How are you dealing with customers supplying their own equipment/parts?

[Tech it out]

well there ya go. You have a pension check (disability?) to live on now. Most of these guys are still struggling to pay that mortgage i woud imagine. They dont have the choices you have and they might HAVE to take the job. It is good you posted that to clarify because it might have made some others feel bad about taking work even though they didnt have much choice. Bills to pay, kids to feed.

No, not disability tyvm. I paid the mortgage with money I didn't spend on vacations and new cars. Basically did without but have gained a credit rating of 783. But what other techs decide is best for them is their business. I am discussing MY position on the subject, not theirs.

[Moonrunner]

It's an iffy subject.. On one hand, you're running "Bubba's Mechanical" and not "Bubba's Mechanical and Sales Emporium".. On the other hand, there's a lot of overhead that the markups help pay for, such as paying your dues early on in the career, tools, vehicle, downtime, space rental, parts inventory, insurance, licensing, continuous training, materials that don't show up on the invoice..... Realistic labour rates won't get you into too many houses. Your typical HO calls the guy who advertises the $1300 installed a/c and thinks that you're livin' large on $300,000 a year because you charge $150 per hour. That's why I'd do it only if I'm real hungry for work, I'd charge extra for labour and offer no warranty.

[Tech it out]

Over the last three months I have learned about the cost of having a business. Didn't want to charge too much at first, then found out all the cost of running a business mostly from business owners on this site. I was basically just like a homeowner as far as knowledge on the cost involved to just maintain a business. I have found that I cant play nice even though I wanted to. I want my business to survive and to grow. I have to charge enough to make sure that happens. If I cant make it with the prices I want to charge, there is no need to have a business at all. I will just go back to being an employee again.

[bribrius]

Over the last three months I have learned about the cost of having a business. Didn't want to charge too much at first, then found out all the cost of running a business mostly from business owners on this site. I was basically just like a homeowner as far as knowledge on the cost involved to just maintain a business. I have found that I cant play nice even though I wanted to. I want my business to survive and to grow. I have to charge enough to make sure that happens. If I cant make it with the prices I want to charge, there is no need to have a business at all. I will just go back to being an employee again.

i hear ya. Around here they say it cost a grand a day to keep a truck on the road doing hvac. That is the break even. dont know where they come up with it.

[John Markl]

i hear ya. Around here they say it cost a grand a day to keep a truck on the road doing hvac. That is the break even. dont know where they come up with it.

I don't either....

A grand a day is our GOAL....in sales, per one man truck. It's not unreasonable at all. If you get $75 for a service call/diagnostic, and you run 4 calls a day, you're already nearly a third of the way there.....so, it's not hard, nor is it unreasonable.

A grand a day makes for a profitable truck, not break even. At least not where we are in North Texas...

[bribrius]

I don't either....

A grand a day is our GOAL....in sales, per one man truck. It's not unreasonable at all. If you get $75 for a service call/diagnostic, and you run 4 calls a day, you're already nearly a third of the way there.....so, it's not hard, nor is it unreasonable.

A grand a day makes for a profitable truck, not break even. At least not where we are in North Texas...

Not alot of central air up here to service in maine. summers are dead. Very seasonal. Might explain the higher amount on the truck when its running.

[John Markl]

Not alot of central air up here to service in maine. summers are dead. Very seasonal. Might explain the higher amount on the truck when its running.

That's our goal, year-round. During the summer months, we expect to double those numbers....during slow periods, we live off our savings from summer. Fall and Spring are covered (hopefully) with maintenance agreement work.

We've run $1M+ in sales with 4 trucks in the past. So, it's a goal based on experience.....

[simplyrollin]

Thank goodness you are in the minority. You are a portion of the problem in our industry hpwever....I flat out refuse to deal with losers like yourself. If you think you can dictate our pricing, go for it, but you will never get any good business relationships established with your I'm in control attitude of what you are supposed to charge as an HVAC contractor, you will only get to deal with hacks anyways.

[bribrius]

Thank goodness you are in the minority. You are a portion of the problem in our industry hpwever....I flat out refuse to deal with losers like yourself. If you think you can dictate our pricing, go for it, but you will never get any good business relationships established with your I'm in control attitude of what you are supposed to charge as an HVAC contractor, you will only get to deal with hacks anyways.

you seem really offended. Was this directed toward myself?