How long ought a good mechanic take...

[Seajet]

As a one man band AND based on the South coast I totally agree. This sort of activity get the trade a very bad name, £25.00 is plenty.

Paddingtonbear,

how do you even cover petrol costs at that rate ?

 

[Sandyman]

I have carried out plumbing work for people who wanted to kiss me all over for turning up after a phone call, but when the job is done and there's no longer water pouring through the ceilng they quibble about the - quoted - bill..

Usually insurance work so stick 50% on anyway

 

[Sandyman]

I have carried out plumbing work for people who wanted to kiss me all over for turning up after a phone call, but when the job is done and there's no longer water pouring through the ceilng they quibble about the - quoted - bill..

Usually insurance work so stick 50% on anyway

 

[Seajet]

Usually insurance work so stick 50% on anyway

Not in my case, I was sent jobs and helped people in need, even from drowning !

No ' stick 50 % on ' at all.

Maybe I was stupid and should have become a lawyer doing nothing at all useful...

 

[Lakesailor]

But £400 a day (based on 8 hr day) for (presumably) a one man band is seriously taking the piss

Working 8 hours a day 5 days a week is not possible for a one-man band. There is too much travel, sorting prices and gear and admin, etc to do to make it possible except for short bursts.

£25 per hour is a very reasonable rate.

 

[West Coast]

Just received the bill for my engine overheat problem. Engineer based with Kilmeldford Yacht Haven yard, rate £40 per hour, although they very kindly gave me some discount given the amount I use their moorings and services. Charged for 12 hours, which I think is fair to troubleshoot and fix the problem. Then took the boat to a swinging mooring as part of the service.

 

[PhillM]

But £400 a day (based on 8 hr day) for (presumably) a one man band is seriously taking the piss

Really??

Basic IT graduate costs £600 day.

Ford garage charge £85 per hour.

My accountant charges £220 per hour.

All plus VAT.

Personally I think most marine people (with exveptions) undercharge compared to other trades.

I'm not a marine person, so no axe to grind.

 

[bigwow]

There you go problem solved

http://www.scotsail.net/diesel.htm

 

[ripvan1]

Working 8 hours a day 5 days a week is not possible for a one-man band. There is too much travel, sorting prices and gear and admin, etc to do to make it possible except for short bursts.

£25 per hour is a very reasonable rate.

When I worked for myself the hourly work was charged to the customer, admin and sorting prices quoting and invoicing etc etc was done outside these hours.

IT graduates can't comment on
Ford garage £85/hour sounds cheap when considering garaging, machinery ramps lifts etc which I imagine most run of the mill boat mechanics don't operate.
Accountants @£220/hour - parasites and I doubt the above mechanic doesn't employ those charging that ammount.

Edit- £25 is a reasonable rate but double that for a man, van and tools is still taking the piss

 

[dunmor]

When I worked for myself the hourly work was charged to the customer, admin and sorting prices quoting and invoicing etc etc was done outside these hours.

IT graduates can't comment on
Ford garage £85/hour sounds cheap when considering garaging, machinery ramps lifts etc which I imagine most run of the mill boat mechanics don't operate.
Accountants @£220/hour - parasites and I doubt the above mechanic doesn't employ those charging that ammount.
£25 pound is reasonable, i have a large van to run + insurance, i do cars and marine stuff, the last computor i brought to plug in cars which is now only
2.5 yrs old cost me £4,500 pounds , i now have to update it which will cost me 800 quid, no wonder im not bloody rich

 

[Sandyman]

2.5 yrs old cost me £4,500 pounds , i now have to update it which will cost me 800 quid, no wonder im not bloody rich

Ever thought about taking up plumbing ?

 

[dunmor]

yea lads of times, no special tools req, and no iq! trouble is its what ive done my whole life its a habit
which i feel comfortable with, and i dont want to blow my own trumpet but i consider my self to be quite
good at it.

 

[Lakesailor]

When I worked for myself the hourly work was charged to the customer, admin and sorting prices quoting and invoicing etc etc was done outside these hours.

