Pricing for a job need help

[nicebutdim]

Rates are Rates

I used to dread pricing jobs for friends and family as the first thing they ask for is 'Mates rates'

'Mates' who ask for preferential treatment aren't mates - they're aquaintences and ask for special rates because they know they aren't on that list of people for whom you'll go the extra mile. Best to avoid working for them or, if unavoidable, give them a discount off an absolute worst case price.

 

[OnlQQker]

Use the old builders trick with pricing.

Look around, scratch your head and draw breath through your teeth causing instant alarm to the customer, whilst making out it is the worst job you have ever come across.

Then say it's going to be 3 grand but you'll do it half price for cash, making sure they give you 500 quid up front.

Then turn up to make a start and cause a mess, before clearing off and starting another job.

 

[bigspark17]

At the end of the day the customer wants 4 sockets and 6 sports and a smoke in the attic, its not a big job, and 3 days to complete? £750 labour and £400 material? Is it just me that finds this a bit of a p**s take?
Just needs a radial up there,,feed taken off upstairs lights and link up from smoke on landing. 1/2 days work for 2 guys!

 

[Diddy]

At the end of the day the customer wants 4 sockets and 6 sports and a smoke in the attic, its not a big job, and 3 days to complete? £750 labour and £400 material? Is it just me that finds this a bit of a p**s take?
Just needs a radial up there,,feed taken off upstairs lights and link up from smoke on landing. 1/2 days work for 2 guys!

New consumer unit ? testing ? are you saying 1 to 2 days for a pair or half a day for a pair ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

New consumer unit ? testing ? are you saying 1 to 2 days for a pair or half a day for a pair ?

Reading the post i reckon he means 1/2 day first fix and 1/2 day second fix for 2 decent experienced sparks

 

[Diddy]

Reading the post i reckon he means 1/2 day first fix and 1/2 day second fix for 2 decent experienced sparks

So 2 man days without the Consumer unit then. Hmm I would say 3 days myself. Man and anything above mid 2nd stage apprentice.

 

[Dustydazzler]

So 2 man days without the Consumer unit then. Hmm I would say 3 days myself. Man and anything above mid 2nd stage apprentice.

 

[Dustydazzler]

A consumer unit change I always allow 1 full day for no matter how few circuits there are on the old board.
If I am done by 1pm then happy days

 

[Brian Taylor]

Been asked to price for a job, customer is having attic done out so needs a few new circuits up there. Some more context I'm based in South Wales and house is 1950s awkward little.run from the board to up but the new socket's will all be on studs so minimal chasing. I'm so bad at pricing work it literally puts me off taking jobs on. CU is full so I proposed having a new CU dedicated for the loft and going from there.

New CU
X4 socket's one being usb
X2 1 gang 2 way switches
X6 spotlights
X1 optical smoke alarm, to be interlinked with existing smokes, so I gotta dick around with them also.

I was gunna just price materials plus 2 days labour @ day rate but I always feel like iv shafted myself when doing work for day rate as the jobs usually turn out to be -------'s just wondering if any of you lot were in my neck of the woods and interested to see what you'd charge or anyone would charge for that in general

Sounds like a £300 job to me

 

[Brian Taylor]

I was thinking materials plus 2 days at £250 a day. I don't really know what sparks charge around by me guessing it'd be around 40ph ish, company I work for really really tight lipped on pricing so I'm like a mushroom when it comes to price

 

[Brian Taylor]

250.00 a day is a bit on the high side...average hourly rate for self employed is about 15:00 per hour

 

[HappyHippyDad]

250.00 a day is a bit on the high side...average hourly rate for self employed is about 15:00 per hour

Crikey Brian.
That's more than just a little on the low side.
We had a poll last year on the average hourly rate we charge and it came out to £46 p/hour.

 

[Brian Taylor]

Crikey Brian.
That's more than just a little on the low side.
We had a poll last year on the average hourly rate we charge and it came out to £46 p/hour.

 

[Brian Taylor]

Well I have had this discussion many times with many electricians quoting hourly rates of 20...30 or even 40 pounds an hour....I once upped my rates to 25 on the advice of someone who claimed to be charging that amount. I lost so many customers that I had to bring my rates back Dow pretty qui ckly to pay the bills. I don't know of anyone in my area that would get away with a 20 per hour rate ....but good luck

 

[goasis]

250.00 a day is a bit on the high side...average hourly rate for self employed is about 15:00 per hour

Where are you Brian?
£15 per hour is crazy low money! Unskilled workers are getting that!!

 

[Brian Taylor]

Where are you Brian?
£15 per hour is crazy low money! Unskilled workers are getting that!!

Well sorry to say that's what we get in this neck of the woods....lots of self employed in this vicinity all chasing the work .

 

[LukeD]

Well sorry to say that's what we get in this neck of the woods....lots of self employed in this vicinity all chasing the work .

Domestic cleaners in nice parts of london earn more. let them race to the bottom. I pay a labourer £150 a day just to turn up with no tools etc .

 

[Brian Taylor]

Domestic cleaners in nice parts of london earn more. let them race to the bottom. I pay a labourer £150 a day just to turn up with no tools etc .

Well unfortunately I don't live in a very nice part of London....I operate in the poorer North Kent area where cleaners and Labourers are paid minimum wage..I'm glad don't live in London.i couldn't afford it .

 

[Dustydazzler]

I know firms near me offering £200 per day for sparky mates and they get no interest

 

[Brian Taylor]

I know firms near me offering £200 per day for sparky mates and they get no interest

Well again I guess it must be down to where you live....if you advertised in this area you'd have to fight them off.