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I've adjusted my rates for it. If I didn't it wouldn't be worth leaving the house.
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
Jemcon,What kind of business do you run?You must drive a lot for the increase in fuel costs to eliminate all your profit.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
It doesn't eliminate my profits, but going from 75.00 to 150.00 a week in fuel does give a good shot in the ribs. I do more service and repair or small remodeling then large work.
If I visit 4 houses in 1 day I'll add5-10 dollars to the bill depending on how far from my house they are. I don't think I should have to loose money on a job by having to add it to my fuel tank. The trucking on everything went up and so did there prices.
A lousey bottle of pepsi in Shop Rite supermarket even went up .15 a bottle. If multi-million dollar companys can do it so can we.
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
I would agree that the extra $75 does add up over 52 weeks.It was just your comment that you would be better of staying at home if you didn't get that $75/week that struck me as interesting.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Once again ...
all U aholes make me laugh ... or cry.
Let's spend all out time crying that we don't make enough ...
then attack anyone that's raising ther rates.
Typical of this F'd up industry.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
So Jeff,Do you like giving money away?What would your response be to agreeing on a price for a job and then having extras tacked on because they need to "raise their rates"?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
so who's talking about extra's tacked on?
Can't U decide to raise your rates across the board ... fullfill what ever contracts you've already signed then use the new rates for adding up the new stuff?
Prices get raised all the time all over the world. Our line of work is one of the few where people will go out of their way to lower the rates in general.
everyone wants to make a buck .. till they hear someone else is charging more ... then suddenly that guy is trying to rip off his customers.
I say More Power to the guy that charges the most.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Spoken like a true capitalist,I like it
Can't U decide to raise your rates across the board ... fullfill what ever contracts you've already signed then use the new rates for adding up the new stuff?
Sure, I have no problem if a sub does that. The issue that I have (and will fight for) is when they start a job under the current pricing and then tell me when they invoice about the "new" pricing. If you're going to charge more or tack on extra charges you better tell me before we're committed to paying you.
I think you're assuming way too much, why don't you ask before making blanket accusations?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
"I think you're assuming way too much, why don't you ask before making blanket accusations?"
Jon ... you were the one assuming the rate increases in question were happening mid-invoice.
and my blanket accusation stands.
as soon as someone reasons they're raising their rates ... there's a line formed behind him trying to tear him down ...
seen it happen way more than once.
for some reason ... bitching about someone making more than "the norm" is all too common in this industry. If anyone decides they're worth more ... why they must be stealing ....
a similar story ... my concrete guy ... tells a GC his price to do a job ... GC said that's way too high ... then adds ... "how do U "justify" that price" ...
my concrete guy just said ... "3 kids in private school" ...
instead of giving his customers a more expensive option, as my concrete guy had worked for friends of that customer ... and they called him first ... the GC decided that this concrete guy was just too damn expensive ... no way someone could be worth more than the "going rate" ...
which is also backwards thinking.
20% is higher when you tack it on to the higher priced sub.
but that happens each and every day in our industry ... people shooting themselves and everyone else in the foot ... because the price is raised from last time ... or ... it's higher than the going rate.
No sense everyone getting together and deciding that we should all make enough money to send our kids to nice private schools ...
better to have the higher priced guys "justify" their prices.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Jon ... you were the one assuming the rate increases in question were happening mid-invoice.
and my blanket accusation stands.
I'm not assuming anything, I'm telling you about my experiences.
Please note that all you're acecdotes are referring to pricing prior to the job starting. I don't think I've ever complained about that. Any of my subs have a right to increase their pricing just as I have a right to find someone else to do the job.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
"No sense everyone getting together and deciding that we should all make enough money to send our kids to nice private schools ..."
Jeff I think that is what Unions do. If I remember correctly your anti-union!
Justin
I am antiUnion ...
I also don't want the dumbest/laziest guy on the site being able to afford to have his kids go to private school over the hardest working/ brightest guy on site just because the lazy guy's been lazy for a longer time than the hard working guy's been hardworking.
Yer mixing apples and oranges ... but it was a nice try.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
In the past few weeks, I've started getting the next round of the force majuere (sp?) letters from suppliers. Our masonry supply and roll-off company are charging extra.
I have to call my mason every time I get an invoice from him, he likes to charge $25/day extra when the fuel is above $2.50. I have no problem with a reasonable fuel charge but I don't like to pay for 2 fill-ups a week.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
I would wonder what he is driving at that surcharge!!!!!
He drives an F250. The jobs are between 30-40 miles from his house (he lives out in the sticks).
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
If my math is correct then his surcharge should be $4 when gas is $3 a gal. That is if he's getting 10 m.p.g. less surcharge if diesel!
That's exactly the argument I have with him every time.FWIW, he calls his business ***'s MasonAry.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
People have different ways of charging what they need. Sometimes it's bassackwards, like your masonARY contractor, but I bet if you compared his overall price and work to others, you'd still be using him... because you still are. He should just raise his rate $3-5 per hour and cover it that way, instead of some silly surcharge that leaves people wondering if it's legit.
I have had numerous conversations with various of my subs about their paperwork presentation. Not because I care much, but because they work for the public also, and the public cares a lot. I can only think of a couple that give me itemized, detailed invoices printed from a computer. I still get quite a few that are handwritten on pads from the office store.
We have a small business so ...
We get $.445/mile tax deduction. About $.15/mile tax savings.
We pay about $.15/mile for operating our vehicle.
We break even on miles driven.
you haven't seen surcharges 'till you pay for hauling equipment around.. Our equipment is made in Penn. and used to haul two forklifts for around $1200. now they are about $1800 each!
Yea and thats passed on to us .
Tim
A friend of mine was a roofer. He charged a per mile mileage fee. In a rural area with jobs far apart, many people felt they were being abused. One guy told him he didn't care what he charged as long as the mileage wasn't on the bill as a seperate item.
After listening to his experience, I charge for my travel time, figuring most of it goes to the vehicle. Nobody has ever questioned it.
The problem now is that:
$.45 per mi.@ 60 mph =$27 per hour
I don't know, but I think if I figured depreciation, taxes, insurance, repairs, maintanence and fuel on a fairly new vehicle, $.45 wouldn't touch it.
I start every day in the hole.
A guy I know with a service business charges a buck something a mile. Customers yowl like mashed cats, but he is really getting what he needs.
My options
Fuel surcharge
Raise my hourly rate
Pad my travel time
Go to a per mile charge
None are going to go over well. Logical, fair and upfront never sells well.