Selling Work Using Own Supplies ???

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I am building a grate for a fire pit for a customer.  I have all the metal on hand that I got from work at one time or another.  I don't know what to charge for this........any suggestions?
Reply:I'd charge what it takes to replace the material.I see a lot of new guys starting out who discount materials because they already have them on hand. That works fine in the beginning, but eventually you have to go out and buy stuff. All of a sudden your prices have to sky rocket to cover an expense you never bothered getting paid for in the past. If nothing else the money for the material can go into new stock on your shelf, or a tool you  have been wanting to invest in, but couldn't justify..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Right on as dsw put it. Treat the material like you bought it and you want to sell that material to the customer at profit so toucan pocket money and replace what you have used. Remember to take everything into account or you will eat up your profits trying to re-supply your rig. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:To me it would depend on the customer. Coincidentally I just did a fire grate for someone. I had material for free on hand and ended up not charging for it.It was an experimental grate that I was rather curious to know if it would work out. I figure I like FieldRes probably do more welding for the hell of it than for a job so why not make something useful? Plus the guy owns a multi million dollar business. He has offered to help me out for free in the past too.I realize money is a tool but I have never been too obsessed with it.Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkCRIME SCENES, COURT DATES, FUNERALS, RIDING THROUGH THE CITY WITH A BITCH THAT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL IT'S JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL.
Reply:If I need to know what the material is worth and don't feel you can accurately guess. its either a call to my supplier they are always willing to help or I base my price off a web site like metaldepot.com. You cant put in exact sizes but I usually break it down by the foot or square foot depending on material. As a rule I try not to give much away especially to a new customer. I give them good work at a fair price. Been burned to many time early on by big talkers looking for a lot for nothing out of the gate making it sound like they would be a regular customer only to never hear from them again. But I have been in the same boat as Mike also. I have certainly hooked up good customers on small things specially when it might be experimental or have personal interest in it.
Reply:the problem he's going to have is steel pricing is all over the map depending where you live and where you buy from. the guy has ten welding macines listed in his signature so I'm guessing he is a bit seasoned and knows a steel supplier or two , but if not a general rule of thumb is steel is $1 a pound when bought in full 20' length sticks.to be a profitable business charge no less than 3x your costs. make your project and weigh it and charge him $3 a pound as a wild asss guess/price.
Reply:go onto a site like 'onlinemetals.com' or something and you can get a pretty good idea of that it'd cost to replace what your're using.  then you can add labor but youll know about what you have in the materials.
Reply:An old fabricator years ago told me "There is no such thing as scrap metal in my shop." What he meant by that was if he sold or used metal he charged for it. If he cut a circle out of a square foot of plate he charged for the whole square foot. You have to do this or your labor rate ends up buying material instead of paying you.Now, lest he sound like some tightwad, he was very generous, often giving away small projects and metal out of his scrap bins to anyone that had an interest in welding or metal working. Local collage kids loved him because he was a good source of practice pieces. But he couldn't afford to do that if he didn't charge properly.Mr. HE
Reply:I never left a drop at the steel yard  but bought plenty that others left behind.