pricing of jobs.

[5544]

I have to say i am crap at pricing jobs. always have been. Anyway i have not been involved in the actual pricing of jobs for some time. i will be going self employed in a few months so would like to get this right.


Q1. does anyone have a structured pricing guide which they use to price up domestic work. I know it will vary from individual but anything helps.


Q2. i have just completed the below job for a neighbour, more as a friend rather than work ( i know, always a mistake), and i know that quoting £940.00 labour was low (there are good reasons for that which has nothing to do with the money itself), but i was wondering what others would have roughly quoted, to give me some feedback.

all below were a new extension
1. make exisiting installation safe
2. living room- 8 double sockets, 2way lighting with 2 pendants. 2 tv points.
3. utility room - 3 spotlights, 1 switch, 3 double sockets, 3 single sockets below work surface. 3 SFU's
4, cloackrook room- 1 switch 2 spotrlights
5. kitchen- 8 spots, 2 other light fittings, 2 way switching, 5 double sockets 4 singles, 4 SFU's, 3 other terminals for appliances.
6. cooker circuit, - socket and connection terminmal.
7. freezer circuit to one socket
8, bedroom 1- 3 doubles sockets, 1 single, 1 tv point, 1 pendant
9. bedrrom 2 - 3 double sockets, 1 single, 1 tv point one pendant
10. bathroom 1. - 1 Fan, 3 pole isolator, sfu, wall light power, 1 switch, 1 light fitting
11. bathroom 2. - 1 fan, 1 switch, 3 pole isolator. 1 sfu
12. batheroom 3. - 1 fan. 3 pole isolator, 1 sfu, 1 swtich, 3 spots, 1 wall light
13. hall. - 1 doulbe socket, three way lighting.
14. 4 smoke detectors all main power interconnected.
15. 8 outside lights with 2 way switching.
16 .upgrade all earthing.
17. 15 way consummer unit installed
18. new garage consumer unit, 2 double sockets, 1 light, and earhting

lots of little things but this is the crux of it.

I know there will be many who will not disclose how much they would quote. i respect that but please dont rant on this thread. for those that will give me a ball park figure i would be very gratefull. Before anyone askes i am a qualified electrician, but i have been tucked up with other things for 5 years so am a little rusty. I am not intending to undercut anyone (well i know £940.00 is daft). i am purely asking in order to learn from this. i do not inted doing jobs for silly money in the future, and to be honest i would rather not do it at all if i meant i shoud.
kindest regards.

 

[brightspark2010]

Mate thats a lot of work and would definately be seeking more for labour cost at least double even off a m8 even more if it was someone you owed nothing and were actually trying to make a living

 

[5544]

i know. it is very complicated, to explain, but if anyone has a guide on how they price jobs, it would be of great benifit. i did think that there was about 2k in labour costs here, but would be nice to have others views as well.
thanks.

 

[trev]

I reckon you've sold yourself short mate but we have all done it and learnt the lesson. I'm not sure that there's a pricing guide on here but you could knock one up yourself on Excel since the cost of living varies from region to region.
I normally do it on a materials+expected time = price to customer basis. Sometimes I score a bit, sometimes I lose a bit

 

[Marvo]

I've also seen guys on the forum use a 'per point' pricing system. I'm sure this would vary depending on the location of the work and the type or building etc but it might be a handy, quick way to check your quotation to make sure you're in the right ballpark.

 

[rfears]

So how much do you mark up materials? Labour is simple I think - x hours/day times hour/day rate - but do you do materials at trade rate, or trade rate times y percentage?

I'm in the process of qualifying but have done "pub jobs" for friends and I always find it difficult to work out material prices and mark up on them.

 

[RWJ]

Hi there
I just saw your post on looking for help on pricing and think I can probably help.
A few years ago I created a simple pricing tool that makes pricing a piece of cake and we have been using it ever since. We originally had a big software package but it had practically 100 other features we never needed or used. It took 3 days training just to use it.
Anyway,,, The tool I use will have you popping out estimates in minutes. I cant post a link or anything here as someone will think I am marketing or something but you can pm me for details.
Thanks

Is there a cost to this "tool"?

 

[a1guvner]

Hi there
I just saw your post on looking for help on pricing and think I can probably help.
A few years ago I created a simple pricing tool that makes pricing a piece of cake and we have been using it ever since. We originally had a big software package but it had practically 100 other features we never needed or used. It took 3 days training just to use it.
Anyway,,, The tool I use will have you popping out estimates in minutes. I cant post a link or anything here as someone will think I am marketing or something but you can pm me for details.
Thanks

"someone might think your marketting" of your few previous posts they all boil down to the same statement, nice

 

[timo1]

I have been trying and failing for the last two years to get a consistent method of balancing parts labour etc and have done o.k with some, very poor with others. What I do now is charge a labour rate which I know I will get free and clear. The parts I pass on my trade saving to the customer and I ask if they agree to cover all the costs and I can give them the receipts which they are usually happy with. I tend to do smaller to medium sized jobs but I find this system works for me as I don't lose out on parts I've overlooked.

 

[a1guvner]

I have been trying and failing for the last two years to get a consistent method of balancing parts labour etc and have done o.k with some, very poor with others. What I do now is charge a labour rate which I know I will get free and clear. The parts I pass on my trade saving to the customer and I ask if they agree to cover all the costs and I can give them the receipts which they are usually happy with. I tend to do smaller to medium sized jobs but I find this system works for me as I don't lose out on parts I've overlooked.

We add a % markup to the goods to cover our costs on ordering, taking delivery of goods and general management of the procurement process

 

[Octopus]

£940 for all that listed - I have to say you're daft - its at least £2000.00 and that's not including "making the existing installation safe"

Have you tried to cost the parts at all??

You don't say where you are in the UK but regional has a bearing

 

[Snapester]

I would have been at least £1650 for labour only!

 

[Dave 85]

I'd charge my own mother three times that in labour....
You're being a bit shady about why you have to do it cheap...

You got their daughter cheggers?
Ran over their cat?
They gave you a kidney?

 

[Farmelectrics]

45 per point that's every point

 

[Dave 85]

£50 for me per point and even thats not enough on some jobs. People talking about selling materials at cost price....
What you are running is not a business its a charity.