How do you charge?

[badranman]

If I have my mini ex or skidsteer at a job for $xx.xx per hour and the customer wants me to perform manual labour while I'm there how should I charge? ( putting in drainage pipe for example). Do I keep charging the same per hour and take it out of that or what? What do you guys do?

[Steve Frazier]

I charge at the same rate. Face it, if you weren't laboring, you'd be running the machine at another job making the machine rate.

[nobull1]

Originally posted by Steve Frazier
I charge at the same rate. Face it, if you weren't laboring, you'd be running the machine at another job making the machine rate.

That is what I do most of the time but you know there is always those jobs when those numbers don't work and a deal has to be made.What I try and do is if I need labour I bring my employee and charge by the hour for him and machine time for me .I am not a laborer unless you pay me machine rate.I can not afford to pick and shovel with my machine sitting idle,don't mind the work just can't afford to.To most people this makes sense.What I find the biggest problem is people not ready and you sit around for half the time and than people think they should pay accordingly.Then I go back to Steve's above answer in part" you'd be running the machine at another job making the machine rate"Now here is a question for you how are you going to charge,from when machine leaves your yard,float charge,or from when you get it to the customer's site.This is a big deal for you and the customer, is trucking equipment free?

[DKinWA]

I charge the same way Steve and Nobull do. If there's a lot of hand labor involved, I bring someone with me. I also charge while the machine is onsite whether it's working or not. On the other hand, if leaving it onsite is for my convience then I don't charge. For me, sometimes it's easier to leave it onsite rather than move it off and then back in a couple of days. This usually happens if I'm putting in a septic system and have to wait a day or two (and don't need it somewhere else) to get it inspected before finishing the backfilling.

If someone were to complain about the way I charge, I guess I'd have to say that it's typically cheaper to pay for keeping it on site. I suppose if necessary, I could move it on and off site for a fee of course

[cat320]

I doo pretty much the same if i'm out doing some hand work the rate is still the same.I don't say well ok i have not been running the machine for and hour and have been working outside cleaning or clearing some one elses mess.Noe if there is alot of out of the machine work I would bring a labor.

[badranman]

How about a float charge. I know some guys will charge for floating, others won't but charge a 2 hr miniumum. Of course I'm talking a reasonable distance from the shop, not 50 miles etc. Most jobs are at least 2 hours anyway so it would probably be better to add the float charge huh? How many guys here break the hour up, such as working for 1&1/2 hrs and charging 1&1/2 hrs, as opposed to charging for 2? Does per hour mean any part thereof? Just trying to get in line with the mainstream.

[kamerad47]

If I load my machine on the trailer & move it they are going to pay the day for it (8hrs), fuel is wat to evpensive for anything else!! The only way i would do it for less is if they are paying cash on the spot!!!! CASH IS KING!!!!

[cat320]

When you leave your yard and come back that would be how i would charge for an hourly type job with a four hout min. unless you just figure it by the job for one lump sum.

[cat320]

Ok I got a call today for a house foundation excavating job. I really have not done a whole house but more addtion type digging.The house is going to be 40' X 80' probably 2/3rds will be house full foundation the rest 3 car garage. I will have to rent an excavatore to get the job done quicker as this will be a mid Nov. job if i get it .So my question is how will I charge for this type of job don't think hourly will do it or even daily . I'm in the Boston area

[Electra_Glide]

Cat,

I would bid it as a fixed price job. Figure out what your total costs are going to be (labor, materials, rental fees, fuel, etc.), and then mark it up based on how much profit you're looking for.

As far as renting a machine, I always use the most economical rental period that comfortably allows me to complete the job. Don't forget to factor in days for weather, especially this time of year. I always try to give myself a little slack. No need to be all stressed out, scrambling to finish a job before they come to pick up the machine.

Rental houses usually quote a daily, weekly, and monthly rate. For my area, they all pretty much use the same formula where:

3 x daily rate = weekly rate
3 x weekly rate = monthly rate

Any time I think I'm going to need the machine for a few days, I try to rent it for a week. I figure the entire rental fee (including delivery charges, damage waivers, etc.) into my costs, and then bill myself out at an operator's wage, based on how long I think I'm going to be on the job running the machine. For example, if I thought I had two days of digging, I'd figure my costs to be a 1-week rental plus 16 hrs for an operator.

Now, if I thought my bid was too high, I'd have to go back and either rent the machine for less time (and be stressed out he entire time about finishing on time), or take a little less of an operator's wage.

This seems to work for me, but I'll be interested to hear what some of the other guys have to say...