Welding rates sky high? yes, no?

dholly · May 22, 2006

I agree completely, and that has been my experience the last few times I sought out a welding shop. But there comes a point in every job where the cost to watch exceeds either your budget or good sense. A person can't easily tackle hanging 16' drywall sheets 20' in the air, or deliver and nail roof sheeting 3 floors up on a 12:12 pitch by his/her self. Certainly there is a skill requirement to all vocations but welding is usually a one-man operation and a decent stick welder isn't all that expensive. After getting a handful of eye-popping quotes to weld a few brackets on a snowplow frame, I finally decided to shop for a used stick welder and DIY. I learned a useful new skill and the welder paid for itself after the 1st couple of jobs. I would note however, it was not simply a matter of dollar$. The lead time to farm it out was simply ridiculous... two weeks for 10 mins. of welding, take it or leave it. So yes, they've effectively discouraged not only the first walk-in job, but all potential future income from me as well. *shrug*

dholly · May 22, 2006

I agree completely, and that has been my experience the last few times I sought out a welding shop. But there comes a point in every job where the cost to watch exceeds either your budget or good sense. A person can't easily tackle hanging 16' drywall sheets 20' in the air, or deliver and nail roof sheeting 3 floors up on a 12:12 pitch by his/her self. Certainly there is a skill requirement to all vocations but welding is usually a one-man operation and a decent stick welder isn't all that expensive. After getting a handful of eye-popping quotes to weld a few brackets on a snowplow frame, I finally decided to shop for a used stick welder and DIY. I learned a useful new skill and the welder paid for itself after the 1st couple of jobs. I would note however, it was not simply a matter of dollar$. The lead time to farm it out was simply ridiculous... two weeks for 10 mins. of welding, take it or leave it. So yes, they've effectively discouraged not only the first walk-in job, but all potential future income from me as well. *shrug*

PineRidge · May 22, 2006

I would note however, it was not simply a matter of dollar$. The lead time to farm it out was simply ridiculous... two weeks for 10 mins. of welding, take it or leave it. So yes, they've effectively discouraged not only the first walk-in job, but all potential future income from me as well. *shrug*


Those are basically my sentiments as well. Don't get me wrong I'm not even in the same category as a professional welder by any stretch of the imagination but I can lay a bead and by golly things don't fly apart when put into service either (knock on wood here folks).

There is a lot of reasonably priced welding equipment out there today both new and used and if taken care of will last for years. The current Tombstone welder that I use is over 15-20 years old and still going strong. I don't mind doing whatever I can myself so I can't see myself coughing up that 120 bucks per hour in the near future anyway.

PineRidge · May 22, 2006

I would note however, it was not simply a matter of dollar$. The lead time to farm it out was simply ridiculous... two weeks for 10 mins. of welding, take it or leave it. So yes, they've effectively discouraged not only the first walk-in job, but all potential future income from me as well. *shrug*


Those are basically my sentiments as well. Don't get me wrong I'm not even in the same category as a professional welder by any stretch of the imagination but I can lay a bead and by golly things don't fly apart when put into service either (knock on wood here folks).

There is a lot of reasonably priced welding equipment out there today both new and used and if taken care of will last for years. The current Tombstone welder that I use is over 15-20 years old and still going strong. I don't mind doing whatever I can myself so I can't see myself coughing up that 120 bucks per hour in the near future anyway.

George2615 · May 22, 2006

$120 an hour. Wow! do I work cheap. A couple weeks ago a neighbor from up the road came over with a pile of 2"x2" angle and an old camper trailer frame (with camper removed). He asked if I could box in the frame and weld some 4' uprights on that he could attach plywood to and add a few more cross braces. I figured a couple of days work cutting steel, measuring and remeasure and weld it up. I put about 10 hours into it and delivered it to him when done. Told him to give me a c-note ($10 an hour x 10 hrs.) mainly to cover gas and rods for the welder and electric for my portaband and grinder. He gave me $150. and was happy to do so. Guess he must have priced it elsewhere before coming to me. Next time I'll quote a better price first. It probably won't be $2 a minute but I don't want to be taken advantage of either.

George2615 · May 22, 2006

$120 an hour. Wow! do I work cheap. A couple weeks ago a neighbor from up the road came over with a pile of 2"x2" angle and an old camper trailer frame (with camper removed). He asked if I could box in the frame and weld some 4' uprights on that he could attach plywood to and add a few more cross braces. I figured a couple of days work cutting steel, measuring and remeasure and weld it up. I put about 10 hours into it and delivered it to him when done. Told him to give me a c-note ($10 an hour x 10 hrs.) mainly to cover gas and rods for the welder and electric for my portaband and grinder. He gave me $150. and was happy to do so. Guess he must have priced it elsewhere before coming to me. Next time I'll quote a better price first. It probably won't be $2 a minute but I don't want to be taken advantage of either.

DocHeb · May 22, 2006

That high a price means they don't want to do walk-in work.

