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View Full Version : upcharge for working weekends



huggytree
06-20-2009, 11:27 AM
it rained hard last night and ive gotten a few Sat. calls for sump pumps

My normal 1st hour charge is $155(min)...for weekends its $255(min) + $15 extra per hour after that.

what do you feel is an acceptable up charge for weekend work? is $100 extra trip charge too much, just right, or too little????

thx4yrtym
06-20-2009, 12:40 PM
huggy,

Rate sounds too high BUT standing in waders on a Saturday in someone else's basement is not my idea of a good time. Changing out a sump pump is within the capabilities of most home owners I would think, so you are doing it because they simply don't want to.

I'd say get what ever you can.

huggytree
06-20-2009, 06:52 PM
a good part of the price is that i dont want to....i definately wont do it for less...id rather charge more!....but i dont want to gouge my current customers either....weekend jobs are always going to be small (low profit) jobs to begin with...so the extra $100 makes it alittle easier to accept...

huggytree
06-20-2009, 09:54 PM
just got back from my 1 hour job on a Sat.

i replaced a sump pump

it took me 3 hours total....1 hour there, 1 hour to work, 1 hour to drive home

3 hours of my life on a Sat away from my family...

i typically charge $100 per hour

i charged $55 trip charge, $100 Sat charge, $100 labor and made $75 profit on the pump

so i really made $10 extra per hour to work on a Sat....and im lucky i had a large price item like a sump pump....if it would have been a simple repair without that $75 markup i would have made (-$15) extra per hour....the real reason i do it is because its a steady customer(a condo association) and they give me a job or 2 a month....today they asked for 2 more sump replacements next week and possibly battery backup pumps for the whole association($8,000)

so today it was easily worth wrecking my family time for $110 per hour.....but other times its not....and realize that out of that $110 only $25 is profit & $34 is my hourly wage....so im not really making and complaining about $110 per hour.

$100 extra for a Sat/Sun is definately a Min. for me...and yes i consider my drive time important when i driving for only 1 - 1 hour job...you have to consider it...time is $$

KristineS
06-22-2009, 01:08 PM
I think most people would expect a certain amount of upcharge for weekend work. I know I wouldn't expect a plumber to show up on the weekend or after normal business hours without expecting to pay a little extra. It is one thing if you're gouging people, but I don't think you're doing that. You've just set a price at which you are willing to take time away from your family. If customers don't like that price, they don't have to pay it.