Hey there Richard! I heard it just this last week with the BPHandyman but I have heard you preach the "never hourly" gospel many times and I whole heartedly agree with you. Thanks for commenting!
I completely agree that charging by the hour "punishes" you for getting better at what you do. We should meet up sometime this summer for lunch or something. I would love to see your trailer and hear your thoughts on contracting and handyman services. I am officially on summer vacation as of yesterday lol!
Congrats on your summer Russ! If we meet up, it would need to be in July since I am out west in August helping my daughter move. It sounds great though! How should we get in touch?
Since I charge for projects and not hours, I really earn money, even if a project goes wrong. I can also justify it, because let's be honest, the tools and materials are getting more and more expensive. So it's just right.
Thanks for commenting Denis! To your comment and concern for the client who might not be able to afford me (hourly or by the event...) I don't bid on projects for clients who can't afford me and the clients that can afford me are clients that would rather pay me to fix or build than to learn or use the skill themselves. They would rather "buy the time" so they can be doing something they feel is of more quality than fixing/building. To them....my charges are in line with their expectations and their budgets. An example: I just bid and completed a pantry renovation for a cost of $3300. It was a turn-key project. We arrived. Full pantry with lousy shelving. When we left, all natural wood shelving with more storage, newly painted walls, and all food etc put back in the pantry. They had to do nothing but write a check. They were ecstatic for us to do it and for the final product. They neither have the time nor the skill to do this job but they could watch a couple YT videos and figure it out. They are both MD doctors. They have some smarts about them. They would rather write the check. Now I would never hire anyone to build my pantry for $3000 or even for half that. I would rather spend $3000 on something else and figure out how to build the pantry shelves. I am not a client I would bid to. For me, and any legitimate morally run business, It is never about taking advantage of a client. It is about getting clients who will pay me what I am worth --- which is true for all contractors and for all handymen. This is why I try to never charge Time & Materials. The final invoice is always a surprise and never a good one and I don't want the client to feel that I worked slow and took advantage. I always work on a bid which prices per event or action and not hourly. A real business, contracting/construction or handyman service just can't make a living with this if they charge $35/hr. Too much overhead. Too big of an investment in tools. Too much time invested in developing skills. Like all professions, it needs to be compensated at an appropriate level to sustain the business and earn a profit. Great comment and thanks for letting me clarify why costs are what they are (event or hourly).
Well said sir
RAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Thanks for the inspiration for this content! And thanks for commenting!
Yes! Never charge by the hour! Great example, you lose money once you become proficient at the job at hand!
Hey there Richard! I heard it just this last week with the BPHandyman but I have heard you preach the "never hourly" gospel many times and I whole heartedly agree with you. Thanks for commenting!
I completely agree that charging by the hour "punishes" you for getting better at what you do. We should meet up sometime this summer for lunch or something. I would love to see your trailer and hear your thoughts on contracting and handyman services. I am officially on summer vacation as of yesterday lol!
Congrats on your summer Russ! If we meet up, it would need to be in July since I am out west in August helping my daughter move. It sounds great though! How should we get in touch?
Since I charge for projects and not hours, I really earn money, even if a project goes wrong. I can also justify it, because let's be honest, the tools and materials are getting more and more expensive. So it's just right.
Great to hear from you AB! I am right there with you. Great to hear you are successful with how you charge! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Not bad for you, shitty for the customer.
Thanks for commenting Denis! To your comment and concern for the client who might not be able to afford me (hourly or by the event...)
I don't bid on projects for clients who can't afford me and the clients that can afford me are clients that would rather pay me to fix or build than to learn or use the skill themselves. They would rather "buy the time" so they can be doing something they feel is of more quality than fixing/building. To them....my charges are in line with their expectations and their budgets.
An example: I just bid and completed a pantry renovation for a cost of $3300. It was a turn-key project. We arrived. Full pantry with lousy shelving. When we left, all natural wood shelving with more storage, newly painted walls, and all food etc put back in the pantry. They had to do nothing but write a check. They were ecstatic for us to do it and for the final product. They neither have the time nor the skill to do this job but they could watch a couple YT videos and figure it out. They are both MD doctors. They have some smarts about them. They would rather write the check. Now I would never hire anyone to build my pantry for $3000 or even for half that. I would rather spend $3000 on something else and figure out how to build the pantry shelves. I am not a client I would bid to.
For me, and any legitimate morally run business, It is never about taking advantage of a client. It is about getting clients who will pay me what I am worth --- which is true for all contractors and for all handymen. This is why I try to never charge Time & Materials. The final invoice is always a surprise and never a good one and I don't want the client to feel that I worked slow and took advantage. I always work on a bid which prices per event or action and not hourly.
A real business, contracting/construction or handyman service just can't make a living with this if they charge $35/hr. Too much overhead. Too big of an investment in tools. Too much time invested in developing skills. Like all professions, it needs to be compensated at an appropriate level to sustain the business and earn a profit.
Great comment and thanks for letting me clarify why costs are what they are (event or hourly).