How much do you charge for a service call

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LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
$150 1st hour, $100 each additional.

Even with $65-75 rates, the first hour should incur an additional charge.

Kinda like with retro-fitting recessed lights: the first one is the expensive one.
 

SEO

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Seven mile radius first 1/2 hr $119.00 ($22.00 each 15 min thereafter) Out of area rates $145.00 first 1/2 hr ($22.00 each 15 min thereafter.)
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Now if there was lets say 20 EC's in your area how many out of those do you think charge as well?
Charge as well, or charge as much? Hopefully, they all charge something.

I'd rather do 2 service calls for $150 each than four for $75 each.
 

satcom

Senior Member
Just my area alone it is $150 plus or minus a few dollars just to get to the house, then the give a flate rate to do the work, there are not too many electricians working for wages left, most everyone uses the flat rate guys, they have clean lettered vans, dresses in nice uniforms, and usually present a professional appearance.
 

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
While I do not do residential, I did have an HVAC tech here yesterday.


He was here less than an hour $180.00 plus $40.00 trip charge, no material total $220.00
 

Mr. Wizard

Senior Member
Location
Texas
I charge a little under $75 an hour. I hear the average rate around here is $62.50 an hour. I feel as though while a customer is concerned about the cost, if he/she feels comfortable with you and your work, they'll pay for the piece of mind that comes with quality work.
 

stevenj76

Senior Member
Any electrician surveying this website will get the mistaken impression that most shops are in the business of making service calls to a home or business for the home/business owner.

Most electricians work for EC's who sub for GC's. When a time ticket comes up, it is $55 an hour. The GC adds on another 5% for his cut. Any part of that change that was in the original bid, say a termination or breakers, etc. they will not get charged time for, its very strict.

Don't try and dissect the cost, its pretty much labor&burden, end of story. Must be good business, because its one of the biggest shops in the US. In other words, working for HO's is not the bread and butter.
 

Mule

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
I want to know, where is all the EC's that Slam'd me so hard back when I stated these same rates a long long time ago :mad:......I thought I was way cheapier than everyone, turnes out Im the same.....You turkeys, who ever your were....................:)
 

mxslick

Senior Member
Location
SE Idaho
LOL Mule, keep in mind my current profession is in cinema service, not an EC.. :)

And yet I am about average for techs in my area..
 

B4T

Senior Member
Normally it's a $90.00 fee. I give retired people a break on service calls. If no material, I charge $25.00 and tell them it's their lucky day, I am running a special. There is something about being on a fixed income and living on Long Island that affects my brain. Guess I have heard too many horror stories of elderly people getting ripped off by scumbags who see an easy mark.
 

Mule

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
Normally it's a $90.00 fee. I give retired people a break on service calls. If no material, I charge $25.00 and tell them it's their lucky day, I am running a special. There is something about being on a fixed income and living on Long Island that affects my brain. Guess I have heard too many horror stories of elderly people getting ripped off by scumbags who see an easy mark.

Went on a service call a while back, elderly widow lady had a BR breaker tripped in the garage in a lower part of town. She had too many elect heaters pluged in....Breaker wouldnt reset, tapped on it with the butt of my screwdriver while reseting it with my left hand, and snap it reset, and then it worked fine....told her they were junk breakers when they are brand new.....gave her my card, said "no charge" call me again sometime....I had a friend for life.!!!....If I had charged her $75 she would had bad mouthed me up and down the street, then at church on sunday......any body else, I would have changed the breaker out, and billed regular rates and markup....
 

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Was it an insect or a rodent that shorted the relay?


Tripped breaker/blown fuse :grin:


$85 here. It's often not a money maker but thats still what we are doing.

Last week I tightened a light bulb in a kit fixture. 15 min out, 15 min back, 5 minutes on the job. I probably broke even on that one.
 
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