Pay Rates

[Portable Welder]

My Hourly rate has been $ 80.00 Hr for the last 4-5 years, Portable tig aluminum is $ 100.00 Hr.
1 man a helper and the rig go for $ 135.00 hr.
2 men 2 trucks and one helper are $ 215.00 hr.
My rate is based on from the time I leave the shop untill the time I get back.

I bid alot of my work so the rate varies, some times you winn and some times you loose, I've been doing this a couple years now so I usually dont loose.

My rig is a F-550 with a crane, compressor, mig set up and everything you can think of that a full service rig should have.
My other rig has the same set up minus the crane.

I have a 2 hr. minimum so my truck does'nt leave unless they are ready to spend $ 160.00 min.

[bobhdus]

Pay Rates

I've learned that it's not good to try to be the cheapest guy in town. I work in the Maintenance Dept for a big Manufacturer in KC Missouri and was always being threatened about lay-offs so on the side I started a Locksmith business and do welding with it as well. No matter what I do I always charge minimum $60hr. Trip fee is always an added $65. I get material at wholesale and double the price to a customer or they can go buy it themselves. Better to advertise a higher rate and discount down than to up the price later. I also do a lot of weld art/junk stuff and when I determine the price, I base it on my $60 an hr and the cost of the junk (most of it is donated to me though). Good Luck!

[FusionKing]

I have charged $100 an hr for many years now. It would be nice to raise it because everything has gone up and I live in a seasonal area.
Truth is now tho... I play it by ear a quite a bit. If I can tell that the customer may balk a bit I simply charge accordingly and take my time and visit a bit and wear 'em down. When they see the quality and look at there clock and realize I'm cheaper than I said they leap on it. This reccesion calls for a bit of re-thinking at times and I intend to stay afloat as long as possible.
Now if the workload is heavy and they are in primetime then all that crap is out the window
Right now my biz is the only job I know of to go and get

[Number 1]

I charge $60 to $120 an hour depending upon who and what it is they want me to do.

[m.k.swelding]

thanks for all your replys I gonna sit down later and give my self a pay increase.

[Devil_Dog]

ouch!!!

10 an hour is not near enough. Im single handing right now for 33 an hour (just got the job yesterday) and my only expense is diesel to get to work. you are jippin urself.

[Sberry]

If I had enough work to wear out my tools I would seriously consider price increases, up enough till I lost about a 1/3 of it and made twice as much on what I did do.

[m.k.swelding]

Just wondering why you replace ALL your hand tools every two years? I have had mine on my truck for 10+ years! Only replace broken, lost or stolen ones!

I have to replace the grinders and drills etc. every 2 years because they are all wore out they get alot of hr. on them.

[trevwelder]

I was just thinking tonight and with my portable machine after all my expenses I am making $10 hr. and Im charging $45hr. plus material and travel. I have looked at my competition rates and there getting $65+hr. The only diffrence is they have newer equimpent. My welder is a 2004 bobcat 250 and my torches are 2007 smith set and all my hand tools are replaced every two years. So I guess my question is what dose everyone else get for there time and travel and do yall think if I should go up in price. Thanks For all thoughts.

Just wondering why you replace ALL your hand tools every two years? I have had mine on my truck for 10+ years! Only replace broken, lost or stolen ones!

[JTMcC]

I was just thinking tonight and with my portable machine after all my expenses I am making $10 hr.

do yall think if I should go up in price. Thanks For all thoughts.

Only you can decide if your time is worth about $7.50/hour.

But you can make that flipping burgers.......and get a free luch to boot.

JTMcC.

[nfinch86]

Nice Equippment !

I would say that an older welder only 5 years old would weld as much as a 2009 model,an old fellow said one time it's not how much you charge per hour,But How Much Work You Get Done In That HOUR....

Machinist; Wow, That's an Impressive List of Tools & Equippment you have !

I'd say you are about the Best Equipped Member on this forum !
Very , Very Nice !

............ Norm :

[engnerdan]

If the completion is charging $65 an hour and your only doing this on the side charge $60-65 an hour, but you better be able to match the quality of work the other guy can do.

You have to figure out what it costs for you to weld them figure out what you want to put in your pocket. If you have a quality service to offer (not a side job hack who can burn a rod but does not know a good weld from pigeon crap) then do not be afraid to charge an honest rate. If the work you do is good enough it warrant the fee people will pay it. Do not be afraid of loosing one or 2 every now and then.

Out here in the twin cities area the going rate is ALOT more then what it is in your area, but welding supplies vary in cost a lot across the country too and so do insurance rates.

I recently made friends with one of the "competition" and I think we will be working together some in the future. But I found out I have been charging slightly more then him.

-Dan

[HawkerMetalworks]

for ornamental work, we go by the foot, but i've found myself factoring jobs either way lately. both ways it works out to either 85 an hour, or 75 and up per foot (standard pipe rail, ornamental starts around 125/ft.) Tryagn5 -i hear you with the 550. back when fuel was upwards of $5.00 a gallon, i was adding up to a 4% surcharge on the entire proposal for fuel, both in the truck and the welder.

[m.k.swelding]

thanks for the advise I left out to say I also do Diesel and hydraulic repair on woods and cutting equipment. when the welding is slow. so im set up to do about anything.

[Tryagn5]

Rates...

When I working for myself my rate is 75...plus mileage. I charge 1.00 a mile, however it does change if fuel goes up. My rig is a F550 Service truck with a welder and crane....So if you are running around in a pickup...60-65 is fair, but charge mileage! Also I charge for all welding consumable, and fuel.
Kevin