How much to charge? 3

[RacknRoll]

Hi all,
I received a call for a steel building foundation. Approximate 3000 SQFT. I am in California. Not sure what the going rate is for these. My guesstimate is about 1500. I don’t see the job as being lucrative if i bid much less.

Any idea the going rate for these?

Or, any suggestions as to how i might find out the going rate? Is it ok to call competitors? Or maybe just call around anonymously to get a bid.

 

[JedClampett]

Captain Obvious: $3000 is 20 hours at a $150 rate. And don't tell me you only make $50 an hour, you're worth at least 3 time's that.
That could be the submittal review.

 

[XR250]

Honestly, my bread and butter is $600 jobs. Usually 2 hours max investment.

 

[phamENG]

What sort of jobs are those? Round trip to the nearest Wal-Mart for me is 30 minutes - doing any sort of site visit, analysis, and report eats up almost a whole day. (Granted, part of that is self inflicted by my choice to live as far from other people as is fiscally reasonable.)

 

[XR250]

Mostly looking at cracks in foundations or sizing a beam. They are usually within 10-15 minutes of my house (office). Further away and I generally combine them with another job. I spend about 15 minutes on site and about 30 minutes on calcs or a report. My reports for foundation stuff are pretty minimal and mostly boilerplate. I do not include any photos. Has got me by for the last 25 years.
I charge $350 for the site visit. If i can combine 3 in a trip, that is $1000 in a three of less hours.
I used to live 25 minutes from civilization. Now I live in town so my income has increased significantly.

 

[structuralsteelhead]

Sounds like you've found your bread and butter/niche XR250. If it works for you and family, this is a good thing. Careful then about taking only an occasional commercial job and underestimating time and effort and your worth. Not to mention, keeping up with code changes, losing some touch with some other material design and code knowledge, etc. Make sure your PLI is paid up, even for/and maybe especially for the residential jobs due to the level of competency of the contractor providing services to the owner, or worse,..the owner himself doing the work. If your client indemnifies you for financial damages, you're still held responsible by the state licensing board and thus your license at risk of a mark. I've heard of a couple of structural who have "flown naked" most of their years, this not for me. Sorry I went tangent,...also in no way inferring any reference to your skill set. Do what works for you,...in my experience, any time I practice slightly outside of my specialty, I end up regretting it financially and emotionally.

 

[XR250]

@ structuralsteelhead

That is only about 25% of my work. My desk jobs are typically high end residential new construction and renovations and about 10% light commercial and some forensic work. I don't bid jobs - only do them by the hour. Seems to work for my client base. And yes, I carry PL insurance.