We are thinking to go flat rate, why are they soo expensive and which company has the best product?

I am not aware of anyone selling just the manual ... nor can I imagine any manual taking the legwork out of quotes.

The outfits that do distribute manuals do it as part of an all-encompassing marketing program. That is ... you take their name, use their advertising, run your business their way - with the promise that their formula will make you lots of money. As such, they want their cut.

Is the money well spent? Perhaps it is. There are reasons some guys are able to charge five times as much, and still have the customers love them. When we are taught the trade, we are taught nothing about running a business - a different 'trade' alltogether.

If you are considering going flat rate it suggests you're using T&M now. Historical data of completed work can be more accurate than manuals. Always start with a break-even calculation for your business.

Dave

I use NSPG, National Standard Price Guide. I have had very good results from it. You can update your material, labor, and adjust the time very easily. I've found that the tasks and the time it takes to do them are very accurate. (For residential work). I hope this helps,

Paul

there are only 2 companies on the electrical end that operate this way...there are several that will sell you all the tools and teach you what to do, but you still keep your name...and then there are about a dozen companies that will sell you just the flat rate program/manual, all the way up to on site coaching.

NPSG is one, Mr. HVAC (i think they changed their name) is another, Maurice Maio (Maio Success Systems) is another...take a look at www.pmmag.com and search for them...

How in the wide world of sports, could you sell old work flat rate?
New work.. OK.. Margin would have to be way up there, to make it work. Averages, dont ya know.

Thank you, mahlere, for the correction ...

Thanks!

it's easy...you just have to know what you are doing....then you know what you are looking at...then you know what needs to be done...for the other 5% of the time, you wing it...

etech -Please, please, please don't go to flat rate, square foot or any other "all singing, all dancing" method of estimating your jobs.I posted under another thread just recently here about things related to pricing. My bean counter and I tried flat rate for about a month or so a long time ago as well as square foot stuff. The flat rate stuff killed us because we didn't realize all the associated costs then. After a long time, I still don't think we know ALL the costs of carrying out the business, but we have a pretty good handle on it - maybe within about a couple of hundred bucks. It still boils down to going out and counting each item that needs doing, whether it's a new construction, renovation or repair and having a good idea of how long it's going to take and just what material you need to get the job done.

I really, really wish it wasn't that way, but it is. Hope that helps you.

Now if I could just get the rockers from covering our receptacles. GRRRR!

don't confuse flat rate/upfront pricing on residential service work with swag/sq foot/unseen unit pricing on new work...2 different worlds and 2 different things

Why con't you use both. I use flat rate for the easy ones. Saves time bidding and you get the job and check when your done. Customers seem to like having a price right away. I have my own rate book for stuff like fishing in a receptacle. Wieghing the variables is the catch (plaster, wood, wire or plaster lath, etc) Knowlegde is power(lol)

Ob

I've used flat rate for 5 years on residential remodeling work. It works well if it's set up well and you know to adjust for actual conditions. Like T&M it's always better to be a little on the high side. With flat rate you can't ask for more money on the work just because you quoted too low. Without task prices I'd forget the little details of non-productive time like restocking, recordkeeping, as well as profit goals.

Dave