posted
So how much extra do you charge when you bring out your own scaffold and/or ladder. Do you figure how long it's takes to load/unlord/setup and down, then haul it all back home. And then charge your normal hourly rate by the hours it takes to do all of this extra work? For example... 1 hour load and setup time 1 hour take down and take home time. So that would mean 2 hours extra into the job. This is for my own equipment only.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Alicia.... I don't bill that directly. I hid all those cost factors into the cost of the sign. Trust me I have learned this from nit picky customers.
Charge what your shop labour rate is....it is all work!
-------------------- Steve Thomas Greer ABRACADABRA SIGNS & DESIGNS 102 Stanley St. Ayr, Ont. Canada Posts: 602 | From: Ayr, Ontario. Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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I don't consider this work extra as its part of doing that specific job. When doing work for contractors, if they provide the ladders and scaffolding (hopefully those genie lifts!) and its all set up and ready to go, then I'll give them a break in the price because it does save me time.
But if I have to use my own equipment, then it's part of the job and not an 'extra', and yes I do charge my standard hourly rate for the set up and take down, in fact, I'll charge from the time I leave my place until the time I get back, thats a standard charging practice.
posted
It's all part of the service I provide and I factor that into the cost of the job. Once when I painted a barn, the job was contingent upon the client renting the scaffolding! They didn't care. Love...Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I charge from the time I get to the job till the time I leave. Whether I leave the ladders on my truck or put them away is my business, not theirs.
I've hired folks to do jobs at my place and when they charged travel time to get here, I resented it, so I don't want to do that to others.
If you have a job in an office, do you clock in when you leave for work in the morning? When you're getting dressed? They're all preparations for work?
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6722 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hiya Alicia, All of our equipment is factored into the cost of doing business. That includes ladders, drills, computers, plotters, software, etc. Our hourly rate also includes the eventual upgrades and/or replacement of this equipment. So, you can say that even though an installation does not require the use of my ladders, they are paying me to have access to one when it's needed. When we use a ladder on site, we do take this into consideration when quoting the job. we may add a half hour on the installation time to cover the time it takes to load up the ladder and get it to the site. Anything above and beyond, such as scaffolds or specialty items and the associated expense of acquiring these items are passed along to the client. If the client would like to save money, the can acquire the equipment themselves.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Alicia, Don't ever ask a client to supply ladders. They expect you to take care of all that as a professional. Price the complete job start to finish including travel, putting away tools and clean-up etc. Have fun. . . Enjoy it or don't do it.. . . John Arnott
-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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I wonder what your insurance company will say when you get hurt using someone elses ladder.
there is a whole can of worms out there to be opened working for and against you by using someone elses equipment. All the money in the world cant make up for loss of the ability to walk or perform normal human functions. Do you want to rely on someone elses equipment when your life/health is the most important thing to your continued success.
-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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I don't itemize, but I do build a charge for ladders, etc. into job price.
You paid for the equipment initially and eventually you'll have to pay to replace it, be it a ladder, scaffold, or even printer. Each job that equipment is used on should also have an 'equipment fund' factored into it so it pays for itself and/or it's replacement.
If you're traveling to a job, also build in $ for your time to gather equipment, drive there, unload it, reload it, drive back to shop, unload & put everything back where it belongs. If not, you're throwing money away. Instead of taking the time to do all this, you could be working on paying jobs so why shouldn't your time be paid for to prep for this job?
Good point Harris.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:I've hired folks to do jobs at my place and when they charged travel time to get here, I resented it, so I don't want to do that to others....If you have a job in an office, do you clock in when you leave for work in the morning? When you're getting dressed? They're all preparations for work?
Rick, I have to travel 18 miles one way to my shop to work every day but don't charge the customer for that. But when I leave the shop to do an install, I'm on shop time. If you sent employees from your shop to do the install, would you not have to pay your employees for the time they're traveling and loading/unloading tools? Some of the tools I use on installs like ladders, gas-powered hole augers, post drivers, bags of sakrete etc., don't stay on my truck. It also takes time to load and unload these things.
Taking it to the extreme, we did a job last year where we had to travel over 270 miles one way to install. I had asked the customer to see if they could find another installer near the location but they insisted that I do it. The installation took less than two hours but I charged them from the time we left the shop til we got back, taking out time for lunch. I got on the interstate and did about 85 most of the way so we didn't cheat on the time but would have lost money for sure if we'd just charged for the install.
[ May 02, 2005, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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I do 'on site' work for many contractors. As a rule, any piece of equipment that I would need, is already there...I use them. If I need something that is not already available there, of course I charge for it! the same holds for non construction customers.
If they need an itemized invoice, I list all the signs, by subject and size, plus "installation and equipment".... no further breakdown. otherwise the Purchasing Agent will drive you crazy with questions.
Werks fer me!
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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