ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Business Related Discussion Calculating Overhead and Estimating

I didn't mean to pitch this particular business and apologize if it was taken that way. I'm not a member of this organization and don't know if it is a good thing or not.
I just thought some people might like to know that it exists. I have provided links to estimating software websites and other websites that sell books and other business or electrical related items. I don't tell people they should buy this stuff.
I've seen plenty of posts on ECN recommending various products.

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 02-01-2005).]

well with that mentality, I guess we shouldn't be mentioning product names or tool brands either. I could see if A-Line was a new member here and hadn't shown a genuine interest in good businessmanship (if that's a word), then I might suspect his motives. But for all we know, that link could prove to be very beneficial to someone, which is what I though this is about.

I appreciate the links you've posted, A-Line. Keep it up!

Dave

Thanks for the links also,When i first started looking for links 2 years ago on electrical business subjects they were hard to find.

Hi,
Thanks for the replies. I myself have gotten over $200 an hour too, but not everyday and not the norm!

I am all for charge what the market will bear.

I guess all the other contractors in that area can say ..."hey, we charge half of what they get!"

Is that $200 per man on each job?

Regards

Greg

With flat rate software you enter in your hourly rate and this rate is applied to all of the tasks that you print in your books.
I may be wrong but I think his rate would be set at 200 per hour. Most of the time a task would be completed in less time than the book shows. So if the book shows a task should take 4 hours but it is completed in 3 hours that would be 266 per hour. If it took 5 hours to complete than that would be 160 per hour.
Most of the time the task should be completed in less time than the book shows so the average would be over 200 per hour.
As far as I know this is 200 per man.
It's hard to believe that some people are able to charge this rate while others have a hard time charging 50 per hour.
I think he spends a lot on marketing and advertising. TV commercials, Phonebook ads, etc.

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 02-02-2005).]

Hi,
Could you explain the purpose of these "books" and what they are used for?

Is there a flat rate set for each activity or assembly?

That may not always work out will it?

Thanks

Greg

These books have the prices for the tasks or jobs that you do. Each tech has a book and shows the customer the price for the task in the book. The customer is more likely to approve the price when it is shown to them in a book. The books make it easy for the techs to price the jobs.

Example: Customer wants you to come out and install a ceiling fan they just purchased.

The customer is informed of a service charge for a tech to come out and look at the job.

The tech arrives and removes the existing light fixture. He finds that the existing box is not rated for fan installations and there is only a swich leg in the box so he will need to get power from another source for the fan.

The tech opens the pricing book and shows the customer the price for the task of installing the ceiling fan and writes it on the invoice. He then shows the customer the price for replacing the box with a fan rated box and writes that on the invoice. Finally he shows the customer the price for running power to the fan and writes that on the invoice. He would then total up the 3 tasks for the total price.
The customer would then sign that they approve the price.
If the customer declines the price the tech would reinstall the light and collect the service fee and leave.

If the customer approves the price the tech would complete the work and then get another signature from the customer stating that the work was done to their satisfaction.

If the tech sees that the receptacles in the kitchen and bath are not GFCI then he would inform the customer of this and show them the price in the book to replace these with GFCI receptacles.

That is one of the purposes of the book is so that any tech can price the job or additional work on the spot. For your company to grow you need to have a system so that techs can price and sell the jobs. If you try to price all the jobs yourself you will be limited.

A-Line... Any chance I could ask you a few general questions about the system you use? Just General Information ? I have been trying to get some additional info. If so email me.

Thanks,
Bill

5th-gen@earthlink.net

[This message has been edited by wirewiz (edited 02-02-2005).]

Beware of the Flat Rate Plus book from Mr HVAC (Easy Street, Inc.). I'm still waiting to get my money back.

Dave