Spinoff- what do you charge for fabwork?

[Neal3000]

I'm thinking of maybe trying to make a few bucks making RZR cages, bumpers etc and am pondering what i should charge? People who aren't highend builder/fabbers like ColeWoerx or whatever but do quality work, whats your spare time worth?

 

[TheViking]

Time is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Depends on the area your in do you have a lot of fabricators in the area? Or will you be the only kid in town? Things like that, also how close are the supplies you will need got to factor in fuel and wear and tear on your vehicle. You need to think of small things like that, also whats an acceptable cost for the time it will take you away from your family or hobbies?

 

[John Galbreath Jr.]

$60 to $75 an hour. If you have something to loose, you will need insurance to protect yourself. Then a business license to be on the up and up. Then the .gov will want their cut.

 

[Neal3000]

I have a registered business and a LLC, i work slow though so theres no way i could charge like that. I was thinking $20 per hour or so?

 

[Elliott]

You will be hating life before long at 20 an hour

 

[Jduck]

I have a registered business and a LLC, i work slow though so theres no way i could charge like that. I was thinking $20 per hour or so?

$25-$30 seems to be a good range for the home fabricator. Depending on the job/how cool the customer/time frame for the job that rate can change. Also I've found that just a plain flat rate is much easier. So you could show someone your last rzr cage and say It'll be $400 + material...much easier than saying $20/hour and having to keep up with 20 different 1 hour increments.

 

[highrolrcustoms]

I could never charge by the hour. For the time it would take me to build a cage using a jd model 3 a big fabricator could build a full buggy. I agree to charge by the job. Just weigh your options on if you will make money vs time invested. Theres no way I could make money with the tools I have

 

[TheViking]

Twenty an hour is to cheap.

 

[grcthird]

Will you be marking up materials? If so then a lower rate may be ok, but my personal time is worth more than $20 an hour if thats the only money to be made. Unless of course fabbing gets your rocks off and it doesn't bother you to work dirt cheap.

 

[Neal3000]

Having just finished one i would have to say the labor i put into it for a cage and front/rear bumpers and sheetmetal roof would be around $800-1000 to make it worth my time, i didn't keep up with how long it took though but i bet it was close to 40

And this is not to make a living just to help pay for my expensive ass crawling/racing hobby

 

[5BrothersFabrication]

Ok, here's what I do. Google what everybody else is selling them for, say a rzr cage is $800. Charge $800, then make your time match the money. If you drink/text/wife brings the kids out to see daddy because that's the only time they can see you (me), you'll make ~$5 an hour. If you bust your ass and get it done quick, you'll make alot more. Just like any other self-employed person.

 

[bradzuki]

Fabrication jobs are by the job. If it's "can you weld this to this" it's $20, $50, etc., "I need a bumper" it's $250, $400, etc.

If it's a cutting job, we have a chart to go by. Materials + run time of the machine. That will get you close but depending on # of pierces, I can have lots of clean up that I don't account for.

 

[Neal3000]

Ok, here's what I do. Google what everybody else is selling them for, say a rzr cage is $800. Charge $800, then make your time match the money. If you drink/text/wife brings the kids out to see daddy because that's the only time they can see you (me), you'll make ~$5 an hour. If you bust your ass and get it done quick, you'll make alot more. Just like any other self-employed person.

Thats kinda what i was thinking.......thanks for the advice everyone