What do you guys charge for parts?

[Leo_Gnardo]

Mostly people bring me their stuff to make it sound better, and they keep bringing me other stuff, so I must be doing something right!

Sounds good, you're developing a good reputation and you can pick the battles you're sure you can win.

Meanwhile I just spent another grand on parts today at Newark and Magic/Ruby. I look at inventory parts buying as sort of a bond investment. There's no sweepstake type win, but over the course of time I make the money back bit by bit and eventually wind up in the profit column.

Besides labor I do charge for parts & though it may seem a bit of drudgery, the list on each bill is a good reminder of what I did to fix an amp should I see it again in the future. OTOH I find myself thinking "who said something about a nation of shopkeepers... " keeping track of minor details. Also those boxes of receipts & invoices are a defense in case Uncle Sam should ever demand an audit. "Here you go sir, 34 years of detailed paperwork, feel free to knock yourself out."

[xtian]

I'm flexible in how I charge, but I try to be fair. When I have to order parts, I'll usually charge for the time I spend ordering, but only charge retail+shipping for the parts. If the parts are in inventory already, I mark them up a little.

I had a funny job today. A referral led me to a Mexican restaurant in Paradise where they needed me to fix their microphone for announcing food orders. It was just a loose connection, and easy to fix, but then they asked me to order a new mic, new PA and new speaker and come back and wire it.

By the way, the helpful search term I needed is "push-to-talk" microphones.

[DonMoose]

I do the odd repair, and don't mark the parts up - I pay retail, and my client pays exactly that. In this way, the sales tax has been paid, but I don't have to mess with it. At 2 - 3 clients a year, this seems the most practical way.