Pay Rates

[m.k.swelding]

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.

[Rig Hand]

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.

If your competiton is at 65 with the same basic equipment then yes you should already be at 65. Even if it only cost you 45 an hour. However if your competition is a fully stocked mech. rig or something to that affect and charging 65 then you might want to stay at 45 or 50 because you don't have as much to offer.

Your RPH is

Labor- how much you make
Overhead- equip., insurance, shop/truck payment, property tax, etc.,etc.
+ 10%

= your RPH

+comsumables
+materials
+sales tax

= invioce total

[Rig Hand]

forgot about travel.

That is really up to you. I don't charge for travel if its a multiple or all day job. If I drive from my house to the job, and I'm their all day, then I don't charge travel unless its over 50 mile then $1 a mile after 50 miles. If I'm here at the shop and someone calls a 10:30 am and I have to stop working on one project and drive to another then I charge my hourly rate while driving and $1 a mile after 50 miles.

I don't charge for the first 50 miles because its 48 miles to the edge of Kansas city from my shop. You can charge more money and get more work in the KC area and I don't want customers using someone else because they save$50 on travel pay.

Its really up to you and your situation.

[Machinist]

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....

[admweld]

I was charging $45/hr in 1995,today i get $85/hr with travel in and out at the same rate.If they don,t like it go get some hack in a PU with a little 225amp welder and waste your money on slow productivity.Just my opinion you do what you like.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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 :

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.