What to charge?
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
What to charge?
I replaced 2 diodes in the 15V supply on a Carvin 100 tube power amp. The diodes had burned the PC board, so I had to remove the PC board to do jumpers to replace the burned and lifted traces. It took around 4 hours to do the repair mostly to dismantle and put back together. I have no idea what to charge. Don't know what the going rate is.
Re: What to charge?
I would charge $65. The diodes are cheap and 4 hours is way too long. You should have been done in under an hour. I know they are a pain in the ass to disassemble and re. But, I know I can do it in 30 min. Having all the right tools in front of you and knowing what to reach for takes experience.
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Andy Le Blanc
- Posts: 2582
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:16 am
- Location: central Maine
Re: What to charge?
go ahead and charge by the hour.... remember you have to pay two people
theres you and then theres the shop....... whats your time worth?
10 .....20...... 25....... per hour?....... $100 is way cheap with out a min. bench fee...
theres you and then theres the shop....... whats your time worth?
10 .....20...... 25....... per hour?....... $100 is way cheap with out a min. bench fee...
lazymaryamps
Re: What to charge?
If I FUBAR my own time on a repair, but learned something in the process, I'll go ahead and eat it and chalk it up to education.
1 hour would be fair, I think.
1 hour would be fair, I think.
Re: What to charge?
What IS the typical shop rate nowadays? The last time I did it for money, it was $65-75 an hour on the west coast. I know a lot of shops were going to flat rate based on type or power level in the case of SS because it sped things up a lot. You did not have to stop to get approval if there is a flat rate.
Probably any tube amp repair, not mods or restoration, just defect repair and set up can be completed in 2 hours or less.
A "value" charge makes the most sense, a charged based on what it should have cost, instead of timing. That way there is an incentive to improve diagnostic skills so profits increase based on skill and experience without charging more.
The amp in question should have cost $50-60 if not a comercial shop and $100 if it was, based on 5-10 years ago. I assume it would be a lot higher now. Rents and labor for support personel vary a lot by region.
Probably any tube amp repair, not mods or restoration, just defect repair and set up can be completed in 2 hours or less.
A "value" charge makes the most sense, a charged based on what it should have cost, instead of timing. That way there is an incentive to improve diagnostic skills so profits increase based on skill and experience without charging more.
The amp in question should have cost $50-60 if not a comercial shop and $100 if it was, based on 5-10 years ago. I assume it would be a lot higher now. Rents and labor for support personel vary a lot by region.
Re: What to charge?
Well, I don't repair amps for a living, but I do practice one of the professions that bills by the hour. I'm inclined to go with the crowd here. You need to engage in what's known as "value billing" here. Value billing means you ignore actual time (high or low) and bill the customer a fair price for the work.
It seems this work is worth around $50-65, so that's about it. Sorry you are only earning $12/hour, but chalk it off to experience. These things happen.
Sometimes I take on work where I know that I need to write off the time. That's not a terrible thing, as long as its not the rule. Other times I manage to complete an 8 hour job in 4 hours because it falls within my best expertise. For example, maybe I've got existing templates to make calculations. Those templates are the equivalent of tools or jigs, and my particular knowledge of the task allows me to slice through it very efficiently. When that happens, I bill as if it was 8 hours work. Remember, I spent my own time previously building the templates and now I'm recovering that time. There is nothing wrong with this practice and it is common place. When I bid a job, I also am mindful that the client will want an explanation if I am over budget. As you gain experience, you get very good at pricing for a decent profit.
It seems this work is worth around $50-65, so that's about it. Sorry you are only earning $12/hour, but chalk it off to experience. These things happen.
Sometimes I take on work where I know that I need to write off the time. That's not a terrible thing, as long as its not the rule. Other times I manage to complete an 8 hour job in 4 hours because it falls within my best expertise. For example, maybe I've got existing templates to make calculations. Those templates are the equivalent of tools or jigs, and my particular knowledge of the task allows me to slice through it very efficiently. When that happens, I bill as if it was 8 hours work. Remember, I spent my own time previously building the templates and now I'm recovering that time. There is nothing wrong with this practice and it is common place. When I bid a job, I also am mindful that the client will want an explanation if I am over budget. As you gain experience, you get very good at pricing for a decent profit.
Re: What to charge?
A few years ago I spoke with a tech at Peavey about repairing a Classic 50. I don't remember what their rates were at that time but I do remember questioning him about how long he estimated it would take to do the repair. He said that he could trouble shoot and do any repair on it in less than an hour.