Pricing automotive work

[Rich#1984]

What's the best way to price automotive work ive been asked to do a bit one is a patch on a transit connect sill the other is the inner boot of a cavalier I've always done my own but never charged anyone to do there's

 

[hotponyshoes]

First thing,
Don't work out the price based on the area of that red box.. that's not big enough..

 

[Rich#1984]

First thing,
Don't work out the price based on the area of that red box.. that's not big enough..

Yeah I know he put the box on trying to be funny it's more of a joke between us so I don't miss anything obvious

 

[Bornfree]

In my experience of welding on cars. It's think of a price, double it and add a zero on the end. And after that you will still be working for less than £5 an hour.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Price varies massively based on the quality of the repair the customer wants,

Mot worthy with a 1yr warranty:
New sill £100
Cutting discs, grinding discs, sanding belts wear & tear on the tools, £30
Remove & prep 2hrs
Fit up and adjust 1/2hr
Use of clamps/welder £30
Wire/gas £20
Weld up and rough finish 1hr
Clean off consumables £15
Scotch up, mask and paint 1hr
Rattle can Primer £15
Rattle can Stone chip £15

So that's £225 + 4.5hrs Labour. Round it up to 5hrs for getting stuff out and putting it away.
£30 hr? = £375.
I'd call that cheap "mates rates"

If it's an mot failure the car is worthless without the repair and £500 would be the sort of money I'd want to crawl around on the floor doing the job in the first place.

 

[James1979]

In my experience of welding on cars. It's think of a price, double it and add a zero on the end. And after that you will still be working for less than £5 an hour.

Ditto. I hate welding on cars. “Sorry I’m not insured for that”

When I do that sort of thing on other stuff it’s hourly. Especially transits!
Hourly rate, take it or leave it.

The thing is this. It’s about risk. If you want a price I’m going to shoulder all the risk and cover all possibles. In the case of a hole like that it’s an iceberg.

If they trust you, then it often works out cheaper for them to take you on hourly as the risk is on them.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

From past experience I'd say "sorry but I can't do it". It'll be far more work than expected, owner will expect first class work for third class cost - and it's simply not worth the hassle.

 

[Erie Fred]

In the case of a hole like that it’s an iceberg.

Yup ^^^ I've sandblasted only a few times for money (even then, they were friends, no customer off the street)
and they always holler "Why did you blast is so hard !, that hole is much bigger now !"
And I always use fine sand, no black beauty.

And I always replied the same way, if the metal can't take the blast, it's not metal.
Trying to hang hot metal onto that crap is just a waste of time.

That hole in the sill pictured above, would probably extend up to within 1" of the edge, (it's already down into the pinch weld) and probably 3/4 of the length of the sill.

 

[bricol]

That hole in the sill pictured above, would probably extend up to within 1" of the edge, (it's already down into the pinch weld) and probably 3/4 of the length of the sill.

Never mind the inner structure . .

I'd think charging the correct rate for time spend welding a mates rusty car would soon lead to the end of the mate-ship from their end . . . think I'd be too busy/ill/equipment failure until they had to pay the amount their MOT wanted for it in the first place.

 

[Erie Fred]

Never mind the inner structure . .

I'd think charging the correct rate for time spend welding a mates rusty car would soon lead to the end of the mate-ship from their end . . . think I'd be too busy/ill/equipment failure until they had to pay the amount their MOT wanted for it in the first place.

I was referring to only the outside sill.

 

[mr haynes]

Tbh it's a mot failed transit!.....patch over the top, no cutting out, splash some paint covering in the rough direction, sorted for another year. That is what most tranny owners will only pay for

The cav depends on whether you can get a proper boot or using a sticky. Should be a straightforward hourly plus parts

 

[addjunkie]

From past experience I'd say "sorry but I can't do it". It'll be far more work than expected, owner will expect first class work for third class cost - and it's simply not worth the hassle.

Just make the price so high he takes it else where, unless your desperate for work.

 

[Morrisman]

A neighbour once asked me if I could weld up the holes in his 30 year old Bedford camper.

"Shouldn't take long, there's not many..."

It was too tall to go through my garage door, so it would have to be done on the drive..... I politely declined.

 

[Erie Fred]

A neighbour once asked me if I could weld up the holes in his 30 year old Bedford camper.

"Shouldn't take long, there's not many..."

It was too tall to go through my garage door, so it would have to be done on the drive..... I politely declined.

"Welding leads too short, I can't stretch them outside the shop"....

 

[MetalMonkey]

Actually welding in the patch doesn't take very long, but getting the fitment right, and preparing and treating the repair area and inside of the cavity properly does!
I'd also check if you are expected to do the prep/paint afterwards as well, as that will fundamentally change the scope and price.

Also consider the potential for things to go wrong - only takes one fried ECU or something to catch light, will you be held liable?

 

[Agroshield]

Don't work out the price based on the area of that red box

Being a Transit, the area of the red box is the rough overall proportion of the vehicle that will not be corroded.

 

[Cato]

Price varies massively based on the quality of the repair the customer wants,

Mot worthy with a 1yr warranty:
New sill £100
Cutting discs, grinding discs, sanding belts wear & tear on the tools, £30
Remove & prep 2hrs
Fit up and adjust 1/2hr
Use of clamps/welder £30
Wire/gas £20
Weld up and rough finish 1hr
Clean off consumables £15
Scotch up, mask and paint 1hr
Rattle can Primer £15
Rattle can Stone chip £15

So that's £225 + 4.5hrs Labour. Round it up to 5hrs for getting stuff out and putting it away.
£30 hr? = £375.
I'd call that cheap "mates rates"

If it's an mot failure the car is worthless without the repair and £500 would be the sort of money I'd want to crawl around on the floor doing the job in the first place.

If you can be bothered, and most including me rarely can (better things to do) showing a mate or customer that sort of breakdown almost always results in a "I had no idea!" reply.

 

[stuvy]

Flat rate of £45 an hour takes as long as it takes

 

[hotponyshoes]

Flat rate of £45 an hour takes as long as it takes

I can quite easily destroy £30 worth of consumables an hour, and a £3k welder with a 3yr warranty is costing you £5 a day just to own it..
That only gives you a wage of £10/hr and I'd get more than that doing bar shifts in the warm looking at drunk girls....

 

[hotponyshoes]

If you can be bothered, and most including me rarely can (better things to do) showing a mate or customer that sort of breakdown almost always results in a "I had no idea!" reply.

No, I can't be bothered
Last couple of automotive jobs I did were,
Welding for a mate, he's a sparky and spent the same amount of hours crawling around my rat-infested loft replacing wires..
Helped a mate do a clutch on his truck as he'd previously helped me do the wishbones on my car,

I don't have much of a problem lying on the floor burning myself if it's a mates car and they are also down there holding stuff in place!
Somebody I don't know that thinks I should do it for £12.50 an hour because that's what they get paid for sitting in an office can jog on...