Hot Rods What's your shop rate?

i do aircooled porsche 911 service @$110hr. may go to $120 soon. dealers here are about $140. gotta maintain a certain standard of living.

 

SOB!!!... Thats why ive been getting alot of these recently... 56-68s have been coming in left and right...

 

Thanks, your approach seem more than reasonable.
Eric

 

The time on the phone and chasing parts is time working for the customer and should be billed! Call your lawyer and ask him a question about something he is working on for you. A yes or no will cost you 1/10th of an hour. Even if his assistant answers it for you.

You are using your mind. Work smarter not harder.

All parts bought at shop discount should be marked up 25% or more. You should buy all the parts you can. You don't take bacon and eggs to the diner for them to make your breakfast.
I bill out at $45/ hr if just the lights are on. $55- $75 depending on equiptment being used. IE, air compressor on $55.. air compressor, welder, grinder on the lift, all in the same hour $75.

Don't forget the time it takes to write up the bill. You can spend an hour sometimes looking up what and how much you used. If you have a receptionist that person expects a paycheck. Even if it is your other half.

 

69 hr flat rate and 50 straight time. I have gone up yearly on certain jobs like changing/balancing tires. I don't obsess over other shop's rates but I don't want to be the cheapest either. peace

 

I have a social group going for shop owners so that we can discuss this and other topics if you guys want top join. You must be an owner or shop personal to join. Los Jefes Cansados

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Where I am in California, if you are not over $100/hr., you will likely not survive. Hell, you might not make it at $125/hr.

There should be no time that is not billable, or very close to none.

Bills here are higher, and folks who work for you will have to be paid more to maintain the same standard-of-living.

I don't even build cars full-time, anymore. It won't cover my bills.

I have an old high school friend who is the service manager at a classic car shop near St. Louis, MO. His top fabricator makes $42/hr., and the cost-of-living is less than 1/2 of what it is here.

The last offer I got here, was for $17/hr.

You do the math.

 

I am 56.22 for general repair and 68.58 for any truck over 3/4 ton. I do more late model stuff than older because it pays the bills. I would love to do just old cars but I would make half of what I do. I am a 1 man shop and bill by motors time and make a descent living. You have to bill for what you do, everybody is your friend and will steel hours of your time if you let them. I am told every week by the outside sales guys that I need to charge more but I am booked out a month when most shops around here are standing around. I have never spent a penny advertising and this is my 10th year of business and I could never go back to working for the man. The flex ability and convenience is priceless to me.

 

Hey man, whats the group called?

Send me a pm?

 

Ditto for me as well. The more complex the job, the more money you should make. When fixing rust holes is one price, but if you are chopping a top. The shop rate should be higher. Less people are skilled to do that job so you are able to charge more . I charge more for higher end restoration work than your typical sunday drivers because they expect a higher degree of workmanship. The parts you use should reflect the same level of quality to fit the job you are working on as well.

 

I gave it a try with the shop thing here . At first I didn't want the jobs because I'm self employed and didn't want the hassle of another business, and then I thought what the hell I'll give it a try . Well when I told them (and I know this is low) $25 an hour they said I thought it would be more like $9 an hour , and then being my garage is attached to my house my insurance (home owners) wanted me to take out another policy with the low cost of $35,000 per year and yes that was the cost !!! I still have people ask me about building cars but it's not worth it here unless I get my other garage finished and find much cheaper insurance.

 

43+ years experience = $40 per productive hour.

 

$70 hr

 

Paint and body $65, metal/fab $85, blasting $145.

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...maybe just build a hot rod to your liking, sell it to finance the next, lot's less overhead.

 

I work as a tech at a new car dealership, right now 101 pr hr and goes up .25 a month.

 

are things a lot cheaper back east? i can't imagine anyone surviving in the business @$45hr.

 

Yes, the cost of living is way lower here than the west coast, from what I've heard.
I'm at a dollar a minute here in Ohio. Low overhead as my shop is thirty feet from my door. No employees.

 

If you really want to compare apples to apples, go here:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

Type in the cities mentioned in this thread, and compare the shop rates.

What flies in Dallas, could leave you homeless in SF Bay Area. It's all relative.