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Hi all, I was wondering how much hourly rate I should be charging? I recently quoted a job only to be questioned if I was an electrician due to being too cheap.
I’m thinking of upping my rates but want to keep at an honest and fair price.
 

Yeah you're too cheap. Are you even a proper electrician ? lol

Seriously though, everyone's hourly rate will be different and you need to work out yours by working out your overheads per annum, the amount of realistic working days/hours per annum, and the amount you wish to earn per day/hour.

The overheads incurred by a man in a van for instance will not be comparable to that of a small to medium sized firm with offices and non revenue producing staff.

You also need to take into account local rates and local cost of living.

I reckon you could stick a good chunk on that and not lose much business at all.
 
Cheers! I’m doing mostly domestic work at the moment and I’ve just started to receive work from a local housing association. At the moment my overheads are roughly 5K..

So let’s say it’s £6k excluding replacing a vehicle

At best you will probably work 40 weeks per year ....

So 40 x 40 x 2o minus 6000 = 26k

Way too low to make self employment a sensible employment course ...
 
Hi kjb,
Wow! Honestly I'm gobsmacked at £20 per hour. Really pleased your asking on hear what you should be charging.

Obviously it's up to you, but I don't know how you will make profit.

My charges are

Out of hours call out £65 per hour
Emergency day time call out £65 per hour
Normal hourly rate £45 per hour
Day rate. £225

Hope that helps
Peter

P.S. I am putting my rates up next month as I know other spark in the area are charging much more and I know I am much better than them.
 
It depends how much work you are getting, how busy you want to be and what your overheads are, my kids charge me £10 for cleaning my car! Anything less than £30 an hour is too cheap unless its mates rates.
 
That's it - next new client my prices go up! No wonder people jump at my experience - and I thought they were after my wit and repartee!
 
Why next new client .... from the 1st October for all surely
Only because a new client will not know my extremely affordable positive change in their lives, they will get the positive change in their lives with an invoice that keeps me in a new upscaled style of living.
New work for old customers will be amended to the 'new me' but the projects I have going will remain 'good value'.
Glad my mortgage is low!
 
Controlling your overheads is key.

I charge out at £650 per day for a sparks + mate.

Minimim of a day for most jobs.

Some reactive maintenence jobs I charge at between £60 - £100 per hour depending on things like how quick they want an attendance.

£20 sounds a little low to me.
 
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