Bill For Setup And Cleanup Time

woodworkbykirk

i got in a discussion with one of the guys on our crew today, it was about billing for the time we spend setting up and tearing down the tools during the day.

most of them dont bill for the 30 minutes or so we spend setting up and packing up each day, sometimes it can be longer depending on how much gear we need. ive always billed for this time as im on site handling tools and such. on the days where im standing around more than id like, being do to waiting for materials or an answer as to what the detail is on something ill take time off my day and whatnot

is this a case of going easy on the general or ripping yourself off. being not counting set up time as part of the workday

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putting down subfloor with glue and screws, well i saw dr. smith and the robot too , i had a martian burger and a sonic shake

Warren

Can't perform the work without setup and tear down. You pay your employees for this time right? Why would you not charge for it.
How about travel time from one job to another during the day? I usually don't charge for this if we are doing it because we forgot something or need to fix something that was our fault. If the GC calls and needs something done ASAP, he gets charged for the travel. Employee gets paid for it as well as 55 cents per mile, so I feel it has to be charged to GC.

Mike(VA)

If you are billing me on a T&M basis, by all means add or subtract as necessary the time you spend working or not working. If you are billing me on a cost-plus, same thing. However, if you are billing me on a fixed price basis, you better hope you have figured that stand-down time into your price because you are not coming back to me with extras.

That said, however you bill, you should figure ANY time you spend on the site or related to the job. Period. You may be sitting around waiting for materials, but its not like you can leave and go do something else productive.

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I EXPECT THAT SOMEDAY I WILL SEE THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR. IS IT SOMEDAY YET?
Clifton, Great Falls, McLean, Fairfax Station, Manassas, Virginia Renovation Contractor

J F

In my own estimating I usually put in $300-$400 for set-up/tear-down/clean-up for trim work. This usually will include a small amount of flooring protection.

Anything more, needs to be accounted for. Of course this isn't disclosed just a total amount for the work, but it needs to be accounted for in your estimating.

crazyboy

You still have the same overhead whether your setting up the tools or using them.

HandyHails

When I'm working on an hourly rate, I charge from the time I knock on the door until the time I present the bill. I fill out the invoice and walk over to the homeowner look at my watch and round down to the nearest 15 minutes. This time ALWAYS includes set up and tear down. Also it includes any time needed to get materials that I do not have stocked. That's handyman type stuff usually, so this may not really apply to what your referring to.

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Josh

hhicontracting.com

mattp

When I first started on my own a GC got me a job working for a lady remodeling her house. Every Friday she would pay me, the plumber, the electrician, and the GC. She was supose to be there at 5 pm if she was late the plumber would go out to his truck, grab his statement book, and write up a new bill for the waiting time. Usally another 30 min.

72chevy4x4

I got to the point where I add time to work with the consultants/designers. Also billing for small jobs sometimes starts when leaving the last job and stops when walking off the new job-so you are getting paid for drive to the job (picked that up from the plumbers). Specifically regarding setup/cleanup-that's absolutely part of the billable time. As someone pointed out, you're paying the employees to setup and cleanup...on the other hand if you're being paid per linear foot of crown for instance, that's not hourly wage and your setup/cleanup is on you, but then again you have incentive to hustle!

RayGoerdt

I figure it all as work time,

I had to add to one bill when I did some work for another contractor and had to hunt him down to collect,

Big Shoe

Are you the boss,or part of the crew?....You bill and they don't?.........Am I missing something here? I would expect to get paid for all time spent working.

genecarp

Charge me, I am charging the client. G

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PA woodbutcher

Time and Material and cost plus is all boots on the ground. If firm price is give it's already figured in at rounded off to an hour a day.

Sometimes if I have a customer that is pleasant to work with, and I happen to have already went past the original estimate I will split the time with them...they pay setup, I pay for tear down or visa versa depending on what time I hit the job.

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'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan

insane

It's all part of the job, charge for it.

Tim

rbsremodeling

I have two line items one for job protection and one for clean up. You can just figure out the time it takes and add it to the cost of the job with out the line items

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FPI

I usually plan on an eight to five day when estimating. We setup when we arrive at the site at eight and stop working to break down sometime before five so we can leave at five.

woodworkbykirk

on the note of billing for getting sent to another site mid day, yes i do bill for this time for travel, i pay for my own gas when heading to work in the morning and at the end of the day but if im sent to another site. the minute i leave site A im billing to site B.

but if i am standing around do to a light rain shower or waiting waiting for it to stop or waiting for more material to arrive ill usually take that time off my time card.

right now im working for a general directly as opposed to subbing.

worked for one general who would send me to a site to do something and he wouldnt have material on site until late in the day, i sure as hell would bill for my time because i was normally the only guy on site. he called me out on it and i simply told him dont send me there unless the material is there waiting to be used other wise im billing to make up for the money i wasted in gas to drive there and not just $5 worth, ill bill the worth of a tank.. had to leave that contractor, too much disorganation and bs being fed to the HO

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putting down subfloor with glue and screws, well i saw dr. smith and the robot too , i had a martian burger and a sonic shake