How you price out a welding job?

[CGCINC]

Just wondering how you guys go about pricing your welding jobs.

Do you have a minimum charge to fire up a welder?
Do you have a "per inch" charge?
Do you price based solely on the job in front of you?
If you go Mobile, how does that reflect in the price?
If you have a fabrication job that you know will take some time, how would you price that?

Any help is appreciated :)

[SeanMurphy265]

That's a hard question!!!! You live and learn on pricing! I have minimum charges for mobile welding $75.00 for the first hour / to show up (within my town). That's what it's worth for me to drive, gas in my truck and generator, grinding disc, cut off wheels, gloves, welding rods, etc. This is me using my stick and mig welder. Tig welding cost are higher gas is more expensive I have two small argon bottles. You need to figure out what your bottom line is. I did a small job for a guy early on for $50.00. I welded 2 1/4 inch plates 6 inches long some tubing for a fence. After I figured up my time (drive, loading, unloading, cleanup, cost) it was not worth my time even though it was a small job.

I posted a job in the projects section where I welded a coupler on a mobile home. The job was not hard, but it took 8-9lbs of welding rods to weld the frame. I quoted $150.00 which was way too low, I was thinking along the lines of a coupler on a trailer hitch, and to a big A frame. The guy paid me $200.00 for my time anyway. The job is worth about $250.00-225.00 which is 200 for me and 25-50 to cover my cost (welding rods and gas). I put in my pocket $150.00 after I put gas in my generator and truck, and replaced my welding rods used. You can charge more for mobile welding, but there is more cost so be aware.

For a basic mig welding job I have a minimum job $40.00 if you bring it to me. That's a simple job 30 minutes not much skill required.

Tig welding you better figure out your expenses because you can loose your butt on argon and rods. I would not fire up my tig welder for under $75.00 minimum.

After a while it gets a little easier because you learn how long it takes for you weld something. Sometimes you can close on how much you would pay for a job. For me a 3 hour job is my sweet spot. It's not too big and not too small, and I charge around $150.00 plus materials.

I always mark up steel 20-35% especially if I go and get it. I'd rather a customer supply their own metal. I would rather not have that much money tied up.

[Rodsmachineshop]

I call other welding shops and auto repair shops and tell what i need and see what they are going to charge . thing is depending were you are located makes a difference on prices . like in big city's welding is less because of competition then in small towns welding is usually more . I charge a flat 60.00 to fire up my welding stuff then 60.00 per hour that dose not include materials . if fabrication work i do a 200 dollar difference in estimate . like the other day did a hitch and told my customer 200.00 to 400.00 since couldn't give estimate depends on how much materials used and fabrication time involved ended up 380.00 after done welding est can be hard better to bid high and lower price if material use is less and time . never can give a exact est when welding , unless its a welding job your going to repete and it can change since materiel prices change day to day . did a est on skids and some under jeep protection plates about a month a go price was 460 dollar customer comes back like 3 weeks later and wanted it done told him its more since my price on metal went up ended up to be 540.00 instead he still had it done since i was still the cheapest to do it .

[SeanMurphy265]

I would also say you need to know when to walk away! I worked on a riveted jon boat a year ago. The customer supplied the aluminum to plug some holes. The aluminum on the boat was not fit to tig weld (one reason why it was riveted!). Two bottles of gas later, countless rods, and what looked like a simple $75.00 job cost me $85.00 in gas alone. I no longer weld on riveted john boats! If I ever work on one $150.00 would be my minimum! Sometimes you need to walk away! If it's a turd when you start, it may be a welded turd when you finish sometimes! A job may be more of a liability instead of a money maker.

[everlastsupport]

What we do.

$40-45/hour MIG (steel) or Stick they bring to us.
$75/hour TIG (steel or aluminum) they bring to us, Mobile MIG (flux core, generator)
$40+ Small jobs, they drop off and pick up, you have to eyeball it.

Crack in lawn mower deck $40 or rusted out dump truck bed or pool cleaners trailer, well eyeball those. Last dump bed was $250 to patch the sides. $42 in steel.

