What would you charge for this job?

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2hr min @ $75hr = $150
$55 for the lens my guy broke,
$3000 for when we had the wrong ballast and had to go back to the supply house and rear ended the old guy in the caddy.
$3,800 The mark up on our workmans comp policy since the same guy just fell from the ladder.
$25 parts.

Total=$5,730
Thats why we don't do small jobs anymore.
 
"So in Ca, i am allowed to put the public in danger, with unqualified workers, unless the consumer pays $500 or more."

You cannot believe the work that is being done by "handymen," and do they ever put the public in danger, you should see some of the work I get to fix. If they get a city business lic. ($150) in Silicon Valley, about the same in most CA cities, they are legal to do almost anything (can't do alarm systems) as long as the owner gets the permits (it never happens) and the total cost of the job is not over $500.00. However, once you have a contractors lic. you can work anywhere in the state without further testing. Cities and counties cannot regulate contractors but they verifiy your lic. when you get the permit. This part of the law makes it easier for contractors.
 
77401
I take the small jobs alone. I only use electricians (licensed!) if it is going to be more than one days work. I have to pay 8 hrs. I don't worry about having every major part. (Just every small part.) I have 4 electrical dists. in my area not counting Graybar, and 6 home depots (sorry) within 25 mins. so I don't need a big inventory on the truck. The real profit killer is not having some of the inexpensive parts that take a 45 minute drive to purchase.
 
10 minute drive from shop so it is across street from shop 2 minute walking distance
park truck at shop
walk to jobsite with ladder and tools Kliens wirestripper ten-in one multimeter
30 minutes to an hour to find someone who knows where light fixture that is not working is located and another 30 minutes to find someone who has key to closet that light fixture is in
10 to 15 minutes to remove ballast
tell people that you are going to supply house for ballast and what time you will be back
take ladder and tools and ballast back to truck
spend 1 or 2 hours driving to supply house 10 miles down the road
spend 1 hour at supply house getting ballast
spend another 1 or 2 hours driving back to job arrivring when you said you would be back in fact you are half hour early
carry ladder tools and new ballast back to closet find closet locked
spend an hour to find someone who has key to closet
10 to 15 minutes to install new ballast
30 minutes clean area fill out paperwork find someone authorized to sign for work done
$150 per hour 2 hour minimum =$300
$50 for ballast ( price of ballast plus 40 percent)
total bill $350
go back to shop for next assignment
argue with boss about why 2 hour job took so long
get jobs for next day and go home
 
The responses are interesting. This is the type of work (service work) we specialize in. It is our niche.
The humorous stories are all very true in some cases.

What's great is when you do a job like this, it takes 35 min, you bill minimum 1 hr plus material and get paid quickly!

When something goes haywire--strange ballast--broke lens, crashed truck, etc, you have to be versatile enough to regroup and make a few more bucks elsewhere.
 
definitely some funny electricians.
Problem is so much of the humor is actually true.
I remember the time a customer sent me out of my usual are to a rent house for a service call.
Not knowing the area, I plow thru a school zone while my nose is in the map looking for the street & I get a ticket in this small town. Not thinking this small town would do too much I decide to wait to pay till I get a letter of default.
Well the day after the due date I get a knock at my door & 2 plain clothes cops pick me up.
Take a guess what this small job cost me???
 
We do all these type jobs at T&M. 70/hour for journeyman and apprentice. Ballast and lamps would be about 35.00. We're in a small town (5000 population) central Texas, competing against jak legs that charge 45.00/hr whether it's one man (owner) or two (his son or cousin).
We get customers that really care about the job being done right, but there's still plenty of them that don't that just get the cheapest guy to do it.
 
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