First let me explain that I live on eastern Long Island and that the customer base here is largely residential and small commercial. When I first was exposed to portions of this type of discussion almost 30 years ago (I was maybe 12 years old) there were only a very small - perhaps less than a half dozen - local residential electrician's. There was only one slightly larger outfit that preferred larger commercial type work - and they were related through marriage. At that time they were all very competitive (there was less work available), but it appeared to me that most through mutual agreement had opted to charge roughly the same prices. I get the distinct impression here now though, that many are simply charging whatever the market will bear, and as a result, there is a huge disparity in pricing...
I currently feel that if I stick to a $40. an hour minimum that I am very possibly undercharging and short changing myself, and yet there are times when I find it difficult to collect the 40/hour so... I'm just curious as to what others are charging. Obviously, if it is a smaller job for say an addition or whatever, it may be quite possible to inflate the price somewhat... And what about a really small job like an attic fan? Do you charge time and materials? an hourly rate? or do you charge a flat fee and inflate the estimate? or does it just depend on how hungry you are at the time and how much this particular job appeals to you? And what of "builder prices"? Obviously this is a highly competitive area but one that can help provide a more stable base. So do you try to remain "highly" competitive, meaning you work for much less than your $40/ hour? and then try to correct the inbalance through customer "extras"? And if so, how well does this work out? These are the types of questions I asked years ago as I was growing up working for my grandfather. Unfortunately he was always intentionally vague in his response. His prices were a delicate balance born of experience, based on his requirements as related to overhead, the cost of living here, and his desire to keep busy... One of the questions I have... Do you find your own hourly rates vary according to the particular job? Or do you try to stick to an hourly / weekly average?
