horly rate

[opm electrical]

i have just started up as a self emplyed sparky and while i am aware that the best way to price a job is per item, but when working out the price of a job i was baseing the time cost on £15 per hour and i have also taken on a job where all materials were supplied thus pricing for labour only. i have been told by a few people that £15 p/h is too low and i'm ripping myself off. how high do i go without taking the ****.
teesside area

 

[ajelec10]

Its defiantly to low, Your hourly rate doesn't just cover your 'Wages' it need to incorporate all of you overheads. Eg, cost of your van, cost to run your van (tax, mot, insurance, servicing,) cost of your insurances (public liability) cost of your enrollment fees to your governing body, and the list goes on and on, depending on your area 25 an hour is probably about where you need to be at a minimum
Regards
AJ

 

[sparkswillfly]

agreed

 

[dolomite]

You've got to work out how much fuel you use to get to jobs, wear and tear on you're van and all the other little bits that'll add up all to quickly.
It's too easy to think your making good money with lots of cash coming in, till the bills arrive!!
I'd work out what you need to take as a wage, then try to work out your bills over the week/month/year etc and add all that on.
You've got to bear in mind you might not be earning every hour of every day of the week etc and factor that in too!
Its not easy, but £25ph seems to be about right for most places.

Dolomite

 

[Dazza1976]

Id say that £25 per hour is even too cheap.
Most electrical contractors in London/Surrey area are charging around £60-80 per hour.
Have a look on The Handy Squad website, they mainly just do maintenence work, and they charge £70 for the 1st hour and £35 per half hour after that.

If you put yourself out for £40-£50 per hour you are still giving customers a good deal compared to other firms out there .

 

[mr david]

Daza I agree with you but having had experiance of being self employed on Teesside price over £20p/h and you wont get any work, simple as that.

 

[ajelec10]

Id say that £25 per hour is even too cheap.
Most electrical contractors in London/Surrey area are charging around £60-80 per hour.
Have a look on The Handy Squad website, they mainly just do maintenence work, and they charge £70 for the 1st hour and £35 per half hour after that.

If you put yourself out for £40-£50 per hour you are still giving customers a good deal compared to other firms out there .

Let me know where i can get 60pph and ill be there with my tools in the morning, might even throw in some extras. lol
AJ

 

[danzor]

I think £60ph is more what bigger firms charge as they higher overheads. (Office wages to cover, office fees etc) I live in London and I'd say £40-50ph is about right for 1 man band

 

[ajelec10]

We have 8 guys on at the mo and 60pph is still very high.

 

[opm electrical]

ill join ajelec for £60 p/h. see you in the morning lol. seriously though thanks for the advice

 

[Des 56]

Just read the thread and saw only the mention of £60 an hour
Where do I start
When can I start
Why cant I start ?

 

[Spudnik]

£25/ hr is average, especially at the moment.

And again, it very much depends on where you are in the country.

 

[Modernelectric]

count me in for 60 pound per hour. people that pay that much are naive and are not shopping around for value!

25 pound seems reasonable! if a tradesmen came in my house and told me he charged 60 pound per hour i would laugh him back out of the door and down the driveway.

 

[Mark2009]

i have just started up as a self emplyed sparky and while i am aware that the best way to price a job is per item, but when working out the price of a job i was baseing the time cost on £15 per hour and i have also taken on a job where all materials were supplied thus pricing for labour only. i have been told by a few people that £15 p/h is too low and i'm ripping myself off. how high do i go without taking the ****.
teesside area

Hi
I would say way to low, £15.00 per hour working for an agency or company but if you are serious in business then 60 to 80 pounds per hour is not to much, if you supply men then anything between 250 to 350 per man per day.

I would price for Materials at full cost and then the price for your day rate and don't forget that you will get the materials at discount, i would not do cheap work for anyone if they want cheap they will get cheap.

Thanks

Mark

 

[A&MELECTRICAL]

I have had to drop my rate drastically to stay competitive, If you are still landing jobs at £60 an hour you are very lucky, i am charging a maximum of £20 an hour at the moment and we are still getting undercut by huge amounts.