Pricing up a job

[spaffmonkey]

Hi All

I Have been asked to do some welding repairs to a guys 2 burgar van trailers.

I am qualified in mig but normaly only do welding on friends and familys cars and so on which meens ive never really costed up a job for some1 else.

The trailers chassis are made from 3mm boxe section with some 2mm crossbars.

The job involves cleaning up some previousely badly welded repairs and welding
3mm plates over the joins to reinforce and a few small plates where needed.

My main question is: is there a average price per lets say 1 inch or foot of weld?
Im using a size Y argoshield/co2 running at 10lpm and have a 15Kg roll of wire
if that helps

I can work out the cost of metal and cosumerbals like grinding disks paint and my time.

Any advise very welcomed

 

[bert]

I charge by the hour rather than weld length, the stuff i make takes longer to fabricate than the weld.

I estimate how long it will take to make one for the first time an add an hour. Then for following items I can adjust the price accordingly.

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

I don't weld vehicles, done some welding for a friend on an old nova, put me off it for life, takes far too much time and the rewards aren't great, however all said I think the best thing to do price wise is start high and then you can come down, can't go up if you price to low

 

[AndyStobbs]

I try to make £30/hour for vehicle welding. Including prep time and grinding back afterwards. Underseal time at £20/hour.

Has to be a bit of give and take I find. Typically vehicles that need welding are old and well down in value. Put in too high a price and they might not bother to repair it. Too low and you'll end up making £5/hour.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I also would not touch it, the day's of lying on my back grinding back and welding rusty areas are over...horrible work.

Also want to guess who he will come running to and attempt to blame if the trailer ever fails whilst on the move, his argument could be that he employed you to ensure it was roadworthy.

 

[spaffmonkey]

Thanks for the replys guys. I dont mind the getting dirty and laying down on the job so that side does not worry me.

Ive got to go and have a proper look over the trailers tonight so ill try and get some pictures let you have a look.

They are currently road worthy but he has been recomended he gets the work done now before it gets bad.

And ive got to keep him on the road other wise i will have to find somewhere else for my bacon and egg butty in the mornings

 

[nodeward]

yeh i normally quote about £30 an hour as well and agree always qoute high, i normally give people a 'wont be more than' figure then if all goes well they will be happy coz its cheaper and if it turns out to be a night mare they wont go mental when you tell em the price.

 

[F.J.]

Going off what you say needs doing i'd charge around £200/250. Doesn't sound much of a job but your going to be in some awkward spaces grinding out and plating up. If you shop around at local fab shops you should be able to get the steel you need out if the scrap bin for peanuts. There's no point in going in cheap if you know your good for it but £200/250 isn't extortionate either. I know the catering game is close knit so keeping the price good enough for each of you could mean more work in the future

 

[spaffmonkey]

A few pics of the work needed doing

Picture 1 is of a 2inch by 2inch box section and to the join is 8inch's
between the two vans there are 4 of these that need cutting off and replacing.

Picture 2 Is of a repair he got done by a garage which needs grinding down and he wants plating.

Picture 3 altough the metal is rusty it is still very solid but there is what looks to be a fracture line Which im not sure wether to clean up and plate or try and weld the crack?

 

[madkayaker]

It's worth remembering that rust on outside is nothing compared to the rust in the inside of the box!

 

[octo0072000]

another point is you can't weld any top sections or you are going to have to start pulling the floor up and that rust looks bad need pictures once you start hitting with a hammer

that's the same as trying to weld up old motorhomes van conversions people can't understand why all the fittings have to come out before you start welding floors etc

just do it for free butty's for a year that would be better for you and him

 

[spaffmonkey]

I said to him does he mind me hitting the rusty bits with a hammer and he said thats fine so the holes are my doing.
And the part with crack is still very solid.
He is going to take the floor up where i have marked.
Its funny on both vans they are only rusty on the road side.

 

[madkayaker]

Salt spray from being parked in layby

 

[spaffmonkey]

that makes sense. they are not in to bad condition considering he has had them 17 years.