Pricing

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We are going to be fixing a trailer, i just wanted to know what ya would charge for something like this. The reason im asking is because people are always complaining about our prices (too high).
Reply:Assuming you are a business and insured to work on trailers,  tell them to go check the liability rates for welding on trailers and other on highway stuff.   then tells them go elsewhere if they don't want too pay your rates...    End of Story as they will also be the first ones to try and sue you down the road..Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Thats what i'm saying, as it is we hardly charge enough to keep our doors open. Since 1995 when we open the shop, we haven't anybody come back with broken welds which is a good thing (knock on wood).Even the quarry plant we do work for has jew us down from $52 to $45 an hour. We did that to competite with the other welder there but i dont think we are going to last much longer there.
Reply:I once worked in a business that sold crankcase oil to very large industrial consumers.  We reviewed the business and discovered we were losing money on every sale as we kept "meeting the competition" on price .  We had no idea where else we could sell similar quantities so we decided to raise prices until we either made money or had no customers.We quickly heard from industry sources that they never could understand how we could sell so cheap.  We were in a "meet the competition death spiral" don't let yourself fall in that trap.  As to your specific question on pricing, if you cant cover materials, labor, and overheads it is a cash negative transaction so you might as well do nothing since at least then you aren't losing any money.
Reply:I don't know how you can afford to work for $45 an hour. I tinker out of my garage for $25 an hour plus all expenses including time and gas to go get supplies. I don't touch structural or roadway projects, so I don't worry about insurance, and 99% of my work is from one friend. By the time I charge for consumables and labor, it is usually hitting $45 an hour.Dynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:Cost times 3, is what I got out of a business course at Boston University, but that was back in the 80's.I have seen it still used today in many business models.However, a friend of mine is a independent carpenter and he does materials times 2.Edit: Cost being everything from electric to run the machine, grinder, all consumables, man hours, etcLast edited by skelley521; 09-26-2011 at 05:02 PM.Semper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
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Reply:Originally Posted by turkI don't know how you can afford to work for $45 an hour. I tinker out of my garage for $25 an hour plus all expenses including time and gas to go get supplies. I don't touch structural or roadway projects, so I don't worry about insurance, and 99% of my work is from one friend. By the time I charge for consumables and labor, it is usually hitting $45 an hour.
Reply:round numbers, $500.00 to fix that right.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:It doesn't matter what you charge people will always complain and try to haggle. You could do it for free and someone would complain it wasn't soon enough. Do you ever hear anyone say man thats all or what a deal.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:farmshop you are so, so right!I did work for a local municipality for years, one day the guy in charge questions ONE job, wondering why it cost so much. I asked him, if in all the previous jobs had he ever thought I was too low on my price, he said sure, "Lot's of times."End of argument.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:So I guess it's common thing, that sucks.
Reply:All of my repairs are rate + materials.  I don't quote fixed prices on repairs, I don't like to work for free.You never know what you'll be getting involved in..Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:Being a Millwright, I tell them:"Want it done right? Call a Millwright.""If you just want it done, call anyone""When you get tired of having it done again & again, you'll wish you called me in the end.""Pay me now or pay me later"Semper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:Originally Posted by AsolisThats what i'm saying, as it is we hardly charge enough to keep our doors open. Since 1995 when we open the shop, we haven't anybody come back with broken welds which is a good thing (knock on wood).Even the quarry plant we do work for has jew us down from $52 to $45 an hour. We did that to competite with the other welder there but i dont think we are going to last much longer there.
Reply:That looks  like a trailer I had which was made by Ironhorse Mfg.  They were over in Orange or Beaumont area.  That thing must have taken some serious overloading to break tongue like that.  Are you going to replace the entire tongue.I realize you don't have the option to turn the job down but they really need a trailer better suited to the their load level.
Reply:Originally Posted by millerfabPerhaps a discontinued use of racist, anti-Semitic slurs will improve your business.
Reply:As I recall that Bulldog coupler is not cheap ($179???) and I wouldn't waste my time trying to cut it off and salvage it. New steel channel $60. 2 hours to cut off the old tongue and prep for new tongue. 2 hours to cut steel, tack and weld the new tongue. 1 hour to prep and paint. $139 materials + $375 labor = $514
Reply:Notice how little of that crack is fresh? How do you not notice that a major piece of you trailer is that badly cracked when you have to be jumping all around it to use the trailer?....and why wouldn't you take the opportunity to put on a new coupler at that point. they do wear out.I'd be very nervous about doing any repairs for an "unsafe trailerer" and I sure wouldn't do them for bargain basement prices.ps. you might want to have a chat with dad to tell him just how far a dollar goes these days.
Reply:25/75%  $100 to weld it and $400 penalty for being such a bonehead to damage in such a manner and then let it go."Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum"Lincoln Idealarc 250 AC/DCMillermatic 251   Syncrowave 300   30A spoolgunLincoln MP210Hypertherm 45(2) LN 25(2) Lincoln Weldanpower 225 CV(4) SA200   1 short hood    SA250    SAM 400
Reply:Originally Posted by GrooNotice how little of that crack is fresh? How do you not notice that a major piece of you trailer is that badly cracked when you have to be jumping all around it to use the trailer?....and why wouldn't you take the opportunity to put on a new coupler at that point. they do wear out.I'd be very nervous about doing any repairs for an "unsafe trailerer" and I sure wouldn't do them for bargain basement prices.ps. you might want to have a chat with dad to tell him just how far a dollar goes these days.
Reply:Originally Posted by papaharley03We have a lot of that sort of stuff on the roads here in TX. I routinely see 1/2 ton p/u trucks with the bed practically rubbing against the tires from being so overloaded.Let's just say that a lot of the labor force in these parts are of the it's not broke until it's really, really broke mind set. I'll leave it up to the reader's imagination to determine what ethnicity and background might be involved.Papa
Reply:Originally Posted by kolot25/75%  $100 to weld it and $400 penalty for being such a bonehead to damage in such a manner and then let it go.
Reply:As far as price I don't try to compete with the three shops in my area, I charge $75.00 per hr and that is $10-15 more per hr than they charge. I pride myself on quality work and word of mouth brings customers my way, if they want it cheap go see the next guy and later on they will pay more to have it done over the correct way. Don't sell yourself short if you do quality work, if you fall into that trap you will soon have to close the doors!LarryMiller XMT 304 CC/CVSyncrowave 180 SDLincoln PowerMig 255XTTermalDynamics 52Lincoln 305GComlpete machine shop to back it up