I’m doing a 4 to 5 hour job for a not very close friend tomorrow.
They were quoted £550ish for the job, I told them to go elsewhere as, at most, it should be £350 inc. parts.
I’m getting grief off the GF saying £50 is too cheap – what would be reasonable?
I’d usually charge £100-150 for such a thing to a regular customer.

How much are the parts costing? 4-5 hours is the best part of a day if say £200 + cost of parts.

Favours for friends are normally charged at 1 beer.

Parts are £200ish.
Like Chambord, I was happy to help them out, first house, it’s a wreck, they are skint, so £50 for me sounds about right, but my GF isnt happy with that.

Edit, of course, it will be my labour cost(£50+), plus whatever the parts cost me – so total will be £250ish.

Have you factored in the “it’s someone I know so I’ll pull them up when it wears out 15 years down the line” factor?

I don’t get mates to work for cheap rates, I do it as I trust them.

Favour – free.
Job – going rate.

You decide.

I’d say you’ve done them a favour by not letting them spend the £550. Charge them your time + parts i.e.. £350.

How much do you like this not very close friend? Are they likely to get you other work through them?
Trouble with mates rates is you end up working for fek all most of the time.

Do the job for your normal chargeable rate.

You are a professional (electrician, like me). You’ve bought tools, trained, paid your NICEIC/NAPIT/SCAM fees. You’re insured. You can do the job and he/she can’t.
The advice I’ve read on here that you have given to others is always good, so you are bringing quality and professionalism that he otherwise may not get (unless I did it of course!).

He’s getting your Sunday; time away from the girlfriend which you won’t get back.

It will also set expectations for the next job he wants done. He’ll tell his mates that you only charge £x and that’s what he, and they will expect you to charge when they want you to bail them out of a bit of electrical diy they’ve made a mess of.

You’ll end up regretting doing it because as every tradesman knows, the jobs you do as a favour are the ones that come back to bite.

Don’t sell your services for less than they’re worth unless you are doing it for VERY close family (parents/children) or because the person benefitting is a worthy cause. (I do some work FOC for a lady who’s got MS).

</here endeth the lesson>

Rich.

Tell the g/for to do the job and she can charge what she wants. If you’re doing it tell her to butt out.

You’ll end up regretting doing it because as every tradesman knows, the jobs you do as a favour are the ones that come back to bite.

This ^^^^^ very much so. My parents won’t even let me work for them for free.

4-5 hours is the best part of a day if say £200

Not sure what i most concerning here how short your days are or how valuable they are

DO what you think is fair and explain, politely, tp the GF that she does not run the business

Depends on the mate IME, some i expect to do it for me at near cost, some for free and some at normal rate but it means they are trusted

This seems nearer the later than the other two to me.

However if you have named a price it is that price or dont show up
As its tomorrow I think its too late to back out or change price

so £50 for me sounds about right, but my GF isnt happy with that.

She’s not doing it though is she?

If you were asking her to come with you, but couldn’t pay her because you were only charging £50, then I could understand her concern.

But if you aren’t, then I’m genuinely stumped.

(FWIW, I would reckon £100 + materials sounds like a reasonable deal all round, but let them know it’s cheap and not to tell their friends that’s your normal price)

My mate has done various building works for me, and will be doing our extension and kitchen. I’ve no idea if I get mates rates but I certainly don’t ask for or expect them. I help him with the work at my house, but only because I enjoy it, not for a discount. (I occasionally help him on other building jobs, but not for payment, just for the craic and avoiding housework at home).

Charge them the cost of a nice meal for two with a decent bottle of wine at a local restaurant

Because I think that you’ll be shelling out for one either way 😈

Mates rates means your mate will pay you your normal rate,one way favours never wok out.

If it were her friends, how much would she charge?

For myself, as a one off? Nothing at all in labour for a close friend, but I’d tell them that this was in lieu of housewarming gift…with emphasis on the gift.

The mates you’re offering to work for will either agree or not. If they take you up on your offer it’s because they think it’s a bargain, no?

I work in IT so my “mates rates” is hoping they’ll say thank you afterwards, sucks to be me.

But I guess, there are mates and there are “mates.”

As I understand (and apply) mates rates, it would be the price at which I broke even, no profit. If it costs you fuel, materials or lost work, then you’re you’re making a loss, so the rate would be the COST price to level the deficit.

Daffy, I see what your saying.

But wouldn’t that basically make it… Mates rates Mon-Fri = Normal price.

Mates rates Sat-Sun = Free.

In which case, I’ve got a job needs doing on Saturday if you are available 🙂

Charge £100.

They’ll probably end up being a regular customer and grateful to have a trusted tradesman.

if you are available

You don’t have to be available… 😉

Favours for friends are normally charged at 1 beer.

You’re thinking of the tooth fairy.

