What do you charge?

[ftgokie]

Maybe a silly question. But what does a portable welder charge? I know its gona be diff from region to region.. but about what does everyone get that does this type of work? If this question is out of line...not trying to offend anyone...just trying to get an idea on what should be charged.

[lynx_welding]

were you from what kind of work are you doing and what tickets do you have is what difines your wadge/hour

[pipeline Dan]

Alberta with a pressure ticket pipeline/pipe spools your around 80 low side
115-120 per hr high side. Then you have to factor in supplied or not. If you
name is Lynx welding 120 per hr is petty cash:eek: :D

[lynx_welding]

hey now i'm good but maybe not well maybe i am i know your right up there too Dan don't sell your self short.

Highest paying job i had was 1500 a day for 26 days and travel for 2 so make it 28 days you people do the math and i didnt get that job cuz i had hopes and dreams

[pipeline Dan]

hey where are you going to work? I heard fort St johns is to be the next
fort mac????. Seems like everyone says that its going to fire up soon, but know one knows who is going to be the one to start up first. I hope soon cause I am getting real fat, I dont even know if I can pick up my bottoms
cause muy fat gut/love handels are getting in the way. I see more and more
guys from Alberta comming on here which is cool. I saw a new rig in town today looks like he is from Okotoks, black Dodge 302TB sitting behind his cab sideways and black tooll boxes.:confused: HMMMMMM.

[lynx_welding]

i herd it was Penn west starting stuff up there maybe it was in the yukon either way they're starting stuff i'm starting a project in south calgary for a little while shortening track units For rigs could be 2 weeks /track unit and there is four /rig and there is 10 rigs at 85 full supply and 20min from the drive way

[ftgokie]

To be honest...im 38yrs old....have been welding for myself for about 17yrs or so....A job I had from 1997-2000 was in maintenance at a juice manufacturing plant....I was lead man on 3rd shift...we needed someone to tig weld some stainless....we didnt have anyone.....so pretty much, i taught myself...yea, i had watched the girl process piping weld and what i knew was from watching her..next day she came in and asked who had used her machine...i said i did....she asked what the **** i used it for so i showed her what i welded...it was something like a 90deg fitting going into a supply tank.. she seen the welds and looked at me and said I be ****...all I know is my weld looked as pretty as anyone elses that had been welding out there and it didnt leak..so pretty much....i have tought myself all I know...which isnt saying anything...Last job I had, I welded structural steel for a company that installed high speed conveyors and built mezzaninies in all the bulk mail centers in the US. We had to weld 1/2 coupons and then bend them. I was the only one to pass first time. I was kinda proud..lol...musta been a fluke:D
I have always loved to weld...and at 38, decided....what the ****... I love to do it and so im going to Vo-Tech this month to oficially learn how to weld:D then after I finish, i wanna weld off of my own rig.. I dont know anything about anything at this point and thats how im going into the class... I want to absorb all I can from the instructor and then take what I learn and do it for myself. Kinda scary changing jobs like this...not knowing whats out there..but, im wanting to go out and do a real job. Id love to go to work in Canada...or my wife would crap her drawers if we actually got to move back to Alaska with me welding. We were stationed there from 1994-1997 in Fairbanks and LOVED it. ANyways...enuf of my ranting and raving...this is what ive always wanted to do, and just not gonna let anyone talk me out of it again...So..getting back to teh original question 3 novels later..:D I know I can weld good... so given that......what woudl a person like me expect to make welding off my own truck. Probably what I will do is keep my job I have now, and weld on my days off and nights off..until I get up a reputation...hopefully a good one:D

[lynx_welding]

back about 10 years ago in calgary rates were about 60 65 /hour at the top end right now they are 85-95 best thing to do is get out and do it once youo have your ticket don't hold off the only way you make a name for yourself is buy getting out and doing it but remember they don't remember as quickly if a guy whos slow then gets quicker but they remember a guy who quits on the first day from haveing repairs

[Portable Welder]

Im in the lower Michigan area between Detroit and Ann Arbor which is the biggest Metro politan area in Michigan and I charge 72.00 from port to port.
Usually I have a helper which is $127.00 hr. However working by the hr is not where its at, I make alot more money bidding jobs.
I just had a two day weekend job that paid $ 16,500.00 I had 3 men plus me and we had 17 hrs labor plus $ 1800.00 in material.
Working by the hr. pays the bills but shut down work is where its at.

[Coalsmoke]

I also charge 72/hr, but that cdn so that's about $62 USD and one way travel time. I also charge for my time to get job specific supplies and materials, but at this time, I don't charge a mark-up on materials, so it somewhat evens out.

[Fat-Fab.com]

Ok when I started out one of the first tings I did was hire a CPA, for just this question. I found out it is a math question with a precise formula. Not a feeling thing. If you are un willing to pay what I ask then find some one else, then call me when you want it fixed.

