Charges ...

PeterM · 30 July 2012, 09:30

Am trying to understand what the charging structure is for marine work ....

I have just been quoted £40 per hour + VAT by one local place and I am wondering what other may be paying or priced ?

Anyone who is in the trade care to publish thier hourly rate or is it a 'per job' charge for standard things like a service etc . Or members who can recall being quoted an hourly rate ?

I am trying to work out if I am being ripped off...I just dont have the time this week to do stuff so am going to pay someone to get it done in time for next week.

Peter

thomas · 30 July 2012, 09:48

I was charges £40p/h for a service, not unreasonable I thought until I saw I was charged for 5 hours.

Dry Run · 30 July 2012, 10:10

I would say that £40/hr is pretty standard amongst the mechanics we use (including our own).

Most standard servicing jobs should be easy to quote for (just had my Opti 225 serviced for a fixed price). If I get time today I'll publish our list of service charges.

Pikey Dave · 30 July 2012, 10:22

Hourly rates are a bit of a smokescreen as Thomas found out. £40 quid an hour sounds ok until you find out they've bumped the hours up. £60quid an hour would be a better deal if they only took 3 hours & did a good job. Always ask for a fixed price, especially on servicing.

PeterM · 30 July 2012, 10:26

Agree with the the smokescreen bit !

Been told its 2-3 hours to pull of triple carbs , clean , put back on and set up - which is fine, but am wondering if there is such a thing as half hour charging ? ( There should be ! Otherwise its just profiteering - or am I super cynical ? )

Poly · 30 July 2012, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

Agree with the the smokescreen bit !

Been told its 2-3 hours to pull of triple carbs , clean , put back on and set up - which is fine, but am wondering if there is such a thing as half hour charging ? ( There should be ! Otherwise its just profiteering - or am I super cynical ? )

it sounds like the poor guy has wasted half an hour discussing and debating the price, job size and charging structure with you! Assuming he wants repeat business he won't screw you over (charging 3hrs for 2hr and 10 mins work); likewise assuming you want to be a priority when you need an urgent fix or to get him to do a 2 minute job FOC then you won't quibble over the margins of a reasonable price.

sax player · 30 July 2012, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

Agree with the the smokescreen bit !

Been told its 2-3 hours to pull of triple carbs , clean , put back on and set up - which is fine, but am wondering if there is such a thing as half hour charging ? ( There should be ! Otherwise its just profiteering - or am I super cynical ? )

I generaly charge by the job, where i can. But £40/hr for a time served engineer is a good rate. For a spanner monkey that learnt his way round spanners in a back street garagea a lot less.

Pikey Dave · 30 July 2012, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

it sounds like the poor guy has wasted half an hour discussing and debating the price, job size and charging structure with you! Assuming he wants repeat business he won't screw you over (charging 3hrs for 2hr and 10 mins work); likewise assuming you want to be a priority when you need an urgent fix or to get him to do a 2 minute job FOC then you won't quibble over the margins of a reasonable price.

Blimey! somebody didn't get their 8 hours last night

PeterM · 30 July 2012, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

it sounds like the poor guy has wasted half an hour discussing and debating the price, job size and charging structure with you! Assuming he wants repeat business he won't screw you over (charging 3hrs for 2hr and 10 mins work); likewise assuming you want to be a priority when you need an urgent fix or to get him to do a 2 minute job FOC then you won't quibble over the margins of a reasonable price.

Easy ! ....

It was a 4 minute phone call where I stated what I wanted and on what engine quite specifically. And it went from a 2 hours to three hours ...which made me wonder about the cost. Its not the sort of place that will ever do me a FOC as I am just a little boater with simple stuff going on.

But my query was - what is a reasonable price? & I'm not privy to his margins anyhow . I have until now been able to do everything on a fixed cost (servicing / known replacement part costs etc).

This is a fairly 'spanner monkey' capable job - akin to an older car carb clean in my head.....but it started me thinking .....

Turbodiesel · 31 July 2012, 21:26

We charge £40.00 per hour plus vat.

Landlockedpirate · 31 July 2012, 22:07

I think £40 per hour is good value. I doubt you could get a decent car mechanic for that much. Once you take into account overheads, what's he earning ? £10-£15 PH ? not a lot really.

I really feel its important to pay a fair price for work you have done, other wise these fantastic small mechanics simply disappear.

I used to have a small marine mechanic near me in Ormskirk, I have been using it for years, my dad even bought a boat from there in the 70's ! But sometime over the winter it closed down

bedajim · 31 July 2012, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterM

I just dont have the time this week to do stuff so am going to pay someone to get it done in time for next week.

Peter

Isn't that a big part of your question answered ?