Charges for changing pole light fixture bulbs?

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chrisb

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I recently picked up a car dealership as a new customer. They've asked me to change all the burned out bulbs and ballasts and I'm not sure of a competive price. I'm in Georgia and would appreciate input from companies in the area on what they charge to replace M1000/U's at 30'.

The other important issue is the equipment needed to change the bulbs. I'd like to leave the customers inventory cars in place in the lot and use a bucket truck to change the bulbs. This requires a good reach out and up to get over the cars and I think the equipment for this limited to a bucket truck. I tried a bucket lift that you pull behind your vehicle today but it doesn't have the reach out and up. First time up on a lift, a bit scary! I screamed out for my mommy! (grin)

How do you experienced pole lighting guys handle these situation? Move the Cars?

Thanks a ton, have a great weekend!
Chris
 
chrisb said:
I recently picked up a car dealership as a new customer. They've asked me to change all the burned out bulbs and ballasts and I'm not sure of a competive price. I'm in Georgia and would appreciate input from companies in the area on what they charge to replace M1000/U's at 30'.

The other important issue is the equipment needed to change the bulbs. I'd like to leave the customers inventory cars in place in the lot and use a bucket truck to change the bulbs. This requires a good reach out and up to get over the cars and I think the equipment for this limited to a bucket truck. I tried a bucket lift that you pull behind your vehicle today but it doesn't have the reach out and up. First time up on a lift, a bit scary! I screamed out for my mommy! (grin)

How do you experienced pole lighting guys handle these situation? Move the Cars?


Thanks a ton, have a great weekend!
Chris
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I'm not in Georgia, but I would ALWAYS move those cars, drop a wrench and you will be calling your ins company. I like the tow behinds for that work as long as you have enough work to make it reasonable to rent one. I charged BK $150.00 for each lamp changed + cost of bulb. first lamp changed paid for the lift. we went to 4 locations in one day I made a good profit that day but I don't go looking for this work as I prefer to stay on the ground.
 
I've changed plenty of pole lamps and ballasts but none over cars. I'd opt for them moving the cars. You'll need either a bucket truck or an articulating boom. Figure the cost of the lift, materials, and labor and divide by # you can do in a day and there's your cost per unit. If this is your first time up that high, do be aware you must harness yourself. I'm sure you're aware of it, but thought I'd throw it out. My first time in a bucket, I couldn't stand the harness. Still can't really.
 
Our company owns a bucket truck with a 65' reach. Makes life a little easier when thes calls come in. I do alot of the local car dealerships and mall areas lighting maintenance. I charge on a T&M basis plus $80.00 per hour for the truck time. Truck paid for itself along time ago. I do have the fiberglass boom inspected once a year for fractures to make sure the men are safe while they are up there. The only drawback is that the driver must carry a CDL liscence to drive the truck.
 
At this point I don't know how many bulbs I can change in a day due to the equipment issue. Penske (spelling) has a bucket truck for $280 a day. I don't have the process down and I have a learning curve to obsorb. My bulb costs are about $30.00 bucks ( I haven't shopped it around) but I'm thinking about charging $110.00 per bulb with say a 15 minimum. That's labor and materials.

Too cheap, to high?
 
chrisb said:
How do you experienced pole lighting guys handle these situation? Move the Cars?
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Move the cars...whether they are Pinto's or Porsche's ...better yet, have THEM move the cars the day BEFORE you plan on doing the job. Don't forget you need room for the outriggers....all 4 cars under a pole - move 'em. You (or the driver) will appreciate the extra "wiggle room"....you ground man will have room to move about should something drop and be able to retrieve it quickly to send back up/dispose of.

Bring everything with you on the way up and use a bucket and line to haul anything forgotten - the less up/down trips with the boom the quicker you will be overall.


Don't forget your sunglasses and harness :D
 
chrisb said:
At this point I don't know how many bulbs I can change in a day due to the equipment issue. Penske (spelling) has a bucket truck for $280 a day. I don't have the process down and I have a learning curve to obsorb. My bulb costs are about $30.00 bucks ( I haven't shopped it around) but I'm thinking about charging $110.00 per bulb with say a 15 minimum. That's labor and materials.

Too cheap, to high?
Click to expand...

too cheap! you will have to do 7 lamps before you make $1 Sure you stand to make about $800 if you do at least 15 but you might put in 10 hours the first time depending on how fast they get those cars out of the way and you figure at least 2 hrs for the first light since the equipment is new to you. I am sure you can get $150.00- $180.00 per lamp. $30 sounds about right for the lamps.
 
This is my favorite for working on pole lights.

home_top_images_boom5.jpg

Only downside is it has to be delivered to the job. But it's still my fav. by far. No extra room needed for outriggers. We have used the lifts that had the manual outriggers and after a few poles I was tired of fooling with them. The one we use has a bucket big enought for 2 people and the extra set of hands up there can be very helpful. I did not see it mentioned but we also take windex and paper towels up with us to clean the lens.


I will try to remember to look at the office Monday and see what we ended up charging per fixture last time.
 
I recently changed lamps & ballasts in seven parking lot lights. After the first one or two it goes pretty quick. I already had a lift on a 30 day rental at another job. The rental place charged me about 80 bucks to move it for me. Each ballast & lamp cost me about $70.
I charged $200 per fixture. I was probably too low. About two months later one of the ballasts failed and I had to cover it. Nearly half a day wasted, with set-up time and all.
 
Minuteman said:
Try working at a car factory. I did some work at the GM assembly line and THEY get nervous. Nothing gets close to the cars!
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We replaced som hid's with T5's at a Mercedes dealer last spring. My guys almost died when the finished over a car and the mechanic pulled the sticker out of the glove compartment with a price of over $150,000! Note: I did send my best 2 guys to this job.
 
As a side note...back when I was first getting into the business, one of the contractors I worked for had a contract with a dealer that was affiliated with over 75 different dealerships...from Hyundai's to Lotus...I didn't drive and didn't even have a DL, but I wanted to drive that bucket truck! I "self taught" myself manul transmission shifting on some rather nice cars (new, used and customer owned). Back then (mid 80's) BMW's were very smooth :D ...but how many did I damage?
 
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