Yep. That's what I said You can only charge for hours worked . The rest you have to absorb. Unless you have found a way of creating 36 hours in the day then you aren't going to live, eat, sleep, do support and work and charge 8 hours a day very often.

£25 pound is reasonable, i have a large van to run + insurance, i do cars and marine stuff, the last computor i brought to plug in cars which is now only
2.5 yrs old cost me £4,500 pounds , i now have to update it which will cost me 800 quid, no wonder im not bloody rich

Then you are charging too little. £25 per hour is very reasonable, but if you are gearing up for the work you need to charge for that as well. Anyone can be cheap.

 

[ripvan1]

Originally Posted by ripvan1
2.5 yrs old cost me £4,500 pounds , i now have to update it which will cost me 800 quid, no wonder im not bloody rich

Ever thought about taking up plumbing

?

Quote above is not attributable to me - don't know what went wrong there.

PS. I would imagine your plug in computer has earned its keep in 2.5 years so £800 seems pretty reasonable to me.

Of course if it's not getting you work then plumbing does seem like a good option

 

[dunmor]

Yep. That's what I said You can only charge for hours worked . The rest you have to absorb. Unless you have found a way of creating 36 hours in the day then you aren't going to live, eat, sleep, do support and work and charge 8 hours a day very often.



Then you are charging too little. £25 per hour is very reasonable, but if you are gearing up for the work you need to charge for that as well. Anyone can be cheap.

yea youre right, but im keeping busy when others are sitting on their arse drinking coffee. it creates regular income,
not up and down all the time. it helps the cash flow, but more importantly it keeps the boat afloat!!!

 

[epervier]

What I find difficult to comprehend, is the number of people on here who think they know what the hourly rate should be, as someone has already pointed out if it's that easy, why pay a engineer to do it, because most of the time you haven't got the necessary tools, their knowledge or skill sets.

In most cases engineers/mechanics/fitters spend years learning their skill sets and not for great returns,while at the same time buying their tool kits on the way (which can be thousands) it isn't like getting an office job where the biggest outlay is a new suit once a year.

I'd thought that £50 per hour not expensive, if all inclusive of vat, tools, vehicle to the yard, take your car (almost any make) to it's main dealership for a routine periodic service you won't get much change out of 100 squid hour labour rate, and Mercedes, BMW Jaguar well over that! and if anything is wrong with it! make sure you go to BOOTS first, to buy the biggest jar of Vaseline they sell to ease the pain when they shaft you for the hours it will take to repair it!

Rant over, for now.

 

[sighmoon]

I'm not disputing his hourly rate - he was upfront with that.

I did ask for a quote beforehand, but was told it's hard to tell until he's done some investigative work. Yes, next time, I'll set a ceiling.

 

[Paddingtonbear]

I'm with dunmor, not far away either as it happens (BN9). I am a coded welder (MMA, Tig and mig) up to and including 19mm plate and have given it all up and stopped work completely as it used to cost me to work over the medium term. No one would pay anything like £25/ hour especially the bloody fisherman at Newhaven who always wanted it done as a 'favour', although Lenny Read seems to have got it sussed but not at £25/ hour though.

 

[epervier]

I'm not disputing his hourly rate - he was upfront with that.

I did ask for a quote beforehand, but was told it's hard to tell until he's done some investigative work. Yes, next time, I'll set a ceiling.

My reply was not meant to be directed at you personally, just generally at the naysayers, we as boat owners hardly flinch when charged £250 for a lift out and block off, which in most yards is about 30-45 mins work, yes we moan but don't do anything about it, because we can't.

 

[Lakesailor]

I have given it all up and stopped work completely as it used to cost me to work over the medium term. No one would pay anything like £25/ hour especially the bloody fisherman at Newhaven who always wanted it done as a 'favour', although Lenny Read seems to have got it sussed but not at £25/ hour though.

That is sensible.
The concept that any income is better than none doesn't actually work. For small businesses and shops, it usually means that the overdraft or credit lines are getting loaded, until a time comes when there is not enough income to service the debts.
I have friends who staggered along for ages unable to spot the signs (and unwilling to listen to sensible advice from others) and, of course, eventually went bust.