Whats a fair price ??????????

[sean]

I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VIEWS AND ANY FEEDBACK REGARDING WHAT A FAIR PRICE WOULD BE FOR A SERVICE VEHICLE DOING RESIDENTUAL WORK ?[ONE JOURNEYMAN ] DOES YOUR RATE CHANGE FOR THE SECOND HOUR .??? HOW DO WE OVERCOME GIVING FREE ESTIMATES ?? I KNOW ITS A NECESSARY EVIL BUT I NEED A BETTER WAY TO SORT OUT THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE JUST FISHING FOR THE CHEAPEST PRICE [WASTE-ING MY TIME AND MY GAS ] PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR INPUT !!!!!IM A SMALL BUSINESS AND WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS !!

[bphgravity]

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to do a little research in competitor pricing. I call all my local competitors about every other month to see if hourly rates have changed. I sometimes even get ball-park phone estimates for common jobs to see if I am on par with their prices. I average about 1 job for every 3 or 4 free estimates I give. There is not much you can do about it but accept the time and effort as practice and experience gaining.

[mascal]

I have found that most contractors that do service calls and small job estimates in this area charge a "site check fee." This is usually in the ballpark of $20. If the customer can bring in a set of prints and explain the work to be done, there is no site check. I have also found that it is fairly easy to fit an hour or two into an estimate/quote to cover for travel time to check the site. Good luck.

[stevet]

Hopefully the customer will like the image that you throw out at them. By this I mean, knowledge, neatness, and above all, manners when talking to the average homeowner. I guess you have to think like how you would want someone to look and talk if they came into your house. Knowledge and appearence is everything. Oh, and price to be fair. Doesn't have to be too low or to high.
Good luck