Rates, rates, rates...
Rates, rates, rates...
I got a call from a company that services malls, from Chicago the day after Thanksgiving (found us on the internet...) I told him it would be considered an emergency call, and quoted him $108 / hr. He waited 2 seconds and said "Ok."
I normally charge $59 / hr for Residential service calls and $64 / hr for commercial ones.
I am toying around with charging a $30 service charge for projects under 4 hours, or just making an up front: First 1/2 hour is: $59... then $59 for every hour there after... (Right now I use the service charge)
Bidding:
I usually bid my jobs at a $42 - $48 labor rate because I have guys on the job for 8 hours a day, weeks at a time.
Area: Southern Colorado.
Bedrooms / Houses: I like to get $2.50 to $4.00 a sq.ft. More custom = higher per ft.
I went low on a job once. I bid $1200 for a 900 sqft basement... I got beat out. The guy beat me by 30%... $900... a whopping $1 per square foot! I didn't want the job then! No stinkin way! My material was going to cost between $500 - $700...
(I was new... what can I say.)
Point is, sometimes someone is going to beat you, and it may be because THEY are stupid... not you!
Don't lower your prices. I rasied mine 3 times this year...
There is a local company that uses the smiley faced yellow vans... They charge $3000 for a residential service upgrade. They do tons of them! I have trouble charging $1300 for one...
Guess advertising is the big issue... Not so much on rates... (That company specifically works in residential remodel... nothing new... nothing commercial... Their labor rate (which no one is supposed to know) is $200 / hr.