Ricco1 Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 If you meet another liveaboard, have a chinwag, find out that they earn their living from doing work on other boats on the canal. E.g. electrics, or whatever. Then they tell you that they charge £35 an hour or thereabouts. Car servicing in a garage paying rates etc. with lots of machinery doesn't cost much more. And yet the rusty boat with multimeter and a few screwdrivers charges near enough the same. £35.00 an hour is top money. Are they having a laugh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel carton Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 No it's just you. ;-) I would say the average for a garage is £60 an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Have a gander at this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ange Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 No it's just you. ;-) I would say the average for a garage is £60 an hour. Yep, I was the accountant for a car franchise at one point in my former life and £60 per hour rings true. Mind you that's the rate charged out, not the rate the mechanic earned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel carton Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Ricco, if you can get somebody competent to work on your boat for £35 an hour, I would say that is very good value Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjderby Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 If you meet another liveaboard, have a chinwag, find out that they earn their living from doing work on other boats on the canal. E.g. electrics, or whatever. Then they tell you that they charge £35 an hour or thereabouts. Car servicing in a garage paying rates etc. with lots of machinery doesn't cost much more. And yet the rusty boat with multimeter and a few screwdrivers charges near enough the same. £35.00 an hour is top money. Are they having a laugh? No just you. If he's a skilled electrician then he is entitled to earn suitable income. Regardless of being a boater. It's not a charity you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter X Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 The going rate for a top insolvency practitioner in one of the big accounting firms is around £800 per hour; they charge £120 for the support staff, e.g. a secretary who might be paid £25 of that. Makes your electrician look pretty good value, but only if he's competent to do the job well and safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinl Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Ricco, if you can get somebody competent to work on your boat for £35 an hour, I would say that is very good value My bold, italic and underlined in Nigel's qoute, £35 for someone who can fix a problem not answer his/her phone, look around and comments about other things, in short just shuts the feck up and get's on with it is a bargain. Like anyone else in this world you have to pay then for their knowledge but as Nigel says " competent " is the key word. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 People think nothing of paying upwards of £80 an hour in some dealerships for their servicing. Yet complain loudly when the OH mentions £35 per hour for bodywork repairs! As for boat work hourly rates our marina is £60 per hour IIRC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jam Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 And yet the rusty boat with multimeter and a few screwdrivers charges near enough the same. £35.00 an hour is top money. Are they having a laugh? You are not paying for the condition of his boat or the type of tools he uses, you are paying for years of knowledge, qualifications and competence. That rate is a very good rate for someone who is readily available. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John V Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 If he is properly insured etc and is running as a business with all the associated overheads then that's fair, if however he is "under the radar" he's having a laugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Ambrose Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Reminds me of the company that called out a techy to fix their computer. The techy comes in examines the pooter and then thumps it. The boss of the company jibs at the bill for £90-00 saying "that's a bit much all you did was hit it" to which the techy replies "its not for hitting it,its for knowing where to hit it" In my mind £35 sounds OK Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Yep, I was the accountant for a car franchise at one point in my former life and £60 per hour rings true. Mind you that's the rate charged out, not the rate the mechanic earned. My daughter's chap is a car mechanic who used to work for a Ford dealer. I offered him twenty quid an hour to service my car on my drive and he snapped my hand off. That's a deal we are both very happy with. If a guy has to earn a living then he has to pay tax, superannuation, insurance, etc etc so I suppose 35 quid an hour isn't so unreasonable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staarek Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 If you meet another liveaboard, have a chinwag, find out that they earn their living from doing work on other boats on the canal. E.g. electrics, or whatever. Then they tell you that they charge £35 an hour or thereabouts. Car servicing in a garage paying rates etc. with lots of machinery doesn't cost much more. And yet the rusty boat with multimeter and a few screwdrivers charges near enough the same. £35.00 an hour is top money. Are they having a laugh? £35.00 is not bad. It's £50+ in London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 If you meet another liveaboard, have a chinwag, find out that they earn their living from doing work on other boats on the canal. E.g. electrics, or whatever. Then they tell you that they charge £35 an hour or thereabouts. Car servicing in a garage paying rates etc. with lots of machinery doesn't cost much more. And yet the rusty boat with multimeter and a few screwdrivers charges near enough the same. £35.00 an hour is top money. Are they having a laugh? Perhaps if he charged the going rate he'd be able afford a shinier boat?