Welding cost

[Jim in ICT]

While the cost of filler metals is high and continues to go up, labor is generally the highest expense of a weld shop's costs. You didn't say what kind of rod was used, whether your friend had it in his shop, or had to purchase some specifically for your job. Remember, he has a business to run and has to remain profitable to keep the doors open. If he has to buy materials specific to your job, all of the cost of that rod could have gone into your repair.
Also, how busy was the shop, and did he move your job ahead of others, or drop what he was doing to work on your bucket?
I think that you would have been wise to shop around with other weld shops for an estimate before taking it to a friend. Then, ask him for an informal estimate and you can decide then to leave it with him or walk.
You may have done more damage to your friendship by haggling over the $25.00 reduction in the price. You should have paid it in full, bitten your tongue and look for another weld shop if you felt taken advantage of.

If memory serves me correct, didn't you have an issue with the cost of car repairs vs. the amount of time spent on that repair?

 

[LD1]

your friend should've had courtesy to let you know the ballpark price before leaving if he know its would b over 100 bucks.....

Agreed.

And it seems he is "charging" $2 per inch. That just sounds high to me. Especially for a job that was already prepped and tacked. Just needed burned.

I'd hate to know what he would have charged if JJ didnt prep/tack everything.

And heck, assuming JJ used ~20 tacks, and each of them tacks was ~1/2", thats $1 PER TACK.

JJ: just curious, if you were able to tack yourself, why not just weld the whole thing?

 

[J_J]

Vision is not so good anymore. Macular degeneration is part of the problem.

I could have welded the bucket, but I would not be so proud of the job. I wanted it to last and look good,

Like a lot of people, I can stick something together, and I weld maybe once a month, but that about it. If I had to weld for a living and did it many hours a day, things would improve.

 

[EddieWalker]

I can't speak for what he should have charged you for his time, but as a contractor, my living is based on what I charge others. I have friends and family members who want me to do things for them and then ask for a discount in my rates. I explain to them that my rates are what I feel my time is worth, and that I will make that amount working for somebody else. Doing it for less means that I'm losing money, or it's costing me money.

I will do a favor for free and enjoy doing it, but if they want to hire me to do something and I take the time to do it, I will give them the very best job possible and go out of my way to make sure it's what they want, but I'm going to charge what my time is worth.

Eddie

 

[Shield Arc]

I wouldn't dream of charging a friend for anything. Thank God I don't have many friends! :laughing:

 

[murphy1244]

I wouldn't dream of charging a friend for anything. Thank God I don't have many friends! :laughing:

I like it!!!:laughing::thumbsup:

 

[ericher69]

Friends always get a deal in my book, and I would expect no less from them.

Being a friend I did not even ask for a estimate.

Not always in my books JJ...

If the friends reciprocate no problem but some "friends" always take and don't give back!

I don't do favors for friends counting hours spent doing whatever it is but I have distanced myself from some of these so called "friends"

And with the associated cost of power/consumables/gases I don't think it's too much to ask friends to pay for these items

 

[wdchyd]

I had an opposite thing happen to me last month....

An aquaintance from another website wanted welding done and was advertising he'd pay.....

I told him I could do it only if he helped cut, grind,fit up and I'd weldit.....the bugger shows up with his 6 yr old kid during the work day......I told him that kids are not allowed in shop area so the plan was for me to do it and call him when done...

He was crying about how the part was not avail to purchase (which was my first option for him).......

When all was finished he offered to pay me for an exchange in something he makes at home.......never heard word from him since

and the kicker was that the part he wanted was avail for $74.95 over the internet.....

evidently my 3 hrs and $20 worth of materials was not worth anything

Lesson learned (again)..........I would have been better off the just go home and watch the boob-tube....

Not saying JJ that it is the same as your problem, with friends I sometimes just don't have the coconuts to just say.....$$$$$, Pay up sucker

 

[hodge]

Life is seldom black and white- I see both sides of this. While I can appreciate anyone who is willing to do a friend a favor, which I have done my whole life, I also believe FIRMLY that it was very inappropriate to expect your friend to give you a break- he makes his living doing this, he pays for business licenses, taxes, overhead, power, etc.- it costs just as much to work for free as it does to charge a customer, and you are taking money out of his pocket when you expect a favor. Favors should be given, not expected. They also tell the character of a person.
Once, a co-worker asked me to come to his house and install carpet. He was a salesman, I was an installer, my father was the company owner. I chose not to give him a price- I told him to pay me what it was worth to him.
I drove 40+ miles, one way, after work, spent all evening (about 6 hours) installing the carpet, while he watched, then drove back home. I got home way after midnight, and had to be at work the next morning. He paid me $50.
Plain and simple- when given the option to pay me what he chose, he grossly took advantage of me. That was a real slam, but it really clued me in to his character.
I never expect favors from friends who are in business- I go willing to pay the regular price, and sometimes they give me a break. The break shows respect to me, paying regular price shows respect to them. That's how I feel about it.

 

[Shield Arc]

I take it as most of you boys are not retired and bored out of your mind as I' am! I don't have to do this for a living, so I don't mind helping friends and neighbors, my labor means nothing, I'm just glad when they pay for consumables. One of the first projects I did once my shop was built, and I got my bridge crane built, was mount a backhoe on one of the neighbor's tractor, I also built him a 24-inch bucket for it. Didn't charge him a dime. He did buy me a Drill Doctor.

I built this gooseneck adapter for a friend, didn't charge him a dime.