His answer was: total all your costs
Work comp (as if you were to hire out the work)
Liability insurance (me per year)
Fuel for machine
Machine wear and tear (rental value at long term lease)
Fed tax mileage for rig, Avg. distance you expect to or willing to drive with out special reimbursements)
Insurance for rig
Consumables (max amount usable in one hour, say 20 lbs 1/8” 7018 per 8 hours or X amount of O/A)
Base rate of pay (amount you would hire employee for + 20% tax)
Last is profit 15% to 30%

Wrinkle is the work Union or Davis Bacon? Adjust base accordingly.

I came up with $75.00 regular rate, Regular Over time rate $85.00 15% off if you spend to a predetermined level (based on sales in the last quarter and sales to date this quarter)

Davis Bacon or Union $105.00
My pricing will be going up at the start of the second quarter
I am one of the higher priced welders in my area and have little time for fishing.

BTW Quick Books makes all this so easy.

[pipeline Dan]

His answer was: total all your costs
Work comp (as if you were to hire out the work)
Liability insurance (me per year)
Fuel for machine
Machine wear and tear (rental value at long term lease)
Fed tax mileage for rig, Avg. distance you expect to or willing to drive with out special reimbursements)
Insurance for rig
Consumables (max amount usable in one hour, say 20 lbs 1/8” 7018 per 8 hours or X amount of O/A)
Base rate of pay (amount you would hire employee for + 20% tax)
Last is profit 15% to 30%

Wrinkle is the work Union or Davis Bacon? Adjust base accordingly.

I came up with $75.00 regular rate, Regular Over time rate $85.00 15% off if you spend to a predetermined level (based on sales in the last quarter and sales to date this quarter)

Davis Bacon or Union $105.00
My pricing will be going up at the start of the second quarter
I am one of the higher priced welders in my area and have little time for fishing.

BTW Quick Books makes all this so easy.

Thats alot of thinking for a welder. Here in Alberta its different cause pipeline
companies pay different then the rest of the world. We go with a hr rate
everything else goes on top of that as add ons. Eg last winter I got 115 per hr
plus my fuel, disks, rods, gases and hotel/camp paid for. Plus they gave me
a 12 hr shift for 10 hrs work(travel time) so really I was paid well over 1400
bucks a day cause of all the other stuff. I just showed up to burn rod, that way I dont have to think about that other stuff, head down a*s up;)

[lynx_welding]

yeah know doubt it's hour rate no overtime but that's why we charge more an hour subsistance never under $100 a day travel time and jump hours it all adds up real fast and real easy alot of companys are full supply even easier makes more sense than no cents

[storts]

When I bought Storts Welding 30 years ago,the Co. was already 70 years old,,So the old owner worked for me for one month,,He had such a different way of quoting every cust different,,But it came down 30 years ago to 1/3 was the employees wages,ins,etc. 1/3 was overhead,rent ins's electric,and the other 30 things that must be paid every month,,and 1/3 profit to the co. Well,back then,in the N.E. there was no shortage of work for any one,,every welding co,knew the others customers,and never steped on each others toes!!Worked good back then,Today its a different world,,alot,,no me or the other old timers,arnt back stabbers,,and today say Stanley tools for instance,there is no allegence(SP) any more,as Ive lost 20,000K jobs for a hundred dollar bill,what happened to all those years i worked,and some of the other guys 1/2 day Thanksgiving,Christmas to get you out of a Jam,at least the decency of a phone call!!Give me the chance to bend the 100 bucks???????(who wouln't) Today its a hole diffenent ball game,,the bottom dollar!! Luckily I still have enough of the good customers that remember:D :D

Fat-Fab,,Quick books is a god sent!!!!!!

Ftgokie,If you dont mine me asking,im putting a building up come spring(Finnally) on my property,,Luckie i live in a town where everyone runs there buisness out of there house,,and i have 10.5 acres,1100 ft driveway(we call it hooterville),neibors on both sides with Shops,,Mine wont be as big as yours,Buetiful Job!!!!!!mine will be 40 x 60 and all sttel,,Ive worked in dungons for 28 years,,NO MORE,,could you put a layout of yours,if you dont mine,,I wont have a 20x20 rec room,But i will be next to my oversized 3 car garage,with loft,and will do a cut in to the new building,,with a 14x14 ft overhead door,and a standard double walk in so if some on comes in,dont have to let the heat out,,and I can run a car,or fork truck thru to the new shop from the garage,,and i get my garage back,,will have a 6x6 heated room off the back for the compressors,another furnace if needed,,and the 3 phase converters,,to keep the noise down,Thanks for your help,,and where are you located?????those gates are fantastic,doesnt look like you will have a hard time getting work,,thanks again,Jack,,and welcome,,bunch of good guys here!!!!!!!:D :D