Question about pricing this project

[Bob Warner]

Hello all,

I am trying to find out where my pricing comes in compared to some of you guys and this is a simple Project that I would like you guys to tell me what your quote would be.

Naturally being our of work I would like to charge about nine million dollars but I am curious what you guys would charge and how long you think it would take you to complete this job.

First things first. The location is about 4 miles from my house. The steel yard is about four miles PAST the job location on the same road.

One piece of pipe will be enough to do the repair. The pipe is $41.57 total.

I have an engine drive welder so I would go to the steel yard and get the pipe and return to do the work.

All I have to do is put new pipe onto the existing hinge setup.

Please give me your price, including steel and any markup on the steel and how long you would estimate in time.

See the photos.

[JC'sWelding]

Do you have to make the latch, or can it be re-used? Do you have to do anything to the hinges? Looks as though you might have to straighten the posts? I'd give a decent mark up to the steel, then what ever you hourly rate is. I do my hour rate by the full hour. A 30 minute job is an hour, an hour and a half job is 2 hours. That helps to compensate for travel time, and such. The markup on the steel is to compensate for travel, time lost going to the steel yard, time lost sitting around drinking coffee with the guys at the steel yard and so on. Not to mention time like this where you have sat at home drawing, calculating, getting on the forum, and other research. That job around here would pay 3 hours, 50% markup on the steel. I could get $250-$300 easy HERE. But that might be low or high compared to other parts of the country.

[Hammack_Welding]

If all it took was to cut the top pipe off, and install a new one, reusing the latch, etc... From start to finish 2 hours. $90 plus materials plus $1/mile..... So round it off at $150

[Bob Warner]

I assume that includes the cost of the materials?

[tapwelder]

Is the existing post straight? I would expect the guy want the arms to meet when you are finished. It the existing post is not straight then you have to realign, stuff. Hence, a simple project just got difficult.

I would say 250 bucks and expect to rehang the gate.

I take it you are just replacing the top arm. I would probably splice, rather than grinding out that weld.

[denrep]

Looking at the pics, I don't know if I'd replace the whole top pipe.
Depends if it's the country club or the court-house.

If it's the country club it'll be bent again on Friday night anyway!
If it's the court-house it'll probably be bent tonight.

I think I'd talk to ‘em and offer the poor-boy low ball cut and splice vs the show quality total replacement and straighten up. Maybe you could get a feel for the budget and desired results.

If this is a regular problem, maybe offer a one-time more costly change to another design, which allows for break-away; and if needed, future repairs can be a fast and cheap replacement... with gates that you happen to build for stock.

Good Luck

[Bob Warner]

This is at a local BBQ restaurant. They close the gates when the places is closed. Somebody hit the gate but I am not sure how since they hit it from the inside. I was in there meeting a friend and heard the owner saying he did not know a welder to fix it.

The post is leaning a bit but I figured I could pull it back with a winch and pack gravel in to hold it straight. I just figured I would take the same approach as another member and just hand the guy a bid and see what he says. I guess I would also have to match the paint.

Bob

[denrep]

Originally Posted by Bob Warner

...I just figured I would take the same approach as another member and just hand the guy a bid and see what he says....

In my opinion, if your sending out lots of bids and don't care which ones hit or miss that's probably okay.

But if you really want a certain job, then a little personal rapport with the guy who's gonna pay, goes a long way.

I'm not suggesting being phony, but rather showing a sincere interest in defining and solving the customer's needs, within budget.

Just another impersonal bid is pretty easy to pass over when the next contractor takes a little time to show personal interest and to educate the buyer and give him some solution options.

Good Luck

[MarkBall2]

Double the price of your materials, then figuring 2 hours (an hour to cut/weld er up, an hour to straighten the post), charge your standard hourly rate and submit a bid for the job.

Do like DenRep says though, even if you don't care if you get the job or not. A kind word here & there will get your name out on peoples tongues............and we all know how people like to talk.

[Bob Warner]

Oh I care about getting the job. I WANT the job no matter how much I make on it, I need the cash.

