commercial and industrial work, are you going to have a different rate for commercial.

 

[snoopyspark]

number1.) is a joke, far too cheap.

number 2). still cheap but a bit better.

number 3). about 600-650 would be about right.

numbers 1 and 2) ,if you have had to travel to the job to quote and then travel again to do the job, by the time you subtract the material costs and work out total hours invested (inc travel) and your fuel/insurances/niceic fees/vehicle/tools/calibration,consumables and advertising costs & ahem TAX! i don,t see that you have a viable business you are just filling in time.

 

[DurhamSparky]

im staying cear of comercial at present, i dont have the time to take on them jobs..!!

job number 1 is 50 meteres away form my house
job 2 yes i underquoted!! but upside is i may have got follow up work with same householder and her 3 neighbours!!

im just trying to get work at min to spread my name, dont need the money from them jobs to live on just yet (luckily) but im learning every day what i need to price up!! only been trading for 6 weeks!

cheers chaps


steve

 

[pennywise]

I did that when I started up go in cheap, learnt very quickly its hard to increase your prices once you've given someone a baseline to judge how much your charging them, when you go back and start charging them the going rate for other works they complain or you lose them. The three neighbors will talk to the other and compare prices and start asking questions.

 

[immy]

1) well cheap
2)Cheap
3)Reasonable

With Certificate too sounds like a bargain for customer!!!

 

[pennywise]

im just trying to get work at min to spread my name, dont need the money from them jobs to live on just yet (luckily) but im learning every day what i need to price up!! only been trading for 6 weeks!

cheers chaps


steve[/QUOTE]


Are you still on resettlement then

 

[DurhamSparky]

no mate, on terminal leave now!! officially leave Navy 25th Feb!!

i got full time job as a Electrical maintenance Engineer 4 days on 4 off so hence business is only part time!

steve

 

[pennywise]

fair play probably the best way to start up, just don't get caught out by the maintenance company

 

[DurhamSparky]

they know!! they happy!! best of both worlds!!

 

[jedisparks]

When i 1st went on my own i was way too cheap. Within a year i had more work than i could do so that was good, but i was running around like a looney busting my balls to keep everyone happy, but guess what.... i didnt earn much money.

Pricing is the hardest part and 5 years on im much better but still abit hit and miss! OP stick at it bud after a while it gets abit easier and your already geeting your name known so you will get recommendations which is the best way to go.

 

[flukey]

1. way too cheap
2. about right
3. way too cheap

 

[JT C]

All too cheep.
There are sparks out there that charge £250 a day with materials on top (not me unfortunatly). I try and work out how long I think it will take in days or hours then take it from there.

 

[dufjax]

All too cheep.
There are sparks out there that charge £250 a day with materials on top (not me unfortunatly). I try and work out how long I think it will take in days or hours then take it from there.

Hello and welcome JT C

Think you've got a point.... Think you could possible get more for all

But I think No 2 nearest the mark.

You should try to avoid the budget end of the market, no respect & not much money for lots of hard work. If you've got a good rep people don't mind paying extra, those that don't want to pay extra soon come knocking when Mr Budget has nearly killed them!

Jim

 

[DurhamSparky]

just told a customer today that i would not fit his sockets he got from the skip i think... i never liked it and the terminal screws were not very clever either...!


my gear or no gear!! at least mine have BS and traceability!!

i just upped my prices and now am sticking to my guns and not been a push over! luckily i can afford not to take on jobs with been employed also 4 days a week so quality and not quantity !!

just quoted to install a outdoor light £90 customer ringing back so i will use that as a test case!