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I must up my rates Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty-ann Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I had an electrician in my flat, he spent ages dismantling a dodgy alarm system to find that the installation had been c..., and although it needed renewing he managed to repair and charged me £30, deal is when he comes he comes en route elsewhere then no call out. I never hassle for specific time/date slot, this has worked on several occasions--alarm system still holding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Riley Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Have a gander at this according to that we earn nowt in Rochdale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire~rose Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 If the guy is an electrician why should his boat not be rusty? He is not a painter. If the job only requires a multimeter and a few screwdrivers then why does the rusty boat make him any less competant? I would be far happier paying someone the going rate if they are time served and competant. Oh.. and remember the decorator syndrome - they never get around to decorating their own home... so if an engineer turns up in an ageng vehicle with a back seat that has oil stains (assuming you can see the upholstery), a fan belt, 5 oil filters 3 empty pop bottles, a box of fuses, a tin with assorted springs in it and a random assortment of second hand components I am far more likely to want him to work on my engine that the guy in the flashy signwritten van! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I wouldn't think you could do a great deal with 'a multimeter and a few screwdrivers' but if this person can and get that rate for it he must be doing something right I suppose. Maybe he had some other tools which aren't visible for obvious reasons. I am also intrigued about the rust comment. Why would this be relevant in any way even if he was a painter he can have a rusty boat if he chooses,can't he ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 If the guy is an electrician why should his boat not be rusty? He is not a painter. If the job only requires a multimeter and a few screwdrivers then why does the rusty boat make him any less competant? I would be far happier paying someone the going rate if they are time served and competant. Oh.. and remember the decorator syndrome - they never get around to decorating their own home... so if an engineer turns up in an ageng vehicle with a back seat that has oil stains (assuming you can see the upholstery), a fan belt, 5 oil filters 3 empty pop bottles, a box of fuses, a tin with assorted springs in it and a random assortment of second hand components I am far more likely to want him to work on my engine that the guy in the flashy signwritten van! I'd want a mechanic, not an engineer, to work on an engine. (Speaking as an engineer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil2 Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 A few years ago I did an out of hours job for a local cafe in town where the manager had to pay two assistants to stay back after work, it was something to do with the company safety at work policy. Unusually the manager had arranged to pay me in cash, and I saw the two girls look at each other as they handed over £120 for two hours work. I knew exactly what they were thinking, given that it would have taken either one of them half a week to earn that, so what followed was a little lecture on what it means to be self employed. Even if you do work on an hourly rate, and I never did, people forget that you have to dilute it by adding all the hours you spend answering the phone, dealing with emails, doing quotes for free, keeping accounts, cleaning and maintaining equipment, buying supplies and all the rest of the stuff that "wage slaves" take for granted. The add on on all the overheads you have to carry. premises costs, fuel costs, compulsory insurance, etc. Plus, there's no sick pay or holiday pay for the self employed. Do I have to go on? For a sole trader with low overheads £35 an hour is actually at the low end of the scale. In reality, most self employed people don't charge enough for their work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire~rose Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I'd want a mechanic, not an engineer, to work on an engine. (Speaking as an engineer). I was thinking of a mechanical engineer (usually shortened to mechanic) I will get back to my domestic engineering and shut up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 In reality, most self employed people don't charge enough for their work. True Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magictime Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 It's just you. £35 an hour is certainly not 'top money' for skilled labour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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