Handyman-type job calls

[jmellc]

I had a sorta-similar one years ago in an older home. The primary complaint was an intermittent laundry circuit, and second was a dead living-room receptacle.

Someone intercepted a non-grounded 14-3 NM between the 3-way switches in the living-room to feed a grounded 12-2 NM to feed a new washing machine.

You guessed it: when the 3-way near the front door was flipped, it switched between the washing machine working and energizing the washer's cabinet.

"Let's see . . . black to black, white to white, red to bare. That'll work!"

Seen a few similar to that too. “Well, the washer only works when the light is on.”

 

[jmellc]

Had a guy call that he could use the ceiling fan or light but not both. Someone had correctly installed a duplex switch but half if it was a 3 way & that’s what was hooked up, making it a selector switch between fan & light.

 

[Jerramundi]

I would say Larry knows his overhead, job cost, and profit margin, he didn't just grab it out of thin air.

Roger

Fair enough. I don't know him well enough to discern, but he seems alright in my book

I'm just saying most people I've encountered who utilize what I call "the magical $150" couldn't explain it mathematically if they had to. The typical response being a chest puff and a "it just costs what it costs" or the best response "you don't ask a doctor how he calculates his costs, do you?" Anyone paying attention to healthcare in this country should be asking the doctor that question, but I digress.

I get to $150 on some of my opening costs, but I don't use it a flat rate... and the ones that I do get to it on, it's mathematically based... Labor Rate + Material + 20% T+M Markup/Profit Margin... and all of my opening costs have a meticulously calculated T+M basis.

I'll take my cookie now.

 

[jeff48356]

Especially for 3-way switches. I don't know how many calls I've had where a handyman or HO has bought SP switches and tried to replace a 3-way with them or have an actual 3-way and didn't know how to wire it. Had one where they said "it has three terminals and I put a wire on each one" turns out it was a SP and they used the ground for one of the conductors and couldn't figure out why the breaker kept tripping!

I assume they had a metal box that was grounded. They're lucky. If they had a plastic box, thus nowhere left to attach the ground wire, the frame would have become energized, thus creating a shock hazard.

 

[electrofelon]

Fair enough. I don't know him well enough to discern, but he seems alright in my book

I'm just saying most people I've encountered who utilize what I call "the magical $150" couldn't explain it mathematically if they had to. The typical response being a chest puff and a "it just costs what it costs" or the best response "you don't ask a doctor how he calculates his costs, do you?" Anyone paying attention to healthcare in this country should be asking the doctor that question, but I digress.

I get to $150 on some of my opening costs, but I don't use it a flat rate... and the ones that I do get to it on, it's mathematically based... Labor Rate + Material + 20% T+M Markup/Profit Margin... and all of my opening costs have a meticulously calculated T+M basis.

I'll take my cookie now.

$150 seems cheap to me for a minimum. I would be at more than that. Its a free country I can charge whatever I feel makes it worth my while and it doesnt matter if there is a formula behind it or not.

 

[jeff48356]

It's easy: $100/hr + $50 to get me there. I have omitted the $50 for calls from customers who intentionally called me because we're in the same neighborhood.

However, I rarely quote the hourly except for troubleshooting and other impossible-to-know work, in which cases I'll either fix it or quote the repair by then.

Well, actually, I still charge $50 for basic service calls within my own subdivision, if they're an hour or less. Otherwise, I'm at $80 within the city of Livonia; $100 for Plymouth, Northville, or Westland; $120 for Garden City, Dearborn, or Dearborn Heights.

 

[electrofelon]

You guys are cheap. $100 -$150 for a licensed professional to drive an hour round trip and fix some annoying dumb thing? I think you should look at what other professionals are charging for site visits.

 

[grich]

Actually I think installing/changing devices is one of the more challenging skilled things we do...

For some reason the thought of gem boxes packed with crumble-wire NM or BX popped into my head.

 

[Coppersmith]

You guys are cheap.

I would say VERY cheap.

 

[AC\DC]

Ugh Larry, you're a $150 guy? Damn, and I was just starting to like you, lol.

