Charging for a helper

[Mule]

Our shop charges about $10/hr less than the journeyman rate for apprentices regardless of their experience. Service calls, bids, whatever, the price stays the same.

Not saying this is right, just what our shop charges.:smile: We also have a shop guy too, if we decide we can use him as manual labor, digging trenches, cleaning up the jobsite etc, sometimes we'll bill him out at apprentice rates too if he saves the electricians from having to do the work.

With that said, While on the job today, the customer comes up to me and ask, " do you mind if I ask you a question?" I said no, shoot. So he ask," how much to do plumbers charge?" So I said, well all of the ones I know charge $75/hr why? So then he goes on to tell me how this plumber and his helper worked 1 1/2/hr and charged $229, with no materials. So, all I knew to say, was that as a apprentice works through his apprenticeship he's worth closer to full jman rates. So the customer says, well he didnt do anything...

So, we all know that the customer doesnt see the whole picture, but Im just pointing out that the customer wants value for what he is charged, and to me, in a small town, it matters to me what the customer thinks....:smile:

 

[ohm]

Our shop charges about $10/hr less than the journeyman rate for apprentices regardless of their experience. Service calls, bids, whatever, the price stays the same.

Not saying this is right, just what our shop charges.:smile: We also have a shop guy too, if we decide we can use him as manual labor, digging trenches, cleaning up the jobsite etc, sometimes we'll bill him out at apprentice rates too if he saves us from having to do the work.

Sounds like you guys have it nailed. If your doing mechanical work (unistrut) or digging trenches the young guy with the shovel or the socket set
should be making as much (if not more) than the JM.

Just place yourself in the shoes of the client. He probably would go along with your method, at least until the helper started standing around watching the JM.