Home shop owners that do occasional work for others......

[Cranky]

What is your hourly rate these days? I don't do much anymore but once in awhile someone will come and 'beg' me to do something and then want to pay 20 year old prices.....

 

[5.7 hemi]

Dealers charge what, $135 an hour, go 1/2 that plus whatever ya need to finish the job.

 

[DeltaV]

$80/hr and you'll have too much work.

 

[kiwigtx]

$80/hr and you'll have too much work.

And if you start getting too much work....increase your hourly rate....or add some consumables to make it worthwhile.

 

[khryslerkid]

I'll work for beer and food

 

[moparwacko]

Typical for this area is 60% of going shop rate. That would include all consumables and replacement tool costs (in a year you will replace at least 10%).
Body shops are closer to 75% - consumables are astronomical.
Just don't do unit pricing unless you're really quick and consistent, or your pay will equal khryslerkid's. Beer and food prices are high, so not a bad idea. Bartering isn't all bad but how many chickens and goats does it take to rebuild a Dana?
It's good to be retired, pick and choose- carefully.

 

[Nxcoupe]

I charge 65 per hour and dyno 100 per.

 

[dadsbee]

$75 Cdn/hr or I don't get out of bed. Test flights, so far, haven't been free....

 

[Hey-O]

Now that depends on how much you do or don't want to work or if you like or dislike the job or person. When I retired we started a renovation, restoration business (homes). We did it for fun and the price reflected that, about 50% of the going rate. We had a customer base that could choke a mule and I was working ever day. Word got around and we slowed it down by increasing our price to 65%. Remember this was for fun, to get out and stay active. At one point staying active turned into a real business and at 55, then, I wasn't interested in starting a new career. We shifted from rehab to repairs and things really got stupid busy. We cut customers rather than increase price because many of the ones we kept were people that really needed help. Price was easy, keeping some from thinking that they have a sucker on the hook made us cut more rather than charge more. The ones we cut were the ones that thought they were better than us, again this was for fun and when you think your better or smarter than me, I will cut your balls for you. We cut back to the jobs we wanted to do and only did work for those that really needed the help. To be honest, we where working for dirt *** cheap and having fun, till it wasn't. Pricing going up till they stopped calling was never for me. The long and short of this is, I didn't and don't need the money and if you would like to make a buck and keep your mind busy, look at them and figure what's best for YOU and THEM. In other words, go back to the first sentence. You're not stupid, you know what a job it worth to you and as far as how much I'd get out of bed for, "Yeah, right." I built furniture for the president of this great country once and now I won't **** down his neck, free or for 100,000. Pick the person you want to be, you already know the cost of that.

 

[eldubb440]

I see it as "by the day" not "by the hour"....... then again, I work on junkers that sometimes require up to a thousand hours

 

[Black_Sheep]

When I was doing side jobs I usually worked for free, helping out my wife’s struggling coworkers. Most were single moms that were working their *** off to keep it together. In retrospect I’m glad that I was able to help…

 

[kiwigtx]

I told all my customers about 2 years ago that I was not working weekends any longer unless it was the only way to get the job done. I also raised my weekend & Public Holiday rates, along with "after-hours" ...... Time and a half seems fair to me. It's funny how most people say it can wait until Monday when you tell them how much.
But I still get enough weekend work to make it worthwhile with my Industrial clients. They will pay whatever it takes to get the job done mostly.....and they don't argue the bill. I usually only get family and sometimes a good friend asking for help on weekends.....it's hard to refuse family especially when they help in return.

 

[Budnicks]

I haven't charged anyone in so long I don't know
I got really good at saying NO

I do help my neighbors every so often
more of guidance/suggestions/diagnoses than work

if I got go out & actually perform a job for pay, actual work
not something I said I would 'help with', not do on my own
$100 an hr min. would cover it + parts or supplies
if I don't leave my house, 1-1/2 times that
if I have to leave my house, I'm billing them for my travel time too

my old billing rates 'for me personally on a job' was $1500 a day
& $54 to $154 an/hr for supplied workers, depending on the actual job
or what skilled labor needed

so $100 an hr is a deal in my mind
+ 10% ontop of any material or parts handling
you're paying for my tools, my inconvenience & my knowledge, my space, my time
not just me

Now If Unicef started to do side work, it may be a different story
it could be at a severely discounted rate, my time cost big $$$
you wanta' play, you gotta pay
(Joe Dirt reference, sort of)

I ain't looking for work
no matter what some think, I don't want or need it

just say NO

 

[eldubb440]

Most were single moms that were working their *** off to keep it together. In retrospect I’m glad that I was able to help…

 

[Nxcoupe]

I charge 65 per hour and dyno 100 per.

And I want to note that I still fet people trying to get me to do it cheaper or decline saying they can get it done cheaper. My response is alwats the same, well, tgis is what it takes for ME to do it. You are welcome to go elsewhere. I don't do this because I'm desperate, I do it for some extra money, to have fun and to help people to get it done right. I really hate it when they bring me a mess created by the economy priced guy. I just won't do it any more.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

My neighbor has a small shop and he charges $75 per hour.

 

[Budnicks]

disclaimer;
Be very careful of who/whom you 'do & charge', agreed work for
remember we live in a very litigious society (suet happy) now too
people can 'indict a ham sandwich'
if they get the right judge/lawyers

most if any of that stuff won't be covered by homeowners insurance
unless you're in business & you have the proper insurance coverage
be very aware/very careful
of anyone you charge for 'any performed labor', you can be held liable/responsible
if something was to happen, even months later


The city or county can come down on you bigtime too
if one of your neighbors or the noise, that someone doesn't like it etc.
or someone has a beef & turns you in

I wouldn't do it for just anyone, not in today's world...