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In eastern WA you'll see anywhere from $55-$65 for one man and around $95-$110 for a journyman and helper. Those aren't rates from garage ran businesses either but companies with an office, secretary and trucks. Yeh it's hard to survive here.
 
wireman71 said:
In eastern WA you'll see anywhere from $55-$65 for one man and around $95-$110 for a journyman and helper. Those aren't rates from garage ran businesses either but companies with an office, secretary and trucks. Yeh it's hard to survive here.
I read an article that in Wa houses were being wired for $1.00 sq/ft
 
wireman71 said:
In eastern WA you'll see anywhere from $55-$65 for one man and around $95-$110 for a journyman and helper. Those aren't rates from garage ran businesses either but companies with an office, secretary and trucks. Yeh it's hard to survive here.


I'm afraid to ask what a j-man is worth...
 
here is something to bear in mind...20 yrs ago, we were charging $65/hr/man...today guys are charging $65/hr/man

we made money on that 20 yrs ago....today, the only ones making money at that rate are larger shops.

the OH to run 2 men out a garage is only about $3000-$5000 month less than running 20 men out of a shop (not including direct costs...ie labor burden, etc)

so, if it costs $1000 month to run out of your garage, and you have 30 billable hours week/man (total of 240 billable hrs/month), just your OH is $4.15/hr

now for the 20 man shop, at the same level of productivity, they will have 2400 billable hours/month....let's say their OH is $5000/month...that's $2.10/hr for OH...or 1/2 of the small shop with "no overhead"

a shop that is larger and has been around for a while can convceivably charge less and make more...doesn't mean that a new guy starting out can survive on those prices...
 
My guys working T&M always have more than 40 billable hours a week. If they do 3 jobs in a day there is 9 or more billable hours....With travel supply house trips, ECT.....
 
brian john said:
My guys working T&M always have more than 40 billable hours a week. If they do 3 jobs in a day there is 9 or more billable hours....With travel supply house trips, ECT.....

even more reason why you can make money at a lower rate...you have way more productivity.

a 1-2-3 man shop will have way more downtime and unbillable hours...

granted we are comparing you with a specialized niche and limited competitors vs. general electric work and a boatload of guys who don't know what a P&L is...
 
Another thing I've seen the larger shops do is buy materials in bulk. Wire by the pallet and what not. Must translate into some savings I would think. Also seen all commonly used materials stocked. Saves on supply house runs.
 
This post shows one MAJOR reason why I wish everyone would update their profile and add their location. Labor rates, fuel, cost of living vary greatly from area to area.

I attended a seminar and we were discussing a dilapidated cape cod that was being worked on I commented in my area that thing would sell for 350,000-400,000, a guy from New York City area said something like in his area that was 400,000 plus a guy from Iowa said "heck in my area we'd tear it down and start over, no one would buy that junk".


One guy can make it on $55.00 an hour and another struggles at $90.00.


LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
 
Rates

nizak said:
What are some hourly rates (non unuion) for electrical work around the country? Where I live there are so many small one or two man companies that charge low rates it's hard to compete with them.

South East Florida,
We see no difference between union and non-union rates. $75 to $110 per hour for service work.
What have you small shop guys been using for your margin and profit on materials?
With some of the smaller stuff we have noticed 200% to 300% bigger ticket down to 20% to 50%.
I wouldnt overlook the gravy of materials when deciding rates.
 
brian john said:
This post shows one MAJOR reason why I wish everyone would update their profile and add their location.

Maybe you will start the revolution?
 
I apologize when I first set up my profile I had Leesburg, VA. Not sure when I deleted that or why. Maybe it was the time that stalker said..............
 
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.
 
Greg Swartz said:
I normally charge $59 / hr for Residential service calls and $64 / hr for commercial ones.

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.
Why in the world would you only charge $59 per hour for residential service calls when another company in your area is getting $200 per hour?

Sounds like you're losing out on a lot of money.

If they're getting $200 per hour shouldn't be able to get a least a $100 per hour?

I would think you'd be able to get more than $59 per hour. I'd keep raising my prices.

You raised your price 3 times this year and you're still only charging $59 per hour?
 
Its an average,permit costs around here are not that high that fudging is a problem.Even if thjey are off it can show you if you are to low,somebody has to be the highest electrician in town it might as well be me.
 
Rewire said:
I keep track of my market a very simple way is to check on pulled permits in your area and see what is being charged.

if you trust those numbers, i got a dam in the hudson river to sell you...

besides, what does it tell you? without looking at the actual job and knowing the actual conditions...it gives you nothing...sorry..
 
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