Just got my Carp ticket and a nice raise. I was wondering what other licensed Carpenters out there are making an hour, to see how I measure up.
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$ 42.60 an hour plus 3.25 per hour into pension fund. Dues are $ 37 per month. Initiation fee is $600 on joining.
Where's that, and what level are you working at?
I'm also Canadian and licenced. I spoke to the union recently and was told $27 an hour plus a package that puts it up to over $37 an hour. However that was for mostly formwork an hour from my house. I prefer to work self employed, mostly for people I already know for a little less money. It is a whole lot more interesting, fun and satisfying. Have a good day.
I'm with ya, Cliffy. I applied to the union here in Central Maine, submitted my C.V. and references, etc. Never heard a word back though I called several times to check on the status of my app. So scroo 'em. I work on my own, charge less than the union rate and still make a decent living.
I'm curious. Didn't know there were any union carpenters in Maine.
What is the union rate here, why do you charge less if you think you are worth more, and when are you going to correct that oversight?
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I guess I should have said "going rate", about $40/hr. Don't know what the union rate is. I charge less 1) because I can; 30 bucks an hour nets me enough income to live comfortably on; 2) Many of my customers are not wealthy and will hire me more often if they can afford to. More work at a lesser rate works out better for me than no work at top dollar. I live in a rural area, the poorer area of a poor state, so I'm more comfortable doing it this way.
Of course if a summer person or a transplant "from away" (out-of-state) hires me, I'll stick it right to 'em.
Of course if a summer person or a transplant "from away" (out-of-state) hires me, I'll stick it right to 'em.
We'll be sure to recommend you.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Ouch.
Your business acumen needs some tweaking.
The substance of the post might merit consideration. The delivery....well, it might not sound as professional as you might want it to.
stick it to them?
Ouch.
blueIf you want to read a fancy personal signature... go read someone else's post.
He's saying he charges a sliding scale, and he's being honest about it. What's the 'business acumen' problem with that?
The delivery is not quite up to professional standards.
YOur sliding scale explanation sounds a lot more professional.
blueIf you want to read a fancy personal signature... go read someone else's post.
Sorry, the "stick it to 'em" was a joke, of a type common around here. Many native Mainiacs have a love/hate relationship with summer tourists (love their money, hate them) and are really incensed about people moving in from away, buying up prime real estate, driving up property values, taxes, traffic, sprawl...and trying to impose their "progressive, sophisticated" ways on us hicks.
So for me to charge the going rate rather than what I charge my neighbors is not really sticking it to them, just what the market will bear. So far, of course, no non-natives have hired me so it's not really an issue.
Chad, where in Maine are you? I'm originally from Windsor, near Augusta. Now I'm living and working on Nantucket island, Massachusetts (similar attitudes here regarding people "from away"), but will be moving to Portland in a few months. $40, even $30, sounds like more than I thought could be had in central Maine, unless you're on the coast.
Out here we talk about the "islander discount", basically another way of saying we use a sliding fee scale.
Mike, I'm just down the road from Windsor, in Pittston. I was surprised myself to see how well 30/hr went down with the locals. I think it has something to do with getting somebody to come in and do the work; a lot of people have expressed frustration that nobody wants to come in and do a smallish remodel/repair, everybody's looking for big new contruction jobs.
Plus, I fiddle the $ a bit. I quote labor based on how long I think the job will take, and it's a firm estimate. If I spend a bit more time, or a bit less, nobody gripes. So far I haven't been hurt by that approach, and I think customers appreciate the certainty of knowing how much they'll pay rather than worry that the job will bleed money...
Chad, I get the joke, but your missing an opportunity to create goodwill instead of badwill.
Let me elaborate.
Instead of ever uttering that dreadful joke again, change your thinking and (this is important) think of yourself as a professional, doing a professional service, charging a professional rate of say.....$65 per hour. Thats now your standard rate.