DocHeb · May 22, 2006

That high a price means they don't want to do walk-in work.

wroughtn_harv · May 22, 2006

( That high a price means they don't want to do walk-in work. )

Chris gets the prize!

If a welding shop is soliciting walk in work then they're in a lot of trouble. They make their money making things by using the welding processes. Make that "they make their money making things more efficiently than their competitors using the welding process."

Walk ins are a welding shop's nightmare. If they are accepted it's because the operator of the business has a kind heart or he's a glutton for punishment. Usually it starts out with the former and ends when he's had enough of the latter.

A healthy shop exists because of work that's consistant for customers that pay on time. These customers and their work are the life's blood of the business. There are other shops out there always willing to take that work. So the operator of the business has to bid to get the work and then try to make it profitable with efficiencies. The efficiencies might invove better more sophistificated equipment or streamlining the process in such a manner as to make it happen with less labor.

The last thing they want is for a walk in to appear with a project. First because the walk in doesn't have a clue. They don't understand the process. They don't understand the costs of business.

Let me give you an example:

ring, ring, ring, "Hello!"

"This the welding shop?"

"Yes I do welding" I say. Under my breath I'm cussing once again the fool at the yellow pages who listed me under "welding". I bought a business line because I'm an honest guy about most things. With a business number you get a free listing in the yellow pages. They put that puppy where it drives me up a wall. Especially on weekends and evenings. People look for a weldor, see an individual's name, and call. After all, if he's a one man show then he must need work, right?

"Do you work on gates?"

I shudder knowing what's coming next, "whatcha got?"

"You know that finger looking thingy that sticks out to latch the gate that's around my pool?"

"Yessir."

"It's broke off and I needed to have it welded back on. How much do you charge to do that?"

"Where are you located?"

"West Plano."

"West Plano is a two hundred and twenty five dollar minimum."

"MY GAWD!!!! I didn't pay that much for the gate!"

It's now that I want to point out the obvious. But I don't. "Have you called the company that installed your fence?"

"They're no longer in business."

Once again, there's the obvious. This person has already put one company out of business and now they've got their sights on me. "It's seventy five dollars an hour sir. It takes me an hour to drive over there and an hour to drive back plus the one hour minimum on site."

"You'll only be here ten minutes!"

He must think I'm much better than I am. I can't get the leads back to the broken gate in ten minutes. "It's two hundred and twenty five dollars sir, cash." The cash part is because I don't like dealing with these kinds of people. They go for the cheapest price and then invariably get burned. Then they take it out on honest businesses.

"Can you come by when you're in the area and that way I won't have to pay the travel charge?"

Click.

wroughtn_harv · May 22, 2006

( That high a price means they don't want to do walk-in work. )

Chris gets the prize!

If a welding shop is soliciting walk in work then they're in a lot of trouble. They make their money making things by using the welding processes. Make that "they make their money making things more efficiently than their competitors using the welding process."

Walk ins are a welding shop's nightmare. If they are accepted it's because the operator of the business has a kind heart or he's a glutton for punishment. Usually it starts out with the former and ends when he's had enough of the latter.

A healthy shop exists because of work that's consistant for customers that pay on time. These customers and their work are the life's blood of the business. There are other shops out there always willing to take that work. So the operator of the business has to bid to get the work and then try to make it profitable with efficiencies. The efficiencies might invove better more sophistificated equipment or streamlining the process in such a manner as to make it happen with less labor.

The last thing they want is for a walk in to appear with a project. First because the walk in doesn't have a clue. They don't understand the process. They don't understand the costs of business.

Let me give you an example:

ring, ring, ring, "Hello!"

"This the welding shop?"

"Yes I do welding" I say. Under my breath I'm cussing once again the fool at the yellow pages who listed me under "welding". I bought a business line because I'm an honest guy about most things. With a business number you get a free listing in the yellow pages. They put that puppy where it drives me up a wall. Especially on weekends and evenings. People look for a weldor, see an individual's name, and call. After all, if he's a one man show then he must need work, right?

"Do you work on gates?"

I shudder knowing what's coming next, "whatcha got?"

"You know that finger looking thingy that sticks out to latch the gate that's around my pool?"

"Yessir."

"It's broke off and I needed to have it welded back on. How much do you charge to do that?"

"Where are you located?"

"West Plano."

"West Plano is a two hundred and twenty five dollar minimum."

"MY GAWD!!!! I didn't pay that much for the gate!"

It's now that I want to point out the obvious. But I don't. "Have you called the company that installed your fence?"

"They're no longer in business."

Once again, there's the obvious. This person has already put one company out of business and now they've got their sights on me. "It's seventy five dollars an hour sir. It takes me an hour to drive over there and an hour to drive back plus the one hour minimum on site."

"You'll only be here ten minutes!"

He must think I'm much better than I am. I can't get the leads back to the broken gate in ten minutes. "It's two hundred and twenty five dollars sir, cash." The cash part is because I don't like dealing with these kinds of people. They go for the cheapest price and then invariably get burned. Then they take it out on honest businesses.

"Can you come by when you're in the area and that way I won't have to pay the travel charge?"

Click.