Welding job charge ?

[Memmeddu]

Hi everyone I need advice about how much to ask for a job.
This morning my neighbor's cousin asked me to rent my engine driven welder to a company which is working for him on his property.
They destroyed their own machine .
So I've answered asking 5000 euros caution to cover the New unit cost in case they destroy it .
But later I've proposed to do the job myself .
2000 fence posts which need to be welded in the middle of nowhere .
Engine driven welder
Electrodes
Gasoline
Oil
And my time/experience.
How much should I charge for that job?
I've thought that it will probably take at least 500 linear meters of weld.
And something like 10 days of work .
All vertical up welds .
Thanks for the help,I don't usually do this kind of jobs .

 

[gaz1]

im glad that you choose not to rent your welder for a cheap price

if they busted there own even i wouldnt lend mine or id certainly make sure the fee was enough to replace said item

not being funny here dont drop your price either and please do check your welder before refunding any difference if your going to do

so for a guide consider this

the work the machines gonna do
the fuel costs gasoline and oil
note if your machine fails you also need to consider getting one yourself so remember this

and your own fee for arc welding

 

[Cobbler]

Can’t help with the price, but don’t sell yourself too cheap. Put in a good price for it, make some money & think if they won’t pay, you don’t want the job! See what the hire price of a welder is & include it to cover wear and tear.

 

[Memmeddu]

im glad that you choose not to rent your welder for a cheap price

if they busted there own even i wouldnt lend mine or id certainly make sure the fee was enough to replace said item

not being funny here dont drop your price either and please do check your welder before refunding any difference if your going to do

so for a guide consider this

the work the machines gonna do
the fuel costs gasoline and oil
note if your machine fails you also need to consider getting one yourself so remember this

and your own fee for arc welding

I gonna need another welder once done for sure.
This job probably needs 10 electrode packs
I can do something 200 posts each day
My engine driven needs a fuel tank each 2 hours (small tank)
Each tank I'll check oil and let cool down the engine .
During that period of time I'll set the gussets I'll weld .
I have to consider to hire an helper .

But I'll never give my welder to the other company .
I have a company myself so no problems with the price too high just 22% of my work goes in taxes

 

[Memmeddu]

Can’t help with the price, but don’t sell yourself too cheap. Put in a good price for it, make some money & think if they won’t pay, you don’t want the job! See what the hire price of a welder is & include it to cover wear and tear.

Or even hire an engine driven welder for the job and keep mine at home

 

[James1979]

I'd hire a welder in if you are concerned about the effect on yours. Also if that one dies then you just ring the hire company. If yours dies, you need to get the money from them to replace it.

You say you can do 200 posts a day. Price for 80-90% of that to allow for downtime, moving things about, people talking to you etc

Are you going to charge a markup on the electrodes? I try for 20% normally.

I think the rest of it you have got covered.

 

[Cobbler]

Or even hire an engine driven welder for the job and keep mine at home

Good move I would say, wear out someone else’s.

 

[Moose McAlpine]

This morning my neighbor's cousin asked me to rent my engine driven welder to a company which is working for him on his property.

I wouldn't entertain that nonsense. Equipment rental companies can supply engine-driven welders, they want to rent yours only because they think it will be cheaper.

Neighbour's cousin is too many degrees of separation, if he's not your mate he shouldn't be asking for favours, especially concerning a very expensive machine.

 

[tom2207]

200 posts a day ,, say a ten hour day , thats twenty posts an hour ,,,,,,, one every three mins if you dont take a lunch break , or need a pee or fill your welder with fuel etc .
Im not doubting you , but if you have to move kit set up and weld and move every three mins for a ten hour day , your not hanging about ... maybe be a bit cautious with the price on the job, have a wee practice go if needed and see how long it takes , I have no idea what your doing or how long it takes but your estimated time seems ambitious.

 

[BarrieJ]

200 posts a day ,, say a ten hour day , thats twenty posts an hour ,,,,,,, one every three mins if you dont take a lunch break , or need a pee or fill your welder with fuel etc .
Im not doubting you , but if you have to move kit set up and weld and move every three mins for a ten hour day , your not hanging about ... maybe be a bit cautious with the price on the job, have a wee practice go if needed and see how long it takes , I have no idea what your doing or how long it takes but your estimated time seems ambitious.

