Unsociable Hours

[Newapprentice]

I'm new to pricing painting and decorating work and I've just been asked to provide a quote on decorating a large shop, this means I won't be able to start the work until it closes; 6:00 in the evening, on some occaissions I will also have to work through the night.

I have my hourly rate for residential houses, during normal hours.

Would you have a higher rate for working after 6:00 in the evening, and then a higher rate for working after, say 10:00 in the evening?

If so, what are we talking, my hourly rate + 20% for after 6:00, then my hourly rate +30% for after 10:00.

Any guidance would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

[roughcaster]

I don't know of anybody who works that way. I've worked unsociable hours before, but if you're self employed, that's the way it goes sometimes. I would never keep uping my hourly rate, the later into the night it got. Start off with a decent hourly rate in the first place, then keep it the same throughout the job. It looks greedy doing it your way.

 

[JohnD]

but if it is a contract which is consistently outside normal hours, you ought to apply an uplift. I reckon at least a third. Anyone can get work if they're willing to do it for nothing.

The customer should only see your bottom line price, he doesn't need to know how you've calculated it. But if he comments that it seems high, explain that this is because of the unsocial hours. Don't smile, laugh or apologise. Don't go into explanations, justifications or the calculation. Play it straight. If he says can you reduce it, ask if he can alter the working hours. If he says no, shake your head sorrowfully, and say in that case, the price stands. If you are weak and give way you will never stop.

an alternative way to price, is to fix a price which is not cheap that, if you get it, you'll wish you hadn't. Nor so high that if you don't get it, you'll wish you'd been cheaper.

 

[joe-90]

Well what's your hourly rate? Remember you'll have to pay tax on it instead of sticking it in your pocket.

 

[Inky Pete]

If it's just an odd night here and there bear in mind that you're unlikely to be able to do a full days work the day before, and almost certainly not the day after.

So you could lose up to 2 days pay for each night worked.

If it's a run of consecutive nights then it's much less of a problem.

 

[nok1]

you`ve got to charge more. if you worked for a painting company on the books you`d get more and then it would go up again after you`ve done 8hrs