Parking lot lighting repairs

[Len]

I have a customer that wants me to take care of all his parking lot lights, I am not sure about what to charge. If anyone does this already and can give me some feedback I would appreciate it. I would need to purchase a truck with a 60' boom.

 

[220/221]

You need to figure out what the market will bear in your area but I can tell you that the parking lot service has been a very important part of our business from day one.

We charge an hourly rate and have set prices for different lamps and ballasts. There is a learning curve but it's good money because every contractor isn't set up to do it.

 

[emahler]

look into renting a lift for now...hate to see you take on an $800/month note for a call every other month...

 

[220/221]

That's good advice. ^

I bought the truck first and then went after the work :roll: but it was a used $6K truck that I sold three years later for $5K

 

[jumper]

220/221, do you keep a record of replacement? We swap out any ballast that is 5 years or older on the tall pole lights, 400 watt and 1000 w MH, when we have them worked on.

 

[ultramegabob]

a pull behind lift costs about 200 bucks a day around here, 400 watt MH ballast kit is about 80.00 bucks, 400 watt lamp is around 16.00, mark your materials and lift rental up 20-30%. It takes me about 15 minutes to change a lamp and ballast per light head and clean the lens with glass cleaner/paper towels. (allow yourself some time to mess with steel screws that are frozen into the cast aluminum housings, I almost always have one or two I have to mess with when working on a parking lot. also it is a good idea to have some orange cones to block off the area you are working.

 

[220/221]

We keep records.....kind of.

If I had a property that I knew I would be servicing forever, I would set up 100% tracking but we just wing it now and don't have many issues.

Our service guy maintains a good relationship with our clients and we rarely have issues. Once in a while a customer will think we replace a ballast on X pole and we have to assure him that we did Y pole. .

We only replace ballasts/lamps when they go bad (or if we see that they are about to)

mark your materials and lift rental up 20-30%.

Gaahhhh!!! You won't be in buisness long unless you are charging $200/$300 an hour. Minimum mark up is 100%. I prefer to keep labor lower and mark up materials more.

You earn a whopping 5 bucks on your $16 lamp? Not worth having to stock, deliver and warranty it.

 

[ultramegabob]

220/221, do you keep a record of replacement? We swap out any ballast that is 5 years or older on the tall pole lights, 400 watt and 1000 w MH, when we have them worked on.

I write the date on lamps and ballasts with a sharpie.

 

[jumper]

I write the date on lamps and ballasts with a sharpie.

Ditto, helps the next guy also. Love my sharpie. Also keep a log, so I can plan ahead for repairs.

 

[Dnkldorf]

You need to figure out what the market will bear in your area but I can tell you that the parking lot service has been a very important part of our business from day one.

We charge an hourly rate and have set prices for different lamps and ballasts. There is a learning curve but it's good money because every contractor isn't set up to do it.

Yup, get the truck paid off, and keep up with routine maintenance, and you can make a buck or two.

$135/hr 2 hr min

 

[Dnkldorf]

It takes me about 15 minutes to change a lamp and ballast per light head and clean the lens with glass cleaner/paper towels.

IF the lot is empty.

We get them done on the weekends when we can.


And stock wasp spray.

 

[jumper]

$135/hr 2 hr min

$250 first 2 hrs and $100 an hour thereafter here. Minimum is 4 hours. This is for the truck and delivery/return

And stock wasp spray.

Oh yeah!!!

 

[Len]

We keep very good records. This customer is very good. I do alot of work for them. I will get a 5 year contract because I will have to buy a 60' lift. Haven't seen a decent used one that big.
Any help on pricing would be great...

 

[jumper]

I will get a 5 year contract because I will have to buy a 60' lift.

Guaranteed? What is your default clause for payment? A truck of this size is expensive I imagine.

 

[Dnkldorf]

Guaranteed? What is your default clause for payment? A truck of this size is expensive I imagine.

If you fix the first couple, and I like your price, I can give you a BIG contract.


Run.

 

[sparky 134]

I had a customer ask me to replace the lamps in his parking lot, 11 all together. So I called around to a few different shops that do this type of work to get an idea of market conditions. Not being sure if the lamps were 250watt or 400watt I order both.

So I ordered the lamps, rented a lift and got to work. As I was taking the bulb out of the first fixture it (the bulb) fell apart. I compared the general size of the old lamp to the new 250watt lamp, looked the same, so I put it and the other 10 lamps in, turned on the contactor and all was good.

Now as I was packing the old lamps into a box I happened to look at one of the old bulbs and it read 400watt !! Uh oh, that's right, 400watt. That's when I learned there is such a thing as a reduced envelope lamp.

Turn off the contactor, call the local supply house that I don't usually deal with, get the right lamps at a higher price, and proceed to replace all of the lamps AGAIN.

Lesson learned...

 

[JES2727]

Any help on pricing would be great...

We have a 30' bucket truck. We bought it used for $13K. We bill it out at $114 per hour, 4 hour minimum. I'm considering changing the billing rate because we have several small parking lots in the area that we serve and it doesn't seem quite right to charge $456 to change just a couple of lamps when we're in & out of there in under an hour (plus material, of course). I may change to a dispatch fee plus hourly, or 2 hour minimum.

 

[jumper]

We have a 30' bucket truck. We bought it used for $13K. We bill it out at $114 per hour, 4 hour minimum. I'm considering changing the billing rate because we have several small parking lots in the area that we serve and it doesn't seem quite right to charge $456 to change just a couple of lamps when we're in & out of there in under an hour (plus material, of course). I may change to a dispatch fee plus hourly, or 2 hour minimum.

That is similar to what I posted earlier, $250 first 2 hrs and $100 an hour thereafter here. Minimum is 4 hours. This is for the truck and delivery/return. If you finish quickly, fine, drop the minamum to the two hour rate for good custumers and tell them you are giving them a break. I would keep the four hour minamum and then do this. Keeps the guy from complaining about the truck sitting idle when you have others problems: bad contactor, wire, fuse, etc.

 

[Dnkldorf]

Keeps the guy from complaining about the truck sitting idle when you have others problems: bad contactor, wire, fuse, etc.

We kinda avoid this. If all the lights are out, a van heads up there to T-shoot.

Then the bucket is sent if needed.

If a couple lights are out, then just the bucket goes.

A 6mpg, it doesn't move unless it making money somehow.

 

[jumper]

We kinda avoid this. If all the lights are out, a van heads up there to T-shoot.

Then the bucket is sent if needed.

If a couple lights are out, then just the bucket goes.

A 6mpg, it doesn't move unless it making money somehow.

I agree, my point is that I am for the most part responsible for keeping almost 200 HID fixtures in working order, and I do this in in conjunction with a local EC, my old boss, and sometimes unexpected things happen and the truck may not be in continuous use. The guy maybe troubleshooting something on the the ground, or waiting for someone to bring a part, that is necessary to fix the light. Do I stiil pay for the truck to be on site, yes. He is not leaving till it it works and I pay for that. Do I understand the cost of doing business, yes. Do all people,no.