Im not a tradesman but I’m OK at diy. My brother in law is an electricion. He often helps me out but won’t take any money. In return I give him my time. I’ll cut his grass or hedge or whatever he needs in return. I’m currently helping him with an extention. Last week I helped him lay the foundations and moved 300 concrete blocks.

What’s £50? Get him to do you a favour in return. I do 3 hours for 1 hour of skilled labour.

You must have some jobs you don’t want to do, get him to do it in return and go out riding or spend time with the Mrs?

You’re thinking of the tooth fairy.

Meh, I used to get 50p from the tooth fairy.

I found the best way for me to do mates rates is 15% off for half days and 25% off for full days, but only in my quiet times if i’m busy it’s full rate.

Depends. It all comes down to relationship and circumstance and what else I’d be putting off to do the favour.

I’ve done enough free and cheap jobs for people over the years to conclude that some people are genuine and appreciative and some people are just taking the piss. They’ll all get the first favour for nothing (or close to it) but mates rates vary wildly from that point onwards.

It’s your mate and you know the water under the bridge
Don’t let your other half tell you what the right price is
Usually with stuff like that I just keep it between me and the mate

You’re doing a job for someone you don’t really know all that well. I’d say chargeable.

I’ve done small jobs for true friends and I’ve not charged anything. Real friends wouldn’t expect you to work for free if it’s during time where you could have been earning elsewhere..

Today I helped my mate level a floor up so he can tile it, 3hrs on a weekend and didn’t even think about charging but he bought the bacon sarnies and we had a laugh. In a few weeks I need a lift back from the airport, he’ll be there and won’t ask for payment either.

the way i look at mates rates is easy.. i look in their drive.. i have a van if there driving anything better then i d be doing them work cheap so they can drive a better car than me.. if their car is not as good as my van they need a leg up so i do work on a quid pro quo basis my 1 hr of skilled work for 1 hr of your work..

If it’s a job then pay full rate. If they might earn £500 normally but they charge £200 it’s like them giving you £300 because they could be doing full price jobs instead of cheap jobs for mates.

Close friends; I’d do it for free. Karma and all that. What goes around, comes around. Worked well for me.

Friends of friends/not so close friends; maybe 50-80% of ‘normal’ rates. Depends on their circumstances though; if they’re well off, then they can afford full whack. If they’re on their uppers, then it’s all about doing a good deed, even if it costs you a bit. Sometimes, some people just need the kindness of strangers/others. Some are just chancers after a free ride. Good to go into it with your eyes wide open and expect nothing in return. That way, you won’t be disappointed.

We do stuff for a disabled woman who lives nearby, following a call out from other people we know. That has developed into a great relationship, and we’ve gained a great friend. Some things are worth far more than money.

I did a favour job the other week for a not very close friend. Turned into a shithouse of a job. More hassle than is worth, I did it for goodwill as I do a lot of work for this person. I’m done with jobs like that. When I’d done it I was told after all they were going to buy some new forks anyway. Never again.

Close friend they buy the parts and I work for beer, not by the crate but buy the pint in a pub.

I’ve had this problem for years.
In general people that want you to work for free (usually family) and not just little jobs, are the first ones to shy away when you need a hand.
I fit kitchens and have fitted a full kitchen for free then to have asked for them to give me a hand and I’ve offered to pay them and they’ve took it. I’ve planned and priced jobs for them to take the plans to b&q and buy from there because it’s £300 cheaper and want me to spend the extra time building flat pack carcass for free so they can save money.
I could go on and on…………….
If it’s your job (self employed) charge the going rate and maybe 20% off the labour cost. (Parents and siblings excluded)
If your doing it out of hours (your employed elsewhere) maybe 50% off max.
I’m pretty sure the person wanting the work done would tell their boss to do one if they were asked to work extra hours for half pay!
Once you work for free for them they’ll expect the same for future jobs.

…for a not very close friend tomorrow.

Normal rates then.

‘Not very close friend’ means he won’t mind pulling you back to fix that little problem and generally become a pain in the arse.

Proper, actual share your secrets with mate – then free at a weekend.

Not very close friend. Thats the key, a £350 quote was still way under the original £500 so you’d be helping them out at that rate. I will always pay mates their normal rates, its what they do for a living. I will accept favours (1hr time max?) and buy a few beers etc in return but working 4-5 hours is best part of a day and should be paid.

I’ve actually gone for the £50 plus parts.All finished today.
They definitely are skint, and have been ripped off by someone else doing a ‘fictitious’ report on their electrics, so I felt a little sorry for them.
I’ll be writing out a report as to what the so called ‘Inspector’ had got wrong, and hopefully they may get some of their money back, but I won’t hold my breath.
Reporting them to their Governing Body (NICEIC) is a waste of time, so the Couples only option is for Trading Standards to do something.
Thanks for the replies.
Alan.

I’ve actually gone for the £50 plus parts.All finished today.

Well done, very decent of you!

Fair play Alan.