What do plant fitters charge - hourly rate?

umop-apisdn

Hi folks,

I've just moved back home to Ireland and have been asked by a few people to do work on their plant equipment. It's looking like there's a lot of demand for an experienced plant fitter around my way, so i'm just trying to figure out how to set up on my own as I've always been employed.

Can anyone give me some idea of what self-employed fitters are charging?

Thanks in advance

s14driftking

I’d be imagining u would have to be getting 25 plus vat an hr at least. Cover insurance price of tools etc. Time paid from the time u leave your home or else a standard call out charge.

Jim from Cork

You say setting up on your own? Working from your own premises or working on the customer's premises via you own transport? You would have your own heavy lift jacks etc? Insurance? diagnostics? etc.

I'd reckon you'll be at something like €40-60 per hour minimum depending on your overheads.

Charging an hourly rate is all well and good but you should be selling "what you can do in an hour"... having the proper gear saves time - time is money! Don't make yourself into a busy fool... watch your costs.

bucketybuck

If you are qualified to work with plant machinery I would urge caution at setting up on your own, unless you are also qualified at getting money out of companies notorious for being tight with their cash.

umop-apisdn

Thanks for all your replies lads, you’ve raised some good points, that have given me food for thought.
I’m planning on working at customer’s premises, with my own tools/equipment.

I don’t really want to go down the route of setting up a garage, as I’m not that far off retirement and not interested in big capital investments or taking on debt. I know this means I will be a bit more limited in what I can and can’t do, but I will just refer them on elsewhere if the job is beyond what I can do with the equipment that I have available to me. It’s not been an issue as of yet.
So far, I have got my customers to pay for their own parts and I just bill them for labour. I have about 6 weeks worth of work with one customer at the moment and no bother getting paid each week.
I just need to start putting my name out there and lining some work up for when this job finishes.

GQ Mechanical Services Ltd

Hi, just starting up as plant fitter and could anyone advise me what insurance is needed.

Thanks