WeldingWeb - Welding Community for pros and enthusiasts banner

Hourly Rates

14K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  Andrei  
#1 ·
I'm planning to start my own welding business when I retire from the Army. I'm curious as to what other independent welders charge for there services. If you don't mind please reply with what you charge and what you do.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for serving !:drinkup: How soon before you retire ? Where you gonna setup shop at ? The location has a impact on pricing. If you are in farm country , mobile , and repair in field equipment it could be decent money. I have a guy that calls only ME. I only charge him $60.00 a hour but he ALWAYS gives me a tip and is in a 10 mile radius. I've known him for 30 years. I'm retired and have more work now then when I was employed. I'll go back to the barn/shop and see that somebody dropped off a busted 3 point backblade to fix. I knew which neighbor it was by looking.
Like stated, if you got a big buck shop, lots off dollars in '' FANCY'' equipment, insurance, utilities, and just opening the door you must get a return on your investment. Machines of any type are not cheap. Somebody must help to pay for them .
 
#5 ·
I run $60/hr plus materials. It's all shop work as I'm not mobile at this point. Most shops in my area are in the $90-$110/hr range and my turnaround time is usually much better than the full shops.
 
#6 ·
I'm planning to pay cash for my equipment prior to getting out (I retire in about 4 years). My thinking is that I can use the equipment on the weekend to start building a customer base and getting my name out there while I'm still Active Duty. I'm stationed in Central Texas which is where I plan to retire. I'm just not sure what the market supports and am interested in what other people charge for different types of jobs. I understand that it varies by locale but it will still give me an idea. I want to general repair work and construction, so my equipment will be truck based but I plan to also have a shop that I can work out of.
 
#9 ·
That is really close to what I charge.

$80 an hour shop rate, $100 per hour field rate with a 1 hour min. And if I bring a helper I get $150 an hour, with a 1 hour min.
 
#8 ·
Use a baseline $tandard shop rate and then "modulate" the required duration to provide clients with a net T&M (time and material) cost. Account for all costs, add profit, and complete the work professionally and on schedule.
 
#15 ·
You need to figure out what to charge for your survival. Take some business classes read or some books before you get out. Just cuz one person charges 100/hr and another 75/hr, doesnt mean the 100/hr person making more money. Took me a while to figure it out. Good luck. Thanks for your sacrifice and service.

Sent from my SPH-M830 using Tapatalk