I'd be inclined to agree with Tom2207, I don't doubt your ability Memmeddu but 200 a day sounds very optimistic, better to overestimate the time it will take and finish sooner than curse yourself for landing a seemingly never ending job. Best of luck with it.

 

[Memmeddu]

200 posts a day ,, say a ten hour day , thats twenty posts an hour ,,,,,,, one every three mins if you dont take a lunch break , or need a pee or fill your welder with fuel etc .
Im not doubting you , but if you have to move kit set up and weld and move every three mins for a ten hour day , your not hanging about ... maybe be a bit cautious with the price on the job, have a wee practice go if needed and see how long it takes , I have no idea what your doing or how long it takes but your estimated time seems ambitious.

Nothing to cut just remove little bit of zinc 10cm bead (2 weld joints)
Welder on the truck
Let's say 70 post each day might be more possible
Estimated little bit more because also thinking to do the job with a friend who is a good fabricator .

 

[James1979]

Nothing to cut just remove little bit of zinc 10cm bead (2 weld joints)
Welder on the truck
Let's say 70 post each day might be more possible
Estimated little bit more because also thinking to do the job with a friend who is a good fabricator .

Estimate for less. If you do it quicker its a win, if you do it at what you estimate then you dont lose out

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Nothing to cut just remove little bit of zinc 10cm bead (2 weld joints)
Welder on the truck
Let's say 70 post each day might be more possible
Estimated little bit more because also thinking to do the job with a friend who is a good fabricator .

70/day is 3 times as many days! Be sure you don't sell yourself short.

 

[Mikes]

I'd put a large proviso on your quote to cover the fact that someone else is setting the posts. Had something similar to do and every post installed by others was not vertical. Could loose a lot of money if you have to adjust them as you go before you weld them. Try to get the job on a day rate then problems like this will belong to the person who's paying.

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Try to get the job on a day rate then problems like this will belong to the person who's paying.

Good shout. Day rate + materials/supplies/fuel.

Especially since going from 200 per day to 70 per day has jumped the job duration from 10 days to a month!

 

[Screwdriver]

Since I have "no idea" I would happily suggest £8 - £12 k minimum. My "one pound per inch" rule of thumb would put the figure closer to twenty grand but that "rule" only works within a smaller range but you deffo want to go big with this quote. Christmas come early.

But TWO THOUSAND fenceposts...

The weather is your enemy, you might want to hire some help. Make hay while the sun shines (if it shines at all). I would go as far as to say you really will need someone at your side, even if they're just lifting and handling, watching stuff while you take a break or making tea etc.

 

[Memmeddu]

Since I have "no idea" I would happily suggest £8 - £12 k minimum. My "one pound per inch" rule of thumb would put the figure closer to twenty grand but that "rule" only works within a smaller range but you deffo want to go big with this quote. Christmas come early.

But TWO THOUSAND fenceposts...

The weather is your enemy, you might want to hire some help. Make hay while the sun shines (if it shines at all). I would go as far as to say you really will need someone at your side, even if they're just lifting and handling, watching stuff while you take a break or making tea etc.

The posts are not so heavy or complex
Just a T section bar with two gussets.
I have to weld the two gussets
That's what I will work with
I have to weld right in the peace simbol

 

[mpats]

Offer him a day rate, not selling yourself short, and suggest he supplies all the consumables (rods, fuel etc) and you'll supply you and your welder. But don't short on your time, be realistic with what you can achieve and let him decide if he wants to let you do it or if the current lot will be cheaper and not completely useless.
you could always offer to go and do a couple to get an idea of time and work it out from there.

 

[willie.macleod]

Aren't those stays (gussets?) normally bolted as per that photo? Also you mention removing zinc so I assume they are galvanised - another can of worms as you are then into more clean up, consumables, grinder leads/batteries required and possibly even galv spray paint afterwards to restore.

The rate of 200 posts a day seems very high to me as well. Offer to do one or two to begin with, make sure you the customer is happy with the end result and you both know how long it will take (any dodgy bits of ground with poor access?) and then you can think about costing it.

 

[Screwdriver]

Looks like two inches of weld per post or 4 grand in Screwdrivers world. How does that add up to 500m? More like 100m...