I like Larry even more now!

 

[Jerramundi]

Its a free country I can charge whatever I feel makes it worth my while and it doesn't matter if there is a formula behind it or not.

Never said you couldn't boss. You do you. I'm just not a fan.

 

[Jerramundi]

You guys are cheap. $100 -$150 for a licensed professional to drive an hour round trip and fix some annoying dumb thing? I think you should look at what other professionals are charging for site visits.

Not as cheap as you would think when all is said and done...
For example, for a job I'm pricing out now, one (1) opening is a 10 ft. + Quad Receptacle located outdoors.

All Materials $78.00
1 hour Labor @ $40/hr. (friend rate) = $40.00
T+M Subtotal = $118.00
30% Gross O/P on T+M = $35.40
(Net about 20%)

TOTAL = $153.40

Boom... $150. Just not $150 out of thin air like some of the guys I've encountered, especially GC's. Buy hey that's a GC for ya.

 

[LarryFine]

For $80 in materials cost and an hour of labor, I'd be at $250 retail for what you described.

$150 labor + $100 materials = $250.

 

[Jerramundi]

For $80 in materials and an hour of labor, I'd be at $250 retail for what you described.

Hey, if you can get jobs like that, have it at it.

I personally don't know anyone that would pay that for a single receptacle opening... and I still get scoffed at for my price.

I'm only 33 years old and people look at me like I'm hustling, even though I was in the field 10+ years before I ever got licensed and have been for almost 5 years now and have a vocational education. So I gotta have some math behind my numbers. Plus, I'm an advocate of transparency.

I also gotta stay competitive.

 

[LarryFine]

In addition to the hour on site, there's shopping time and travel, and travel to the job and back.

By the time you're done, the job has consumed two hours or more.

 

[Jerramundi]

Poor OP. I really gotta stop hi-jacking these threads.

Take these "handyman jobs." It's work and doing it the right way takes electrical knowledge and skill.
So it's definitely NOT "handyman work."

Take it. Feast or famine... and the winter be coming.

 

[Jerramundi]

In addition to the hour on site, there's shopping time and travel, and travel to the job and back.

By the time you're done, the job has consumed two hours or more.

I don't charge for the time I'm driving or the time I'm walking around Home Depot...
...but fuel costs, vehicle depreciation, insurance, all built into that 10% of the non-netted O/P.

If it's a BIG JOB and materials take some serious prepping, i'll tack on some Administrative Fees / Office Hours.
But theoretically one should be in and out of the supply house in under 15 minutes.

Yes, I know. The time spent driving could be time on another job and that's valuable. I know, I know... I've gotten this speech 1,000x haha

 

[AC\DC]

I also gotta stay competitive.

Not stepping on toes here cause you and me are in about the same price point. Though this was an eye opener

Today I had a good example of why that thinking, of “stay competitive “ I Need to overcome.
I Posted a thread about another EC couple weeks ago. Well I got a call from a Lady today that said that same Ec was charging 160 plus a minimum of a two hour charge. So basically 320 just for labor for a service call. I told her mine, went to do the job.

Took me 20 minutes had two other small jobs less than an hour. Looking at my checks had 300 for about a true hour of work. Then I sit back and think WOW I could of had 1,080.
That EC does small job just as much as I do.

 

[Jerramundi]

WOW I could of had 1,080.
That EC does small job just as much as I do.

Eh, let him. I'm not the kinda guy that can sleep well at night with that kinda rate.
Some guys get away with that and sleep like a rock. Me, I'd be tossing and turning feeling like I cheated someone.
I'm not accusing anyone of anything. It's just who I am.

I sleep good w/ my present rate and even better knowing I balanced my needs with the affordability of other regular working people like me.
But I don't wanna re-hash an old debate.

Ya'll do you. In the words of Electrofelon - "It's a free country (for now)."

 

[Jerramundi]

... and to the OP, take that work while you can. I'm out.
Time for a root-beer float and some stand-up comedy *mic drop* haha.