Depends on how fast or slow you work. $15/hour sounds cheap, but from what you described, I'd call it a day's work. At $250/day (8 hours) that's actually $31.25/hr.
If he doesn't pay you any extra he is taking advantage of you even if you do enjoy it. I have always said that a friend that doesn't understand your worth fair money isn't your fiend.
X2...Time with wife, kids, friends is worth way more than $15/hour. You did right by him but make sure you do right by you. Life is way to short.
Your price does seem cheap, but did you give him an estimate before you started? Jacking the price up at the end of a job can improve your bank account, but cost you a friend and return business. Do not undersell yourself.
I have a friend who is a mobile mechanic and I have not found anything he cannot repair or fix. He does complete engine rebuilds, value jobs and just about everything in between. He charges between $25 and 35 dollars an hour and he tells you what parts are needed and he let's you purchase the parts if you want to. I had a car that was only about 6 years old and the automatic transmission was acting crazy down shifting and slamming into gear. He took out about eight solenoids and cleaned them out and put them right back in and the car is like brand new the way it shifts. A transmission shop told him it needed to be completely rebuilt to the tune of $2,600 hundred dollars. The guy has saved me thousands of dollars between timing belts that a dealership said would cost around $2,500 hundred bucks to fix and he did the complete job with new belts, guides, idler arms and every else for $300.00 dollars labor and me buying the parts for around $250.00 bucks. I have seen him take many times drop a pan and replace all the crank bearings for a few hundred bucks in labor right in the guy's driveway. Jimbo
i think it's an excellent price---from a customer point of view. Do you own the shop/facilities free and clear or are you leasing? If leasing/renting maybe not such a good rate. What other expenses do you have (ballpark, obviously i would not expect you to list each exactly even though i don't own a shop and am not located anywhere near you) That's business my friendo; If he wanted to charge .15 cents and could some how make a profit then more power to him and it's up to the competition to adapt or find another gig.
What I have learned that is most important when doing work for other people is that the scope of the project is agreed upon before you start. It doesn't matter what the price is or the terms are once you both agree on it. If you agree on a per hour price, then add it up and send him the bill. If you agree on a per job price and you take twice as long, then it is on you to eat the extra time. If you can't make any money at the agreed price, you have to stick it out until you can recover from it and then make better estimates/quotes on the following work. Like I said, get an agreement first, then make good on that. BTW, I think that $15 is too cheap to give up family/free time. There should be some other added compensation with that as well.
That's how the deep pocketed big business does it. Undercut prices, operate at an affordable loss for a pre-determined amount of time and before you know it the competition is dead and gone. Prices increase at a rate that's predetermined to recoupe the loss and profit resumes. Happens everyday in every city in every market sector. But to the original post, using a early flat rate book to match the car and hours is great. I doubt the time needed is any different today as it was back in 1970. The hourly rate shouldn't be though and should fit better with today's rates. But for a guy moonlighting in his home's personal garage at his own pace doing what he loves - Well 15.00 cash money ain't that bad for that guy and the owner of the car should be happy as a two peckered billy goat. The pay is better than working on your own stuff
Come out my way. Shop labor for autos is $95.00 and hour, Truck shops $142.00 an hour. Figure it out for your self. It sounds to me like you had a tghree hour job at $95.00 an hour = $195.00 job. You got off by a kind technician. Normbc9
You can't compare the shop rate labor of a guy working out of his garage on the side to a "professional" shop. LOTS of expenses in a business that aren't there for a home shop. That being said, you should make about the same as a line mechanic (minus the "friendship" discount) and it doesn't look to me like you are.
I charge $45/hr here for working on locals stuff. The big shops here charge $90/ hr. I think you are being more than fair, likely I would be charging him around $450. Rod
There's a mistaken impression here that your friends should be charged less. If I'm sharing stuff working together with friends that's one thing. If they come to my business, then I charge full fare for my services-it's how I make a living,it's a business and has expenses and I am selling my professional expertise. There are others who will work for less-I figure they know what they're worth.
+1 You don't have to get rich off a job but you need to have it be worth your while to do said job. I have and have seen too many guys do side jobs and actually loose money as they just don't charge enough for their time. Back when I worked in shops on flat rate and took side jobs I found that the fair way for me was to charge an hourly rate that was the same or slightly more than what I got as my share of flat rate and go by the flat rate book. If the book said that the job paid 2.5 hrs I charged 2.5 hrs no matter if it took me one or three. Working in my home garage with hand tools it was usually closer to the three but I and the customer were ok with the fee. Personally I think you gave the guy a bargain at 250.00 and surely didn't get to him by charging too much.
you will probably be surprised in that your buddy will think that is not enough money. I did some carpentry for a friends in-laws a couple years ago, built an elaborate wheelchair ramp with hand rails and spindles with a landing and handrails and etc. on the porch and opened up the bathroom door to a 3' unit, re-trimmed it and a few other odds and ends and charged $1600.00 (they supplied the materials) when I told her the labor total she looked puzzled and asked if I was sure that was enough? I said ya... $25 per hour X 64 hrs. she gave me an extra $100.00 tip.
15/hr is equal to 30,000 year based on 40 hr wk. Today that is not enough to live on. What do you make on overtime at your regular job- you should at a minimum equal that. Hell I charge my family 25/hr and they admit it is not enough. Jim
The shop where I work charges 15% less than our next closest competitor. More than half of our customers have asked me why we charge less than them, when our work is better, and have suggested that we charge MORE. People expect that quality work will cost real money. If you leave it on the table, you are just shortchanging yourself.
Short story...A guy at work [toolmaker] did carpentery work on the side...He had no training, nor licence and yet he charged full rate and never claimed the income...I didn't think that was fare, I told him he should charge 30% less because he was pocketing the money, he didn't like that at all...The OP should have never posted as he did; he should have asked a general question like what should he charge for doing mechincal work out of home and under the table... I just had a friend redo the wife's bathroom [uh, maybe its mine too, not sure] and he charged $20.00/hr labor, wife gophered all the materials and decided style ect.....He figured out a time sheet and tried to stick to it but in my house things are not all ways as they should be; I told him not to worry if something takes more time, just add it in..I helped when and where I thought I should and the nick picking was a little fun too...Time-wise it was a little over but expected and I told the wife to add a little more...Wife is happy [new B'room]; I am happy [I didn't have to do the work]; Friend is happy [enjoys the work and made $$]..Win-Win_Win..
Dont sell yourself short. Also the price needs to include the little stuff added like hose clamps and bolts ECT, You had to go and have these on hand and will need to spend time restocking this stuff. As we all know 50-100 bucks gets pissed away awfully fast and giving to a "friend" isnt putting it on your own car. I agree the work on special cars is more enjoyable but being paid and wanting to work on his or anyones stuff is important. 25-25 per hour is a very fair rate for a qualified professional like YOU. A fair price will also have the owner respecting you and your work. Ron
Tommy do you want another friend? I need some work done on my car. Seriously though hooking friends up is cool but you still need money to live off of. Just saying don't sell yourself short. If a friend hooks me up I try to give them a tip or a car part I think they would like to own.
Dave, I thought this thread would be dead after a couple of comments! Thats all I charge THIS guy and it just seemed a little high to me so I thought I would throw it out there and get a couple of opinions. If I had your skills I'd quit my day job! I'm sure Iv'e got a SBF around here we can stuff in that truck!
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