Now, if you so choose, you may offer a substantial discount to "locals". You can call it your "Hometown" discount.
Now how do you think your homies will feel getting a 50% discount?
Please, don't ever "stick it to" anyone anywhere. If you say that phrase, everyone within earshot will think you "stuck it to them"!
I don't stick it to my clients...I do deliver value.
blueIf you want to read a fancy personal signature... go read someone else's post.
Im in Maine too , and have used that same joke and if anyone doesnt like it tuff. I also charge more if your a republican. I wont work for anyone that tells me how long a job should take. and as far as sounding like a professional I have plenty of work, my customers seek my advise on repairs that I do and others that do work that I dont. I charge 200.00 a day even if I only work 5 hrs. plus materials. plus a 20% increse on materials and 15 % overhead cost. so on an easy week about 30 hours I bring home 1200.00 to 1500.00 not to bad for a small time carpenter from Bangor Me.
Dogboy/ Bigdog Builders
BED,
I get what you're saying and you make a good point. Even though, as dogboy points out, this joke is common currency among the natives, it's possible that one could avoid losing more goodwill by not using it. Thanks for the feedback!
So much for the vacation house in rural maine.
Does your skill level fluctuate with the customer's ability to pay? I hope you're not serious about gouging customers based on your perception of how much money they have.
How would that be gouging? Thats the sliding scale, if your a butthead you pay more, if your from out of town you pay more, every where.
"So much for the vacation house in rural maine.
Does your skill level fluctuate with the customer's ability to pay? I hope you're not serious about gouging customers based on your perception of how much money they have."
I give my customers my best work whether they pay top dollar or nothing.
And who said anything about gouging? I charge the going rate, unless I decide to charge a lesser rate for reasons of my own. Besides, I couldn't gouge even if I wanted to. If I tried to charge an exorbitant price, the customer would in most cases find somebody else who would charge more in line with local custom.
Sorry Chad - I must have misunderstood. I thought you meant you charge out of towners more than you charge locals. Thanks for clearing it up.
he charges locals what they are used to paying. He charges customers from away the samwe amount - what they are used to paying. he can't help it if they are used to paying more.
Now, to examine the termminologuy from blue's POV, Dogboy charges more to those from away, but he doesn't have any customers from away.
I don't discount to the locals, but I don't have many local customers.
Hmmmm, there may be something to be said for that approach.
Point is, you can always drop prices easier than you can increase them.
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All Ive got to say is you boys in that state make some good money.
Tim Mooney
Don't forget we have the highest taxes in the country too.
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I dont think taxes match it up .
Ive told you this before , so it will be for the thread ;
You can hire a single carp with a pickup full of tools and he will haul big ones from home , for about 15.00 per hour.
Tim Mooney
So they're charging the same thing, eh?
What the customer is used to paying.
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yup
Sounds like they need to relocate to an area that has an appreciaton for their skills.
Jon Blakemore
local cost of living has a bit to do with things ...
I live in a city neighborhood ... little 2 br alley house ....
$30K.
in my brothers neighborhood in Cali ... it'd be $300K all day long.
lower wages make sense with a lower cost of living.
Jeff
I think Tim is suggesting that the wages are still low if adjusted for cost of living.
Jon Blakemore
Don't confuse what you might earn hourly as an employee with what you have to charge to cover all the overhead of operating your own business. This is probably why so many contractors fail - even when they don't realize they are going broke.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
Amen.
blue FRAMING ADVICE ALERT!!!! DON'T TAKE ANY FRAMING ADVICE FROM ME. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IF YOU WANT GOOD FRAMING ADVICE, JUST ASK GABE. DON'T ASK ANYONE ELSE....JUST ASK GABE! REMEMBER, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FRAMING...I JUST BS ABOUT IT.
END OF ALERT!
That's where I was leading this. You can let the customers set the price or you can set the price you want and find the customers able and willing to pay it. Either way, it's your choice.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!