1 Year in business working for first high end builer

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nafis said:
it sound too low . should nt your exp.helper makes more than $13 ...?
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Not in the south. $13 is actually pretty good money for an experienced guy doing residential where I'm at.
 
Be careful with the cash payments to the employee.....the IRS loves to jump on that. (My wife is a CPA) He gets busted as well as you.

Another thing is if he was injured, the state would come after you on multiple levels. (At least they would in SC, and I think NC is far stricter)

c2500
 
The only problem with these forums is that it's extremely difficult to express all of the nuances of the question. A great deal of my original question was missed. I do understand the helper problem. What is not said is that this was a friend I used to work with who was looking for a little side work. He worked for me a total of 10 hrs over a 2 day period. I do almost every job by myself. I realize this doesn't undermine the serious risks associated with someone working in this manner, but in no was is this the way I intend to run the business should it continue to grow. I'm sure we've all done side work at some time in our careers which was paid cash. So that being said I do appreciate all of the advice and the time spent by everyone to help me better understand the way a business should be run.
 
relochris said:
I've worked for a few contractors who still strap on tools, but for the first time I've worked for a real builder. They're a high end remodel company who has given me the chance to step in to replace their existing electrician (who has been fired). Now I have completed their punch list. Up till now I've done all of my work on an up front basis and this job has been done with no preconcieved price. I live in NC and am not quite sure what to charge. I plan on charging $65 for myself and $25 for my experienced helper whom I pay $13, and %15 on material. I'm comfortable with this but I don't want to short change myself nor do I want to discourage my client. I know this is vague, but I really need some advice.
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I don't think you are off the mark on your hourly rate but the min on your helper should be $42 HR.

I would not get too cozy as they will expect unit pricing out of you before to long on future work and you may find your average much lower than now.
 
Hairbone said:
I don't think you are off the mark on your hourly rate but the min on your helper should be $42 HR.

I would not get too cozy as they will expect unit pricing out of you before to long on future work and you may find your average much lower than now.
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Gigs tend to come and go so get what you can while you can. I would not be real concerned about how much you are charging so much as how much you are keeping. I would set a goal for how much you want to net after all expenses (including your income and FICA taxes, insurance, etc.) and figure what you would have to charge to get there. maybe $1000 a week is a good figure to shoot for.
 
petersonra said:
I think $13 an hour for what amounts to unskilled labor is pretty generous.

JMHO. He gets the chance to pick up some skills along the way.

I don't especially like the cash aspect of things. Its just an IRS problem waiting to bite both of you on the backside.
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He said his helper was experienced, you call him unskilled. Why?
 
76nemo said:
He said his helper was experienced, you call him unskilled. Why?
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To me a "helper" is a guy you bring along to do manual labor requiring little or no skill. There are many people who have lots of experience in unskilled or semi-skilled work who just don't have much skill at anything other than a strong back.
 
petersonra said:
To me a "helper" is a guy you bring along to do manual labor requiring little or no skill. There are many people who have lots of experience in unskilled or semi-skilled work who just don't have much skill at anything other than a strong back.
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to me a helper is similar to an apprentice or may be an apprentice who is going to school and learning and planning on being a mechanic one day. I know I used to be a helper and I would've taken offense to someone assuming that all I'm good for was a strong back but not much skill. In residential a good helper can damn near wire the whole house if he wanted to.
 
steelersman said:
to me a helper is similar to an apprentice or may be an apprentice who is going to school and learning and planning on being a mechanic one day. I know I used to be a helper and I would've taken offense to someone assuming that all I'm good for was a strong back but not much skill. In residential a good helper can damn near wire the whole house if he wanted to.
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No offense meant. To me it is a term more synonymous with laborer than apprentice. I am not disparaging the work laborers do. Someone has to cart the conduit back and forth and dig the trenchs. Better to pay someone $13 an hour to do that then $35.
 
petersonra said:
No offense meant. To me it is a term more synonymous with laborer than apprentice. I am not disparaging the work laborers do. Someone has to cart the conduit back and forth and dig the trenchs. Better to pay someone $13 an hour to do that then $35.
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If you're a control engineer as it says in your profile then what would you know about helpers and labor anyhow?
 
steelersman said:
If you're a control engineer as it says in your profile then what would you know about helpers and labor anyhow?
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Labor is something I know when I see it. Much easier to avoid it that way. :)
 
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