Please help, What to pay a Welder?

Icon · #1 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 05:52 PM

Hello, I'm at that point where I need to have some tabs and brackets welded to my frame but I don't have the skills to do it myself. Long story short, a friend has a friend who is the main welder in their shop and he said he could help me out.

My question is, how much should I pay the guy or what is too much or too little.

I have 4 gas tank tabs, seat tabs, brake stop tab, license plate mount and two other smal bungs.

I have not asked around at the local shops since this came about today. He is coming tomorrow, 10-18. so I need to have a ball park amount. It's going to be tig welding too.

Please help.

jsp · #2 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 06:47 PM

tell him that being able to say I have worked on a custom chopper is priceless! Then give him a beer and a pic with him and the bike and send him on his way.

beebster · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 06:51 PM

everyone i help seems to give me multiple beers, and they usually dont give me any beers till the work is complete cause stagger welding never holds up well!!!!

jsp · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 06:51 PM

it kinda what you feel its worth maybe 60 bucks? or depends if he is charging your hourly i would say 65-75 is what i got charged for my final tig welding.

erbilabuc · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 07:40 PM

25$ an hour these days is good if he is a friend. If its a pro that you found in a phone book then I say around 60$ an hour but remember this is a friend of a friend and do these friends of friends no how to mess up a wet dream sometimes.

BigMikeSimpson · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 08:01 PM

Offer him $75... If he doesent take it that's up to him. Have everything fitted tight, clean and ready to weld.

Icon · #7 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 10:25 PM

Thank you everyone for getting back to me so quick!!!! I was starting to panic.

I can sleep well at night now.

fairwaymike · #8 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 10:43 PM

the job is alot harder than you think. the tabs dont only have to be welded properly, but they have to be in the right spot, and like the guy above said everything has to be clean, fitted tight, and ready to weld. good luck, but i think you may owe more than what some others have said.

winston chopper · #9 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 10:44 PM

$50 to $75 per hr. for a skilled welder. Lots of planning and precision layout. 3 or 4 hrs at least . It took me about 10 or 12 hrs to do all that stuff on my bike and Im a skilled novice and logged alot of hrs ( months) welding east flat work and simple structural. Not easy.

fairwaymike · #10 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winston chopper

$50 to $75 per hr. for a skilled welder. Lots of planning and precision layout. 3 or 4 hrs at least . It took me about 10 or 12 hrs to do all that stuff on my bike and Im a skilled novice and logged alot of hrs ( months) welding east flat work and simple structural. Not easy.

i couldn't agree more

vision · #11 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 11:20 PM

To be fair you need to pay by how much time it takes. To cut down on how much of his time you need to buy do what you can do yourself before he arrives. If he arrives and everything is cut, fitted, cleaned and in position and just needs to be welded the job can be done in 2 hours. If he arrives and you have a bag of tabs and only a general idea of where you want them then you guys are gonna be at it the better part of a day.

Barefoot Choppa · #12 (**permalink**) 10-18-2009, 06:11 AM

Here's a thought. Perhaps ask him what the jobs worth. You have a ballpark figure based on info obtained here. If he asks to much, time to haggle but not to the point where you may get a substandard job.

anvilcustoms · #13 (**permalink**) 10-18-2009, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barefoot Choppa

Here's a thought. Perhaps ask him what the jobs worth. You have a ballpark figure based on info obtained here. If he asks to much, time to haggle but not to the point where you may get a substandard job.

Agreed.......

sdicato · #14 (**permalink**) 10-18-2009, 07:03 AM

usually after the job is done and you hand him a beer and say thanks..its usually the best time to ask in any trade. how much do i owe you....then you can see the work involved..it will probably be lower then you think...is he coming to your house to do the work...that worth something also

Barefoot Choppa · #15 (**permalink**) 10-18-2009, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdicato

usually after the job is done and you hand him a beer and say thanks..its usually the best time to ask in any trade. how much do i owe you....then you can see the work involved..it will probably be lower then you think...is he coming to your house to do the work...that worth something also

Yes but......always nice to know what to expect in advance. "How much do I owe you?" "Um, $350.00"

Could be a shock to find out after the fact that you don't have enough or didn't think it was worth the amount. Here's the way I think it should play out. You ask what the jobs worth and he either gives you a price based on the whole job (which could be to your advantage) or he gives you an hourly rate at which point you ask the "approximate" time involved and not to exceed X amount of hours. Sometimes a friend of a friend kind of deal works out well, but not always the case as he is still a professional looking to get paid what the job's worth. And the fact that he is coming to you does add value to this job. Hopefully a six pack of beer and materials used will be the preferred method of payment.