Ballpark the little jobs

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mdshunk said:
Nope, don't need a crystal ball. I have enough historical data. Some people are just paranoid. Like I said, barring the unforseen, lunch time and you shoudl be ready for your next call.
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You may call it paranoid....others may call it experience :smile:
 
aline said:
For me an unusual matter would be that it's a new home with new wiring in good condition.

Most of the time when I'm called out to do work like this it's not for a new home but for an old home built years and years ago. The wiring has usually been hacked up by several homeowners and do it yourselfers over the years.

Working on clean new homes is the exception for me.
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That would be a typical job here in NJ....
- new homes ~ the HO DIY's it or has a friend of a friend do it....
- older homes ~ the HO discovers the above option is not feasible.
 
celtic said:
You may call it paranoid....others may call it experience :smile:
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Mind you, I'm in no way saying that you should only charge for 1/2 a day if it takes longer. I'm saying that you can safely allot just 1/2 a day in the schedule for this work most of the time, and it may take longer if there are unforseens.
 
I don't get it, either

I don't get it, either

mdshunk said:
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Some of you guys crack me up. A full day's work to change four fixtures and fish in a closet light? If you weren't done by lunch time without a real good explanation as to why, you and me would have an issue to discuss.
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mdshunk said:
I might be around 450 for that work, but I don't normally give a price ahead of time for piddly work like that.
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I truly don't get your second response much less that?s your answer?!
Do you say any response to how much it will cost to a clinet on piddly work? What is a client to say, OK blank check is OK ?

Or is it
Pay my daily rate! Well lets see what it takes?!
We'll start the clock and see what happens!? This could go on. I agree with most all of the posters but a price has to be stated doesn't it?

I don't understand how work could begin, I know most of ya'll know your cost and time involved for small work, well maybe 80% do - 20% of ya'll don't (from what I've seen of other like postings, JMO).

The house itself, geography all play a big part, etc, etc.
It truly seems that there?s no ballpark answer! Everyone is stating historical aspects, be it cause and effects of applying a job, or even who gets to apply the work (mileage may vary-classic).

I guess I'll have to find a book or take a class on a subject that deals with dollar?s and clients.

Ode to a Service Call and Hand Holding, something to look forward too!!!
 
iwire said:
So your bid would be for 2.5 days?
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Yes it would be 2 days work, if you had to bid without opening the job, what we do is give one price for opening the job, then give the estimate for the work.

Customers don't like the unknown.
 
mdshunk said:
I might be around 450 for that work, but I don't normally give a price ahead of time for piddly work like that.
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I still want $750 to $800 for that work. At $450 you'll probably get twice as many of these jobs than I will but that's ok with me. :)

Of course if I can get the job done before lunch and do another one that day that's $1500 to $1600 for the day. I like the sound of that. :) The only problem is I know I can't do this on a daily basis.

If I could do that on a daily basis based on 50 weeks per year that would be $375,000 to $400,000 in revenue per year. But I guess that's way to much revenue for one electrician to bring in so I'd better lower the price closer to what all the other electricains are bringing in so I can keep compaining about how little we make. :)
 
mdshunk said:
Mind you, I'm in no way saying that you should only charge for 1/2 a day if it takes longer.
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Of course not....obviously you'll get a ton of work this week but no mac & cheese next week :smile:


mdshunk said:
I'm saying that you can safely allot just 1/2 a day in the schedule for this work most of the time, and it may take longer if there are unforseens.
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...but that doesn't really answer the OP's question now does it? :wink:
 
satcom said:
Yes it would be 2 days work, if you had to bid without opening the job, what we do is give one price for opening the job, then give the estimate for the work.

Customers don't like the unknown.
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Sometimes I don't even think you and I work in the same industry. :-?

It must just be the high costs of working in NJ. :-?

Here if we bid 16 hours for 4 hours work we would not be getting much work.

We would bid it for what we would reasonably expect and have exclusions for the unforeseen.
 
celtic said:
...but that doesn't really answer the OP's question now does it? :wink:
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Nope, but I already said that my ballpark would be around 450 based upon historical data and the amount of time work like this historically takes. Naturally, it could be more. Much more. A ballpark gets you in the door. Take the old fixtures down, analyze the construction type and age of the home, then you can nearly immediately refine your ballpark if need be and discuss that with the customer. Naturally, your original ballpark would come with enough disclaimer that the customer would be well aware ahead of time that this might happen.
 
nrr08.jpg



$60 @ Craftsman book store and Barnes and Nobles

$37 @ Amazon
 
mdshunk said:
TNE is okay if you've never done a particular task before, but it's only a starting point. Seems like every time I look something weird up in it anyhow, it's not in there.
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Great, I just bought it!!!:roll:
 
cadpoint said:
Great, I just bought it!!!:roll:
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Don't sweat it. It's cheap enough, and has most tasks. You really need to look up some tasks you already know your price on to figure out a good "multiplier" to use for the other tasks you don't know a price on.
 
mdshunk said:
A ballpark gets you in the door.
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Very true.


On a job like this (small job, all unknown varibles) the HO may want more than "a foot in the door" type of price....and many folks get highly upset when you say $450 knowing it may be closer to $900.


IMHO, there are 2 camps here:
Camp 1 gets in the door knowing the cost will likely exceed what they put on the table.
Camp 2 gives a high number anticipating the cost will be lower than put on the table.

The trick is determining which camp the customer is in :-?



I had a call to hang 4 CFs in a home, I gave the HO a high number fully anticipating the need for new boxes and other assorted nightmares....what I found was just the opposite. When I discovered the job would be a breeze, I informed the HO we had a problem with the price I had given them...their jaws almost hit the floor...."I cannot do this job for $xxx..." - dramatic pause - "I can only charge you this much $xx...".
Since that job, I have gotten untold referrals from this one customer and also landed the "in-house" EC postion at that particular developement. :smile:
 
celtic said:
You may call it paranoid....others may call it experience :smile:
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You got it, the just do it crowd, I had a lot of these guys for students over the years, and after trying to help, and spend many hours with them, I finally gave up, and let then learn by fire.

It is better to look the job over, then after understanding the tasks required, price it out.
 
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mdshunk said:
TNE is okay if you've never done a particular task before, but it's only a starting point. Seems like every time I look something weird up in it anyhow, it's not in there.
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It can be a PITA...even for the simple stuff! LOL


:grin:
 
iwire said:
Sometimes I don't even think you and I work in the same industry. :-?

It must just be the high costs of working in NJ. :-?

Here if we bid 16 hours for 4 hours work we would not be getting much work.

We would bid it for what we would reasonably expect and have exclusions for the unforeseen.
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Large construction projects and residential service and repair are different industries in my opinion.

I would consider this job a small service and repair job and would bid it completely different than a large commercial job.

Hopefully your not bidding against a bunch of other contractors for a little piddly job like this. There are customers that want and expect to get five free estimates for these little piddly jobs and there seems to be plenty of electricians willing to do it.
 
cadpoint said:
Great, I just bought it!!!:roll:
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Even at the price (under $40 at amazon)...you will learn something :smile: ....and at that price, what have you really lost?
 
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