Computer Repair Rates

[dylan]

Not quite sure where to post this...

I fixed my mother's friend's computer as a favour but she wants to pay me for the work and I'm not sure how much I should charge. Here's what I did:

Fixed printer (driver problems)
Fixed fax machine (not plugged in...)
Fixed scanner (driver problems)

On the PowerMac G4

Helped choose superdrive and installed it
Spent hours finding lost files and backing them up (3 dual layer DVD's worth hidden in 5 system partitions in various locations)
Format and reinstall (1 partition, OSX Tiger)
Installed various applications
Performed general maintenance and optimization tasks.

Time spent: roughly 12 hours (looked up upgrade options while waiting for installers and update downloads)

What would be a fair price? I checked a few site and one would have charged $969 USD by the looks of it!😱 I would have settled for her free iPod Shuffle...

 

[MacFan25863]

I would say somewhere in the $100-$150 range. That would land you around $10/hr.

 

[iSaint]

I would say somewhere in the $100-$150 range. That would land you around $10/hr.

I agree. I don't do this for a living, but I've been out to help a friend a few times. I never know what to ask for but she pays me $20/hr, cash. However, this is only for a couple of hours work at a time.

I'd ask for at least $150, that's a lot of work.

On another note: how old are you? what are your qualifications? No offense, but if this is a serious source of income, you can ask more. Create a invoice on Word or Excel (or anything). Find an acceptable rate and stick with it. Maybe on-site work is more expensive than taking it to your place to work on it.

Also, did you give tips on performance, maintenance, etc? Did you set the computer up to run periodical maintenance? This is an initial visit, and you did more to get her up and running, so it's going to cost more for her.

 

[mduser63]

I do general Mac maintenance for one of my web-design clients (also a friend). He pays me $20/hr, which I think is a perfectly fair price.

 

[belvdr]

I have one client that I help outside of my career. I charge them $95/hr to maintain their computer and network whenever needed. However, I only charge them whenever I have to do a lot for them. When they call me on the phone for issues like Internet outages, and I instruct them to reset their router, I don't charge them.

 

[opusthe2nd]

I get $50 an hour when I have to go to a client site. Mind you, anything here is at least a 20 mile drive. If you bring it to me, I get $35 an hour.....I think. Depends who you are too. If you want to tell ME how to fix it, of course the rate is higher. If you whine and snivel about things, or want me to teach you how to do common tasks, the rate is higher.

 

[dylan]

Well I'm only 16 but I think I did as good a job as any professional would have done. All the work was on site and I told her why I was doing everything I did and how to do it herself. I also set it up so that it runs Cocktail weekly.

 

[alexstein]

I would stay as well in the 120-150 dollar range or ask for a product you like in that price range.

You said you would have settled for her iPod shuffle 😕

 

[Daveway]

I do this kind of work sideline for income. I've been doing it for about a year so my prices must be good.

$35/first hour
$10/hr every hour after
And remember that situations are different so be flexible. For instance, I manage a midsized business server and network for $200/per time out but I only go out every few months.

 

[Metatron]

I charge 40-50 dollars an hour regardless of the problem. If the job sucked, it gets the 50/hour. If I pluged thier computer back in for them because of a brainfart, it is $40.

 

[MacEffects]

I charge 40-50 dollars an hour regardless of the problem. If the job sucked, it gets the 50/hour. If I pluged thier computer back in for them because of a brainfart, it is $40.

Wow, thats an awful lot of money, I do repairs locally at a store downtown for Macs at $30/hr and PCs $40/hr... And I help with things like the cords not being pluged in for free... Maybe thats my location though compared to yours. As I know in bigger cities places charge far more and have more rent costs to pay.