Tradesmen Prices

[gemi_babe]

I've got a plumber coming out today or tomorrow to install external pipes and shower rose in the bathroom. Unfortunetly the old bath spout is seized on and I don't have the tools or the know how to get it off without taking a hammer to it lol

Anyway, $60 an hour. :eek:

Who sets the prices and why this much?

The guy is going to let me pay it off cause of the urgency but $60 an hour?

Says it will be 2hours work, plus the fittings.

[Dean]

That's the norm.
When you're in demand, you can charge whatever you like!

You're doing well if he doesn't have a $60 call out fee too!

[Soren]

Based on prices here in Melb, that is actually quite " reasonable"

[MathewA]

Your job aint worth much and you want it done right away - supply and demand pricing in action.

I need a furnace installed in my house, the old one is filling the house with carbon monoxide. Phoned 5 heating companies in the middle of summer (figured this would be a slow time for them) only 1 showed up to even look at it and they wanted way too much. The furnace cost them about $1200 and the install time would be about 6 hours total cost $2500 + tax = screw them. I'm selling now so let the next owner fix it.

[ozwinner]

Anyway, $60 an hour. :eek:

Thats cheap, try getting a brickie, one I know gets $70 per hour on hourly rate easy..

Al x the biggest number you can come up with....

[echnidna]

Anyone who is self employed is very lucky to get any more than 20 hours productive work done in a 40 hour week. There are so many bits of bull and red tape you are compelled to do such as Prescribed payments, Gst just to name a couple.

[doublejay]

There are 261 working days per year (52 weeks x 5 days + 1)
If you deduct annual leave (20 days) Public Holidays (say 11 days) and sick leave (say 8 days) there are only 212 days where the employee is actually available for work. Ignoring the complications of RDOs etc., it seems reasonable to hope that an employee is going to be gainfully employed for about 75% of his time. All up this means that he works for 159 days but is paid for 260 days. The $60 per hour now looks more like $37 per hour - and out of that the someone has to pay for tools, motor vehicle exes, workers comp, public liability etc., etc.,

Sounds like a bargain

[ndru]

Anyone who is self employed is very lucky to get any more than 20 hours productive work done in a 40 hour week. There are so many bits of bull and red tape you are compelled to do such as Prescribed payments, Gst just to name a couple.

...not to mention the ability to structure business affairs so as to alienate taxable income to spouse and/or children, get paid in cash or barter to avoid GST, choice between FBT or income tax.

I agree with Doublejay. I think 75% chargeable time is actually optimistic if you take into account things like time spent on preparing quotes and time spent travelling between sites.

[ozwinner]

Do tell??
I have always failed at tax avoidence.
So any help is appreciated.

Al

[echnidna]

...not to mention the ability to structure business affairs so as to alienate taxable income to spouse and/or children, get paid in cash or barter to avoid GST, choice between FBT or income tax.

Those things only come into play after you make a profit
and they are nowhere as simple to access as you seem to think, in fact it costs good amount of money to do it.

[Sturdee]

Those things only come into play after you make a profit
and they are nowhere as simple to access as you seem to think, in fact it costs good amount of money to do it.

Have to disagree with that. A good business structure should be set up before you start trading not after you make a profit. Restructuring whilst already operating is much more difficult and expensive than doing it right in the first place.

It will also defer the day that you start paying taxes as losses created with such structures will delay that awful day.

Peter.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Anyway, $60 an hour. :eek:

It doesn't seem too bad .... it sounds like a lot if you think of it as a straight $60 per hour take home profit but there are expenses to take out of that. I had a handyperson do some weeding and they were charging $40 for unskilled work ..... at least the plumber has done an apprentership.

I was reading some quotes at work today for structural engineering ....
Principle engineer $170 p/h
Engineer $120 p/h
Drafty $80 p/h
Administration $60 p/h

Bugger .... I have chosen to use the wrong degree

[routermaniac]

hmmmm sounds similar to what my mechanic is charging... $100 an hour, that is why from now on I'll be doing all work on my car

Mind you if you consider what they wanted to install aircon at home, $60 an hour isnt so bad... my advise to you buy some tools and do it yourself... it works out much cheaper in the longrun...

[fxst]

Mind you if you consider what they wanted to install aircon at home, $60 an hour isnt so bad... my advise to you buy some tools and do it yourself... it works out much cheaper in the longrun...

but if she dont have the know how it could end up costing big $$$$$$ for the damage to be undone.
Gemi $60/hr is ok for what you get try to remember they have running costs and have to live too
Pete

[gemi_babe]

I guess when you think about the expenses its not so bad.

$100 for a mechanic? I would fix my own car too if my mechanic charged that much.