[propertyone]

Hi Guys,

I am looking for your opinion on how much to charge per hour for my cat 313 excavator per hour. I like doing jobs by the job and blowing them out. I know everybody is going to start to tell me it depends on my cost, I know all the numbers of how much it cost to run a 30,000 lb machine , and replacement. i am just wondering what the "going rate is" . Thanks

 

[Upchuck]

If you have 17 post you should already know the answer.

Three fiddy.

 

[Upchuck]

BTW, I get $120/hr. for my JD 160.

 

[JDavis21835]

I can do it for no less than three fiddy

 

[dayexco]

i'll do it for dew fiddy

 

[Vinny]

Isnt the 313 a wheeled excavator?? Kind of comparable to a 312 tracked size machine??

In my force account list I use $150.00 / hour for my Kobelco 115 which is sort of the same size.

But in keeping with the usual responses here: a buck three eighty plus or minus twenty ten cents:w00t:

 

[HusqyPro]

I have the Caterpillar Performance Handbook right here.

According to the maintenance schedule, the projected repair schedule, projected replacement cost, and a life cycle of 5,000 hours you need to charge $195/hour to achieve a 22% profit margin over the life cycle of the machine.

Keep in mind this is based on Western States Caterpillar labor rates for maintenance and projected repairs, negotiated fuel cost through Busch Fuels in Pullman WA, and northern Idaho operator rates.

Chances are this infrmation is completely useless to you unless you're in my area.

Do yourself a favor, get the book. It's free from the dealer. Has every machine Cat makes in it. Its maintenance schedule, projected fuel useage and tons of other data. Get the addendum for your machine that has the dealer rates for parts and repairs.

I just happen to have it because I was looking to buy a 313 last year. The numbers didn't pencil out for me, not enough demand for a wheeled excavator. Which is why no one here has one.

 

[propertyone]

Thank you to the guys that responded seriously. The cat 313 is zero swing track machine with blade with a boom that you can offset. If you can fit the machine in you can dig along a foundation swing around and load truck . Boom goes way back to get height. I was just wondering what others are charging. There are guys all over the board in my area. Seems like everybody wants a hourly rate. My machine is paid for. I just don't want to be one of those guys I hear you big timers complaining about.

 

[JDavis21835]

Thank you to the guys that responded seriously. The cat 313 is zero swing track machine with blade with a boom that you can offset. If you can fit the machine in you can dig along a foundation swing around and load truck . Boom goes way back to get height. I was just wondering what others are charging. There are guys all over the board in my area. Seems like everybody wants a hourly rate. My machine is paid for. I just don't want to be one of those guys I hear you big timers complaining about.

Well then you should have an idea on what you need to 1 maintain this machine. 2 Cover any unexpected break downs. 3 Cover your fuel costs. 4 Cover your insurance costs, not only on the machine, but underground insurance as well. 5 Cover replacement costs. 6 Cover your operator. 7 Cover your profit margin. Moving dirt is not rocket science, I cant understand why guys in this business have such a hard time figuring out what to charge. Im sure theres a blue book for your area that would state what the going hourly rate is. This is how we bid jobs, based on the equipment we are going to use.

 

[propertyone]

I know how to figure all my cost. I have been following this forum for a while now. What I cant figure out is why everybody gets all upset when ever the question about price comes up. I understand everybody has different cost that go into there costs. I just got a 42 x 100 barn job , would love to hear how much other would charge for a job like that, but I already know the answer. I know there is a lot of low ballers. It seem excavation is one of the worst for it. It seem like electricians and plumbers keep around the same price. Pretty sad when the plumber can show up in a junky van and be charging $95 per hour. I didn't ask what I should charge or how much it cost me to run my machine. I was just wondering what others are charging for a 30,000 lb machine. I have been charging $ 140 per hour, I have lower my rate a few time when they complained. I find my rate is much higher when doing work by the job. Thanks

 

[PipeGuy]

https://www.equipmentwatch.com/Marketing/GreenBook.jsp

 

[rino1494]

Prices vary so much across the country. It is nice to have an idea on what others are charging, but by no means should go by others prices to use for yourself. I am sure that you know that already.

For example: Upchuck $120 for a JD 160
Vinny $150 for a SK 115
You $140 for a Cat 313

We figure $105 for our 315. Would love to get more, but that is all the market will bear in my area. Our prices are right along with the other area top notch contractors. We just keep getting beat by the Joe Blows that have no clue.

 

[Vinny]

We just keep getting beat by the Joe Blows that have no clue.

I know its off subject but yea, plenty of Joe Blows with no F n clue out there

 

[Vinny]

According to the maintenance schedule, the projected repair schedule, projected replacement cost, and a life cycle of 5,000 hours you need to charge $195/hour to achieve a 22% profit margin over the life cycle of the machine.

Really?? Wow that would be sweet anywhere:w00t:

 

[HusqyPro]

There's a guy in Lewiston that charges $33/hour for machine time up to 10 tons. I have no idea how he makes money. He has lots of shiny new Bobcat equipment, shiny new Chevy trucks, and a dozen or so employees.

It's actually cheaper for me to call him and have one of his guys do it than it is for me to rent the machine.

 

[guyute65045]

LOL you could bid it out at 50/hr, hire him and still make money
Husqy :clap:.

 

[HusqyPro]

Pretty much.

He goes off machine time.

Put 2.4 hours on his machine and he charges $79.20.

No mobilization fee, no charge for downtime, nothing.

Figured he was going to be out of business 3 years ago. Been proving me wrong ever since,

 

[propertyone]

The main reason why I asked this question is because it seems like that most people that I am giving estimates to are asking for hourly rates. You all know a good operator can do double or triple the work as a crapy one in a day. Sure the guy might be $30 bucks a hour cheaper, but takes 3 x as long. It just seems like everybody wants cheap. Thanks again

 

[Upchuck]

Originally Posted by HusqyPro
According to the maintenance schedule, the projected repair schedule, projected replacement cost, and a life cycle of 5,000 hours you need to charge $195/hour to achieve a 22% profit margin over the life cycle of the machine.

Seems like life cycle of 5,000 hours for excavator is pretty conservative. Our last JD 160 had 10,000 when we traded it in.

 

[HusqyPro]

My 5,000 hour number came to be because I was looking to trade the machine in at a point where keeping it longer could cost more in repairs and not gain that back in resale. Obviously your per hour figure will be lower if you keep the machine 10,000 hours and it doesn't have a major failure.