Where to go for a small welding job

JPMacG said:
I watched the job. It took 5 minutes. I am always impressed by people who don't know how to read.
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Welding, like any specialized technical skill takes time to learn. When you pay for a professional service, whether is a welder, a mechanic, or a doctor you are paying for the experience and the lifetime of effort it takes to learn how to do the job quickly, efficiently and correctly the first time.

I really enjoy the helpful tone on this forum and am always impressed with both the cheerful demeanor and the restraint most folks here exercise in responding to posts.

Cheers,

John
 
I ran a shop for years. Before a guy can pay himself, he's got to pay taxes, rent, parts, equipment, and whatever else first. Second, he got have some form of education through schools, workshops, and apprenticeship. Third, lots and lots of experience. 70$ an hour sounds like a good deal to me. Nothing wrong with getting a friend to do the job. Just remember, he may not have the knowledge and equipment of the guy that runs a full time shop. Now that you know how much that it will cost. On the friend, at least buy him a cup of coffee or better yet breakfast or lunch.
 
My shop rate is $60 an hour. But if you walked in the door with that and had everything prepped and ready to go I would knock it out for free and hope you would bring me paying business next time.
 
NCjeeper said:
My shop rate is $60 an hour. But if you walked in the door with that and had everything prepped and ready to go I would knock it out for free and hope you would bring me paying business next time.
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I've done the same thing in my shop, NCjeeper And I've been on the other side of the bench. So in my small way, I try to let him know my appreciation, by paying him something if not money at least direct some work his way.
 
I would just pay him the first time. You might make a friend, and pricing on future small jobs could become more flexible. If the one hour minimum bothers you, wait until some more work has been accumulated..
 
In my shop, the neighbors get work free, or a cheeseburger (will work for food), but we help each other out. Industrial customers pay $80 - $120/hr depending on what I'm doing. Other walk-ins get charged whatever the job is worth but I don't really have a minimum. But being retired I can do that and I pretty much specialize in the small jobs. If I were running like a real shop I would maybe charge in 15 min increments. A 1 hour minimum seems excessive, but I can understand if they don't want the small jobs.
 
My shop rate was $70/hr or $90/hr for electrical work (I didn't have any employees that I could have do it so it had to be me doing the job). My minimum charge was 1/2 hour, payable up front although I didn't always enforce that, if I knew you it was more flexible. I had lots of jobs where I just charged for a part, or if it only took a couple of minutes I might do it for free.

I came to having a minimum charge because guys would pick up a mower or weedeater from the side of the road and bring it to me expecting to get a perfect running machine for $10 because "all it needs is the carb cleaned out". After a few dozen of those where the customer didn't want to pay because we couldn't fix something that someone else had decided to junk I changed my policy.

Sure, there were people who weren't happy about it but I figured it wasn't fair to the folks who were paying my regular rate to give away our service to those who just wanted something done cheap or free. I had a building to pay for, heat, insurance, lights, advertising, taxes, and two employees to cover. I also knew that the local guy who worked out of his garage wouldn't touch a lot of that kinda work so I didn't feel bad about charging what I did.

On the other hand I had quite a few customers who really couldn't afford to have someone else fix their stuff and I understood that. Around this time of year I'd always get a few retired guys with heart conditions coming in with their snowblower carb in hand asking if I could fix it for them. I explained that I needed the whole machine to be able to do the repair but I could sell them parts. I can't tell you how many guys got a $4 carb kit and 20 minutes of free coaching on how to get it installed.

I guess for many of us who have run repair businesses we get upset when someone starts talking about "getting ripped off". Almost every local shop whether it's auto repair, welding, or whatever is a small business owned by someone who's invested in their community. Most aren't getting rich, many would make more money going to work for someone else, and some are loosing money but feel an obligation to provide a service that is disappearing everywhere in our country. These businesses generally aren't worth anything near what has been invested and would be nearly impossible to sell if the owner wanted to retire. Sure there are shops that gouge but in my experience they are rare and don't last very long.

For most shop owners the only thing they have that's really worth anything is their reputation. In today's world of internet reviews it amazes me how many people would rather write something nasty about a business they aren't happy with than actually talk with the manager or owner about what went wrong for them. Most local businesses will go far out of their way to make sure customers are happy and will recommend them to their friends....

Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to share my perspective as a former small business owner.

Cheers,

John
 
Check Facebook marketplace, lots of little guys there hanging out a shingle for work.

A big expense of a regular shop is insurance, like the kind that covers their butts when they weld something together for you and then you use it in a fashion where life and limb depends on it and it fails so you sue them for welding it poorly. This is what put our local welder out of business. He didn't have insurance to cover a customer's idiotic idea.
 
MontanaLon has the idea. There are guys and gals just looking for a project.
The trick is for you to find them.
 
My original question was poorly worded. I stepped on some toes, and I apologize for that. I should have been more detailed in my question.

I went back to the shop and asked some questions. He explained that their principal business is large scale fabrication - tractor trailers and so on. They are not set up for small jobs or walk-ins. The 1-hour minimum is real for them - it cost them that much just to process a job. He gave me several recommendations on local shops that would be more interested in my work. He agreed that the job was simple and would take little time. I went to his shop because it is next to my work. In hindsight it should have been obvious that they were not the right shop for my job.

My initial frustration was with the minimum 1-hour charge, not the hourly rate. Their hourly rate is low in my opinion.

Again, sorry for the fuss.
 
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