Welding cost

[wdchyd]

When I used to do road service work I would charge a min 2 hr service call within a 20 mile radius....(welding included)....I used to charge the same price per hour for driving or welding (plus mileage for the utility truck)

I had to do it cuz many times people would call on the phone frantic needing someone today....sometimes it was an easy job or I'd show and work till 9 at night.....or sometimes they just wanted someone to troubleshoot (which could be mins or hours).....or sometimes they needed an oxy/acet torch

The 2 hr min used to weed out deadbeat accounts.....and by the time they'd call they already got sick of monkeying around

 

[yomax4]

A case of Beer goes a long way in my shop among friends.

 

[1grnlwn]

When you do something for a living people shouldn't expect a discount. I may have figured wrong but you got your bucket kit and custom welded for the same price as a welded bucket? So why would this surprise you? How could this guy be more efficient than a factory that makes buckets? One thing I have found doing custom work is it takes twice as long to do something if you just thumbnail an estimate. Which all of these people are doing. From my point of view, you made the mistake of buying a do-it -yourself kit and couldn't do it yourself. Maybe your tacking was poor and all pulled apart. Maybe the whole thing was crooked? I don't know. Here is a price structure that most small businesses will agree with.

Hourly rare $60
Hourly rate if you watch $100
Hourly rate if you help $150

Most small businesses fail due to not knowing there costs.

 

[Ken45101]

When you do something for a living people shouldn't expect a discount. I may have figured wrong but you got your bucket kit and custom welded for the same price as a welded bucket? So why would this surprise you? How could this guy be more efficient than a factory that makes buckets?

Most small businesses fail due to not knowing their costs.

^^^ what he said. I think he nailed it very, very well.

It's also possible that this guy was tired of "friends" wanting him to save them money and priced work like this so that he doesn't get taken advantage of again and again.

Why should you buy a kit to save yourself money and expect someone else to do the work that you didn't want to pay the manufacturer (who can do it quicker/cheaper) to do? You were really expecting him to go out of his way to save you a few dollars. Hmmm, that seems like you were taking advantage of his friendship. I can certainly see where he felt you were trying to skimp and leave him holding the bag. What kind of friend is the OP who buys a kit to save money and expects a "friend" to do the work?

I also think it is telling that the OP is drudging up this incident from ten years ago. Something like that would be far off my radar.

Ken

 

[MMagis]

When you do something for a living people shouldn't expect a discount. I may have figured wrong but you got your bucket kit and custom welded for the same price as a welded bucket? So why would this surprise you? How could this guy be more efficient than a factory that makes buckets? One thing I have found doing custom work is it takes twice as long to do something if you just thumbnail an estimate. Which all of these people are doing. From my point of view, you made the mistake of buying a do-it -yourself kit and couldn't do it yourself. Maybe your tacking was poor and all pulled apart. Maybe the whole thing was crooked? I don't know. Here is a price structure that most small businesses will agree with.

Hourly rare $60
Hourly rate if you watch $100
Hourly rate if you help $150

Most small businesses fail due to not knowing there costs.

^^^ what he said. I think he nailed it very, very well.

It's also possible that this guy was tired of "friends" wanting him to save them money and priced work like this so that he doesn't get taken advantage of again and again.

Why should you buy a kit to save yourself money and expect someone else to do the work that you didn't want to pay the manufacturer (who can do it quicker/cheaper) to do? You were really expecting him to go out of his way to save you a few dollars. Hmmm, that seems like you were taking advantage of his friendship. I can certainly see where he felt you were trying to skimp and leave him holding the bag. What kind of friend is the OP who buys a kit to save money and expects a "friend" to do the work?

I also think it is telling that the OP is drudging up this incident from ten years ago. Something like that would be far off my radar.

Ken

Both posts are spot on.

 

[Ken45101]

I think there is also a big difference between asking a friend to help when something breaks vs. asking someone to build something new for you so that you can save yourself money.

 

[deereman75]

I think there is also a big difference between asking a friend to help when something breaks vs. asking someone to build something new for you so that you can save yourself money.

I agree.

 

[ericher69]

I think there is also a big difference between asking a friend to help when something breaks vs. asking someone to build something new for you so that you can save yourself money.

Not really! Many of my coworkers (some friends) will call me to help with a roofing job on their home so that they can save money. I have no problem helping some of these friends out since they have not thought twice about helping me in the past lay flooring, framing or finish work so that I can speed up the process and save money!

Question is; OP one of the friends that reciprocates favors or a "friend" that shows up when needing something

Ps. Not an attack on OP only trying to get clarification on the situation and dynamics at hand

 

[jake98]

I don't see how it took more than an hour since it was all tacked up. What were they doing for the other four hours?

 

[MMagis]

I don't see how it took more than an hour since it was all tacked up. What were they doing for the other four hours?