I believe Jody (weldingstipsandtricks.com) did a video or page on pricing. Might google for that too.

[CGCINC]

Good info guys!

I was reading on Weldingtipsntricks and he gave some info as well which helped.
I live in a small town, or small towns in the surrounding area. Alot of Farm land and a Lot of 4x4's and ATV's.
There is a state park with riding trail for dirtbikes, 4 wheelers, 4x4's and A Lot of people come to ride down here from up to 100 miles away, maybe more. I am planning on offering mobile repair(or inshop since I'm 5 minutes away) because I know from experience that you break stuff up there.

I did my first job the other day and it took maybe 3 minutes to do. I charged $25 and the guy was very happy to pay that and have it fixed. I was thinking a minimum charge of $25 plus a dollar an inch of weld but you guys make me think that might be low. Maybe I should do more of a flat rate of $50 inshop and no per inch charge.!?!?
Yeah, this isn't as easy as it sounds.

I had a call the other day to weld new floor pans in a Mustang. The guy was 60 miles away and wanted me to come there and I finally told him I was going to pass unless he wanted to bring it to me.

[CGCINC]

What we do.

$40-45/hour MIG (steel) or Stick they bring to us.
$75/hour TIG (steel or aluminum) they bring to us, Mobile MIG (flux core, generator)
$40+ Small jobs, they drop off and pick up, you have to eyeball it.

Crack in lawn mower deck $40 or rusted out dump truck bed or pool cleaners trailer, well eyeball those. Last dump bed was $250 to patch the sides. $42 in steel.

I believe Jody (weldingstipsandtricks.com) did a video or page on pricing. Might google for that too.

Now that sounds pretty good!
I don't want to price it too high but I also don't need practice, I need money!

[sportbike]

Good info guys!

I was reading on Weldingtipsntricks and he gave some info as well which helped.
I live in a small town, or small towns in the surrounding area. Alot of Farm land and a Lot of 4x4's and ATV's.
There is a state park with riding trail for dirtbikes, 4 wheelers, 4x4's and A Lot of people come to ride down here from up to 100 miles away, maybe more. I am planning on offering mobile repair(or inshop since I'm 5 minutes away) because I know from experience that you break stuff up there.

I did my first job the other day and it took maybe 3 minutes to do. I charged $25 and the guy was very happy to pay that and have it fixed. I was thinking a minimum charge of $25 plus a dollar an inch of weld but you guys make me think that might be low. Maybe I should do more of a flat rate of $50 inshop and no per inch charge.!?!?
Yeah, this isn't as easy as it sounds.

I had a call the other day to weld new floor pans in a Mustang. The guy was 60 miles away and wanted me to come there and I finally told him I was going to pass unless he wanted to bring it to me.

I'd stay away from body work. What most people thing is "ready to finish" usually means "ready to start".

[everlastsupport]

I had a call the other day to weld new floor pans in a Mustang. The guy was 60 miles away and wanted me to come there and I finally told him I was going to pass unless he wanted to bring it to me.

We have done a number of $20 that were seconds as well.

On the floor pans and 60 miles. Beware... You have to cut out the old ones? Fit them? Tack and weld thinner metal. That takes time and some work too.

[everlastsupport]

I'd stay away from body work. What most people thing is "ready to finish" usually means "ready to start".

X2, I mentioned beware and 2 hour drive to see it is a mess. Make him mail pictures first if you do it.

[Rodsmachineshop]

I wont do any auto out of shop repair or welding' tell the customer to have it towed to shop and trailer it .

[Rodsmachineshop]

floor pans that brings back memory's lol when younger i worked at a ford mustang restore shop in Carlsbad ca . when restoring we would install new floor pans since all the 64 1/2 to 71 mustangs had rusted out floor pans . use to have to cut the pans our and rivet new ones in then they went to the fiberglass spray section to be cloth matted and had fiber glass and cloth sprayed on both sides . was neat machine the fiberglass spraying machine

[Rodsmachineshop]

I get jobs i price way high since i dont want to do in the first place and always seems the person comes back to have it done since no one else will touch the job lol what can i say i am a slut for punishment lol when it comes to work

[everlastsupport]

We went and looked at a cast welding outside project today (Perkins inline 6 to big water impeller, broken tabs). For a customer that has become a good friend (and very good customer). We're going to do it, but we went out, took pictures (love the new phones) and lots of measuring. Otherwise we're like Rod. Bring it here. Also, thing this is on a canal bank in the middle of nowhere.

