What's a fair hourly rate for installation?

 

We charge $45 hr + 1 shop-mat pr. hr. or portion there of , [$4] Canadian.

Here in BC install labour runs fro as low as $25hr to as high as $65hr 94

 

8hr day x $45/hr=$360/day

Custom fiberglass/mdf enclosure w/suede finish requires a lot of prepping and sanding so I estimated about 5 days.

$360 x 5 = $1800
Material & shop supply cost = $400 (suede's not cheap)

I quote a guy $2000 to do a custom trunk and his eyes turned OO and practically cussed me out. I know that most custom shops around here wouldn't touch it for less than $4000. wtf? Am I ridiculously overcharging him or was he just tripping?

 

I would generally charge $400 a day and give them an estimate of days to complete when quoting custom work. Or i qoute flat rates with a variance % for example $400 give or take 5% meaning the it will probably cost $400 but could go as high as $420. I dont like the whole hourly thing. I dont think customers do either.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ScareyH22A &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">8hr day x $45/hr=$360/day

Custom fiberglass/mdf enclosure w/suede finish requires a lot of prepping and sanding so I estimated about 5 days.

$360 x 5 = $1800
Material & shop supply cost = $400 (suede's not cheap)

I quote a guy $2000 to do a custom trunk and his eyes turned OO and practically cussed me out. I know that most custom shops around here wouldn't touch it for less than $4000. wtf? Am I ridiculously overcharging him or was he just tripping?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thatss about right. I charge anyware from 35-40 a hour for custom work. But I put a time limit on the days it takes. Plus I add the materials to the price. Your customer prob didn't understand the ways

 

Nice prices. Guess I'm saving myself right now thousands of dollars

Materials alone are hell expensive

 

I should mention that all our installs are done by flat rate, and like anyplace that works on cars, it's based on an hourly rate, like a Hu install, the average time to do one, [properly] is about an hour, some cars are a pain in the *** and can take 1.5hr but a Ford P/U and some Honda's only take maybe 1/2 an hour, I can do 92-96 Ford F series P/U in less then 10 min. and that includes a harness and back support, but I will book a some Dodge/Chrysler vans 2hr, [pre 96 Grand Caravan], we still only charge $45, 94

 

We're pretty much flat rate on most cars too but on minivans w/rear audio controls or vehicle's with amp bypass, we usually charge at predetermined rate based on past experience. If that's not possible, we usually guesstimate and end up eating it.

 

Us also, cars like Ford vans with rear controls that have to be bypassed, or if we have to bypass oem amps, we also charge extra. 94

 

$45 an hour seems fair.

 

its $55/hour here so figure $550 a day. $2000 is not way off, but you have to be able to convince them your time is worth that. I usually work from the customer's budget and then tell them what they can get for that amount. if he only wants to spend $1000, he isn't going to get a stretcformed plexiglass/ carbon fiber/ suede trunk!

 

yea some people do not like the hourly thing,but some do.as far as sounding to expensive,have you seen shop rates of a mercedes dealer or bmw dealer in the range of 100-175 dollars an hour! all they are doing is mechanic work, no fabricating no upholstering no fiberglass no designing none of that,i think people need to realize the importance of fine quality craftsmanship.and that you cant just go anywhere to have custom work done.if you are giving someone a quote,sell yourself or the work.

 

^ amen

 

yeah, it turns out installing isnt as great of a deal as it used to be for the installer. Inflation and tool expenses go up and labor rates haven't changed much in the last 10 years. The worst part is that cars are getting harder and harder to work on. Think of doing a deck on a 2005 car vs. doing a deck on any 1995 car!