You're making the assumption it was all tacked up properly and square. No one here knows the truth, but I highly doubt his friend charged him for 4 hours that he didn't do anything. Unless, as mentioned before, he was sending a message.

 

[brain55]

I make make my living fixing tractors and equipment. If you ask me to repair your tractor I'm going to give you a bill. Of course my rate is going to be adjusted depending on how good of a friend you are and what your ability to pay is. But, you should expect a bill. If you ask me for help on your hot-rod, that's going to be for fun and for free, if I bring my mobile shop, I might ask you to cover my fuel costs.

 

[weldermike]

I agree.

X2 bud!

 

[LD1]

I know we are all "assuming" a 1 hour or less job "IF" it was properly prepped and square and all that.

So JJ: What was his explination to the high bill???

Friend or not, if I had a weld shop and someone brought a job in and I had to re-do everything that the "supposidly" prepped, I would explain that to them when they got sticker shock.

I find it hard to believe that ANY shop that plans to stay in business doesnt have a STRUCTURED way to price things. Either by the hour or by the inch.

If it indeed took him 4 hours....I think at the very least JJ deserves an explination. Maybe he got it, maybe not. But just charging someone $350 for an hours work "just because you can" and are "trying to send a message" isnt too bright.

If his standard shop rate is $2/inch, then oh, JJ got the normal rate. BUT I dont see how he will be in business much longer charging that.

The past is past. You paid, and will most likely never go back. But at the very least, I think you deserve an explination or itemized bill that show JUST what the $350 was for.

 

[weldermike]

How bout the guys that show up on a friday night with a 12pack of beer looking to get some free work, and drink 30.

 

[jake98]

I can't believe J_J let someone else have all the fun..

 

[5030]

Welding cost, have never figured out how they figure out the price for welding..

About 10 years ago, I ordered a BH bucket from Metkit. It was a kit with all parts cut to fit. 15 in bucket, and thought it was a good price.

MetKit Corp - Home Page

I tacked all the parts together and bent the back plate.

I had a friend that did all my serious welding, so I took the bucket to him and asked him to weld it up for me.

When I went to pick it up, I got a price sticker shock. He wanted about $350 for the job. After arguing for a while, I reluctantly paid $325. I just could not see that much time and labor in the job.

His explanation was in the inches of weld, type rod, and time to weld.

He figured about 160 in of weld.

I don't know for sure, but I think the price was way above normal, and he was supposed to be a friend.

Just how does one charge for welding, by hours, inches of weld, time, type material, What all is included?

Hopefully, you didn't 'instruct' him.....

I have three shop rates....

$65.00 per hour is my normal shop rate on T&M jobs where the customer provides the material, I provide the tools and knowledge and I do the work....

$100.00 per hour if the 'hang around' and watch.....

$150.00 per hour if they instruct......

That rate sign hangs in the office.

Finally, I'm in business to make a living, not 'help' friends. You 'help' one and all of a sudden, you have to 'help' all.

Machines are expensive, consumables are expensive, gas is expensive electricity is expensive and my time is worth something.

I turn away work constantly btw.

 

[Shield Arc]

Even if JJ tacked the bucket up out of square, (which I highly doubt read the man's posts, he is a craftsman) Shouldn't take more than another 15 to 20-minutes to run a zip disc through the tacks, break the bucket apart and re-tack square.

 

[aczlan]

Hopefully, you didn't 'instruct' him.....
I have three shop rates....
$65.00 per hour is my normal shop rate on T&M jobs where the customer provides the material, I provide the tools and knowledge and I do the work....
$100.00 per hour if the 'hang around' and watch.....
$150.00 per hour if they instruct......
That rate sign hangs in the office.
Finally, I'm in business to make a living, not 'help' friends. You 'help' one and all of a sudden, you have to 'help' all.
Machines are expensive, consumables are expensive, gas is expensive electricity is expensive and my time is worth something.
I turn away work constantly btw.

So, if he just dropped it off, what would you have charged to weld it up?

Aaron Z

 

[kencunningham]

Allways get an estimate of the final price, unless you like getting shocked later. I could probably run one like that down to the welder in town and probably be around 150 dollars. Really small jobs are 20 bucks. That shop has been around for as long as i can recall, so they must be able to pay the bills without charging someone 3 times what it was really worth. Live and learn, move on.

 

[5030]

So, if he just dropped it off, what would you have charged to weld it up?

Aaron Z

65 dollars per hour based on actual time. Exactly what I normally charge. That's convential welding (Smaw-Pulsed MIG). TIG is more because it's a slower process.

Machine tool time is per job plus external set up and materials unless a customer supplies the material (and it's actually compatable with the job).

External set up is cut drawings (for the laser/HD Plasma) converted to DXF files which are the end property of the customer, programming machines in the case of CNC machine tools. If prototype type work, actuall machine time plus perishable tooling plus materials.