On the floor pans, I think Rod left off X3 to what spotbike said. Mind you we all seem to have done them and it was a chore, go for it, never know. Worse case you have an hour to gripe at yourself all the way home :D Have them email pictures first though.

On Rod other post, funny, raise the price and you will get the PTA job or sell something you no longer need. I find on craigslist, I under price things to unload them, good stuff. No calls or it's calls with "what is wrong with it". Then I get mad and raise the price and people start calling and have to have it. It's weird. Sometime you can't give things away.

[sportbike]

When I was in highschool, I used to work after school "restoring" / repairing VW beetles. Welded countless floor pans and rockers in with oxy fuel torch. Replaced alot of engines as well. Probably the easiest vehicles to work on I've ever touched.

Oxy-fuel was teh quickest to weld the pans in as it will tolerate alot of dirt and poor prep. a "repair" job got alot less time / attention than a "restoration" job. Brings back memories of laying on my back having hot blobs drip on me and having a guy up top with wet rags for when some seam sealer or similar caught on fire inside. :-)

[SeanMurphy265]

I had a guy call me and wanted weld half of one truck to another truck. I told him I'm not body man!!!!!

[MigPlazArc]

How about a set rate for your time, then a price per inch of weld. That way if you have a bunch of labor and not much welding, or vice versa, you still make it worth your time.

[CGCINC]

How about a set rate for your time, then a price per inch of weld. That way if you have a bunch of labor and not much welding, or vice versa, you still make it worth your time.

That's what Jody recommends as well. I was leaning towards $35 flat to crank up a welder and then maybe a dollar an inch of weld, BUT, after all the input, I think I'm low and I didn't think to charge more for TIG but that is more of a specialty.
I think I'll play it by ear for a bit and get my feet wet.

[MigPlazArc]

That's what Jody recommends as well. I was leaning towards $35 flat to crank up a welder and then maybe a dollar an inch of weld, BUT, after all the input, I think I'm low and I didn't think to charge more for TIG but that is more of a specialty.
I think I'll play it by ear for a bit and get my feet wet.
Sounds like a good flat charge to me...although don't know if somebody that wants a bolt welded on, not sure if they would want to pay $35 lol :)

[CGCINC]

Sounds like a good flat charge to me...although don't know if somebody that wants a bolt welded on, not sure if they would want to pay $35 lol :)

True... :). If it's a 1 minute job then I will adjust accordingly. Maybe knock off 2 bucks :D

[everlastsupport]

Sounds like a good flat charge to me...although don't know if somebody that wants a bolt welded on, not sure if they would want to pay $35 lol :)

Guess that depends on how badly they need a bolt welded on something. :)

Even if they bring it to you, $35 is not really that bad. You have the machine, right consumables and overhead. You know the amps, have to prep it, etc.

If you think about it.

$20 would sound cheap, but my son does little things like that all the time if they come up and he is in the middle of welding something else.

I think you really have to play it by ear to get started. Like anything else.

Also, we have 5 trailers to do this weekend from a repeat customer. Treat them right and they will bring you more work too.

[MigPlazArc]

True... :). If it's a 1 minute job then I will adjust accordingly. Maybe knock off 2 bucks :D Hahahahahahah. Yeah, that that sounds about right...:)





Guess that depends on how badly they need a bolt welded on something. :)

Even if they bring it to you, $35 is not really that bad. You have the machine, right consumables and overhead. You know the amps, have to prep it, etc.

If you think about it.

$20 would sound cheap, but my son does little things like that all the time if they come up and he is in the middle of welding something else.

I think you really have to play it by ear to get started. Like anything else.

Also, we have 5 trailers to do this weekend from a repeat customer. Treat them right and they will bring you more work too.Hahaha and yeah.