 

We charge $65 an hour

 

My rates are $65 per hr. When I do custom its $100.
And its truly custom...but they way I look at it You are selling yourself and
what you can do for that customer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by audioroach &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My rates are $65 per hr. When I do custom its $100.
And its truly custom...but they way I look at it You are selling yourself and
what you can do for that customer.</TD></TR></TABLE>so to the OP we need to see pics to judge your work

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by honda 3300 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so to the OP we need to see pics to judge your work </TD></TR></TABLE>

Whats with the razz's huh? As for judging my work...you may have already seen
some of it already...only to have someone else claim it as their own. In this biz its
easy to talk the talk. I have been blessed to have work with so many talented people and learned so much. I'm old school..I'm from an era in which you didnt
tell/share your secrets...you kept them for yourself. With the accesability of the internet anyone can be a "custom installer" or rather do "custom" work.
I used to have a few pic books of my work..they were my pride and joy..You know what happened..they were stolen off my sales floor!!! I found one some time
later in a ghetto shop..they claimed they could do work of that calibur..they were showing me my own work!!!. Kinda funny I thought.

Look as stated before...you sell yourself. If you can justify the value of what you
can deliver to a customer,so be it. I'm not saying gorge a customer just for the sake of it...to many are already doing that now. Do it if you can deliver it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by audioroach &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You know what happened..they were stolen off my sales floor!!! I found one some time
later in a ghetto shop..they claimed they could do work of that calibur..they were showing me my own work!!!. Kinda funny I thought.</TD></TR></TABLE> If your taking photo's with a digital camera and printing them out you might want to print your company name across the bottom and all rights reserved. Might help keep someone from stealing them next time and would give you a legal course of action.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by audioroach &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Whats with the razz's huh? As for judging my work...you may have already seen
some of it already...only to have someone else claim it as their own. In this biz its
easy to talk the talk. I have been blessed to have work with so many talented people and learned so much. I'm old school..I'm from an era in which you didnt
tell/share your secrets...you kept them for yourself. With the accesability of the internet anyone can be a "custom installer" or rather do "custom" work.
I used to have a few pic books of my work..they were my pride and joy..You know what happened..they were stolen off my sales floor!!! I found one some time
later in a ghetto shop..they claimed they could do work of that calibur..they were showing me my own work!!!. Kinda funny I thought.

Look as stated before...you sell yourself. If you can justify the value of what you
can deliver to a customer,so be it. I'm not saying gorge a customer just for the sake of it...to many are already doing that now. Do it if you can deliver it.</TD></TR></TABLE> Ditto the above, but I will add, anybody that thinks they can tell the quality of workmanship from a photo is dreaming 94

 

My friends shop charges $45 an hour. I do work on my own for about $20 an hour. Too many people freak out when you give them an estimate. That's why I will itemize mine. But my price does not include parts and supplies. That is on the client. I will ask for half up front from people off the street. If it's a returning client , they just have to give me money for the supplies.

 

rates all over ar so similer now that its not that big of a shock for what jobs ur talking about. best thing u can do is manage customers expectations did u explan why it was gonna be that much. most people hate spending money. ask up front what they are looking to get out of the job and def what they are looking to spend!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GsrGilbert &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">rates all over ar so similer now that its not that big of a shock for what jobs ur talking about. best thing u can do is manage customers expectations did u explan why it was gonna be that much. most people hate spending money. ask up front what they are looking to get out of the job and def what they are looking to spend!</TD></TR></TABLE> Ditto that,

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GsrGilbert &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">rates all over ar so similer now that its not that big of a shock for what jobs ur talking about. best thing u can do is manage customers expectations did u explan why it was gonna be that much. most people hate spending money. ask up front what they are looking to get out of the job and def what they are looking to spend!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I guess what shocked ME was that he was so polite and friendly but right when I gave him the price, he turned crazy. I guess he's just bipolar or something. Maybe I should've thrown in some med's on top of that deal.

 

we charge $55/hr here, I guess it also depends on cost of living, ur estimate seems kinda low for your area, tell the dood to go to other shops and price around, tell him if he finds a better deal for quality custom work to take it, make yourself sound sure that he isnt going to find a better deal. quality of work is important with everyone so sell yourself on that too. there is a shop down the street from us that tries to take business from us by undercutting all of our labor, but if you see the quality of thier work you realize how they are able to undercut us, they are terrible at installing, they install bodykits on cars with drywall screws that they leave sitting out as plain as day, and other BS like that.

It sounds like this guy is one of those dipshits that just makes up some price in his head that he is willing to spend before doing any research at all on the work and how intensive it is, I get a lot of customers that do that and i have to spend time making them realize just what has to be done that accounts for the labor.