I was thinking materials plus $100.

The guy that owns the place is pretty talkative and we have discussed knives before. I just did not want to overcharge or undercharge so I thought I would compare with what you guys would do. I have not discussed this project with him at all yet.

[MarkBall2]

Now double that price, then go after it. If he really wants it fixed right, he will pay it. The other thing is, if he's happy with it, maybe you get a knife sale out of it too. And word of mouth will get you more work than you can do.

Hmmmm, maybe you will have to hire a helper? Maybe get an assembly line going?..................

[tapwelder]

Bob

I hope you get the job. However I hope you get it for a decent amount of money. If you do get it and he likes your price more than your work, that is what he will expect next time. Even if you do an excellent job, that only benefits him. He will also expect the same product of somebody charging 300. Bidding too low is a way to end up stuck doing excellent work, yet only making enough money to keep working. You also might get referral business, "He does good work and he is cheap"

Don't be afraid to get a down payment if you need either.

Good luck.

[David R]

I would do it by the hour. Tell him $50 or what ever per plus materials and you will guarantee it won't break. Explain that it should take 2 hours if nothing goes wrong. (just in cast it turns into a blow job ) This leaves the window open and is an estimate instead of a quote.

If some drives through it, you will get the job next time for $.

I would add one upright or angled bar for "strength", this should get you another 1/2 hour out of the job and he has already paid for the length of pipe. Its a win win.

I read here from some one. They should sh*t their pants for about a second, then you get the job. You know your quote was spot on. Talking to the guy will only help. Both for pricing and to get the job.

David

Edit, the post could be a bigger job than the gate.

[rusty ripple]

don't touch this for less than 200$. if somebody told me they would do this 100$, i'd be very suspicious.

remember there is going to be more work than just the job itself. if you don't do a lot of repair work im willing to guess that means you're going to have round up all the tools you think you'll need, load the truck, then unload it all over again after, that's always at least two hours for me.

do yourself a favor, when it comes to repair work, never ever give a firm price, give him an hourly rate, and tell him how long you think it will take and why. sure it *should* only take two hours, but repair work always has unforseen problems. the post could look to be in good condition, then you find out its rust and paint, the hinge may not open right because the post is bent, may have to completly rebuild that hinge assemply apparatus from scratch........ it goes on and on. if it takes longer because you screw up, be honest about it and don't charge for that, it sucks, but it's part of the learning process

don't let him talk you out of your price once you figured your numbers, if someone else can do it cheaper, let them, they probably won't be business much longer. metalwork is expensive for a reason. when you say "i want the job no matter how much money i make on it, i need the cash", you have just described the number one reason contractors have a 90% failure rate, contractors start to get in trouble and bid low hoping to get a job, then they can't cover costs, which means they get more desperate, and bid low on other jobs, then can't cover costs....see where this is going?

price usually isn't the determining factor with people you want to do business with anyway. people that want the job done and want it done right will usually pay more just to get it done right and in a timely manner.

one more thing to remember, you're accepting liability for this thing if you repair it. if a drunk driver hits it and the pipe breaks off and smashes little suzie ,who's having a picnic with her dolls, you're going to get sued whether it was your fault or not.

its an easy job and you should take it, but don't sell yourself short, especially if its because you're desperate for the cash.

i really like that quote about pant sh!tting, and the quote being spot on, that's absolutely true.

[David R]

Here is an example. The last job I did for a customer they thought was too much, so they got some one else to do the next one. Yesterday I was there fixing someone else screw ups.

David

[wirehunt]

I would allow at least four hour's, at least.

Time you get the materials, get the old one off, the post turns into a much bigger job because it needs cemented in OR is already cemented in and doesn't want to come good again that easy, then the hinges are shot (so make sure you take the material to fix them to), the latch is worn out so no point in putting a stuffed one back on. A couple of coats of paint. At least four hours.

See if he wants it done on hourly rate, if it doesn't take much he makes, if it takes a lot more you don't lose.