Too much money

[bth0mas20]

I have recently became incorperated at the begining of this year. I have an addition that im wiring for a contractor. The homeowner asked me to do run a wire to a flagpole and set a light with a photocell and 30ft of trenching. Also he asked me to wire a shed. The shed was 125ft of trenching. After materials about $200 and 4.5 hrs for me and my help I charged $585. Does that sound crazy to you?

The contractor is a friend of mine. He told the contractor that next time he will deff get a rock bottom price for my work. I asked him if the work was exactly what he wanted and he said that he was happy with the work. I showed up when he wanted it done with no wait list. I dont think I was unreasonable with my price. It just aggervates me that he would say that.
For now on Im going to tell people the about price before even when they tell me to just do it and bill them. Im trying my best to be fair with out working for free. Some are telling me that for the first year I should be basically working for free to gain a client list. I understand that but I still have bills to pay.

If im going to be broke I will also be well rested.

 

[mdshunk]

585 for a pole light and wire a shed? With trenching? ...and the customer wants to cry about it?

Don't let people like this get to you. Get some sleep and forget it ever bothered you enough to post about it. Some people have serious misconceptions about what electrical wiring costs. That has nothing to do with you. And yes, up front pricing is the trend for resi customers nowadays.

 

[brantmacga]

definitely not too high. I wouldn't worry about it. Everyone I work for thinks I'm too high, but they keep on callin'. I've had a couple that in a round-a-bout way called me a crook. They didn't call back.

 

[chris kennedy]

IAfter materials about $200 and 4.5 hrs for me and my help I charged $585. Does that sound crazy to you?

No, just very inexpensive.

 

[ItsHot]

price

price

Brandon be careful not to price yourself out of business your first year!

 

[mdshunk]

Brandon be careful not to price yourself out of business your first year!

Yes. For reference, I'd have been about $900-1100 for that same work. Maybe less if not much was happening to wire the shed inside.

 

[Ed Carr]

Brandon,That price was a bargain.My parents paid a couple of guys $500
last fall to rake the leaves off there lawn!

 

[76nemo]

So, what exactly arises out of this? A somewhat experienced handy man steps in and takes the bid. So what? Let it fall under their insurance. Realize you let a bid go to someone who otherwise doesn't care who does the work, just as long as it is cheaper.
Cut loose of the bid, if they don't want to pay, then let them gamble!

 

[ultramegabob]

I think your price was on the low side.... I dont let customers beat me up on my pricing, most of the people that call for electrical work have more and nicer stuff than I do, and what they are wanting is usually a luxoury (sp?). its the people that you bend over backwards and take a beating on the job that are never happy, and talk bad about you when its all said and done...

 

[tonyou812]

If I was doing the job myself I would have been around 950- 1100. If theres one thing ive learned in the past few months is dont worry about what every "potential" customer thinks about your pricing. If you start thinking like that youll never get ahead. I would say that about every 2 out of five customers will have something to say about the price. Dont worry about it you went into this buisness to make money so dont think like a wage worker.

 

[brantmacga]

Dont worry about it you went into this buisness to make money so dont think like a wage worker.

That's a good point. You gotta remember Brandon, you ain't garaunteed 40hrs; you gotta pack some away for the lean times! Not to mention puttin' a little hush money in the back pocket.

 

[bobbyho]

I think they got a good deal. I just lost on a 100amp upgrade the other day. They had 4 or 5 prices of which all of us except one were within $200.00 of one another. The winning bid came in at $550.00. Oh well,let 'em have it.

 

[wireman71]

They got a bargain any way you look at it.

 

[bth0mas20]

Its a good thing I own the trencher because if I had to rent one they really wouldnt have liked my price.

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[mdshunk]

Its a good thing I own the trencher because if I had to rent one they really wouldnt have liked my price.

Why are you selling your trencher to the customer for cheaper than you can rent one? The reason you buy equipment is so that you can make more money. Not so that you can give the customer a better deal.

Example:
Trencher rental for a job 100 bucks, cost to customer 200 bucks, your profit 100 bucks.
Trencher ownership for a job 20 bucks, cost to customer 200 bucks, your profit, 180 bucks.

You can sacrifice a little of the profit on equipment you own to get the job in a competitive bidding situation, but that's the only exception.

 

[active1]

Being expensive is mostly a perseption problem with the customer.
Keep in mind what an average person in your area makes per hour or week.
I does not matter how cheap you are becaouse sometimes they will compair what they make per hour/week to your time and bill. Don't listen to them because you will price yourself broke.

Also it could be they feel you should be cheaper than the next electrician. Things like truck age/appeariance, business phone number on internet & phone book vs a cell number, web site, nice business cards, uniforms or neat work cloths, cleant cut or unkept workers, issues speaking/understanding english, acting profesenal, insurance, permits, etc.

Then you have the used car salesman person where what ever price you give them it's too much and they want to negeotiate.

Whenever you give a price be ready to walk away if you don't get it. They want cheaper then offer less if possable.

 

[LarryFine]

After materials about $200 and 4.5 hrs for me and my help I charged $585.

He told the contractor that next time he will deff get a rock bottom price for my work.

He already did! :roll:

I'd have charged in the neighborhood of $700-750.

 

[LarryFine]

its the people that you bend over backwards and take a beating on the job that are never happy, and talk bad about you when its all said and done...

Yeah. Why is that?

 

[quogueelectric]

5 bucks a foot is the going rate for trenching in my area the trench alone would have been 750. Give them a tissue from me too. My wife ran my trencher over it is in bad shape. No kidding.

 

[LarryFine]

5 bucks a foot is the going rate for trenching in my area...

Okay, I'd like the 10 feet to my shed trenched, please. :grin: