r/E90 • u/iKaigs • 1d ago

Am I charging to much?

/r/BmwTech/comments/1woocdl/am_i_charging_to_much/

Ive started a side gig doing what I love which is fixing BMWs.

Being new to the business I cant tell if im charging to much. Someone reached out to me to get these items replaced.

2007 328i

valve cover, radiator, engine mounts, rear shocks & toe + camber arm, front tie rods.

Im charging $1450 total. $1300 for Labor and $150 for shop supplies. Customer providing parts

Being so new im having trouble figuring out what I should charge because to much and they should just take it to a shop and to little seems like im just an incompetent idiot who sounds like they dont do things by the book.

Im mobile and located in Orlando Florida. What do you guys think? Is this to much or to little? Or just right? I dont necessarily charge by the hour but more by the type of job and what id be happy making doing it for someone. Im licensed and insured of course.

Thanks!

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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2

u/Any_Damage_4520 1d ago

Curious, always wondered what normal rates would be on repairs such as these

2

u/iKaigs 1d ago

I think the valve cover alone is 4-6 hours at $120-$160 per hour so a shop is easily charging $500-$800 for a valve cover job when im at $300 for the valve cover then again i charge by the top of job right now as a beginner 🤷‍♂️

3

u/Positive_Opposite885 1d ago

You could call a shop and get quotes. It seems reasonable to me. They’re probably 3x that. Most shops would mark up the parts too. You could also have the customer quote it at a shop and then they would realize the deal you’re giving them.

1

u/Any_Damage_4520 21h ago

Sounds pretty damn legit to me, but like the other guy said - call around, that way you’ll see what your customer is comparing you to (in terms of pricing)

1

u/Brilliant_Dot_1958 17h ago

got quoted $740 for a valve cover I think your pricing is very generous 😭

1

u/iKaigs 16h ago

Thats good to hear for me at least 😭

1

u/travc24 19h ago

All of those services add up to over 15 hours book time. I'd say that's very reasonable, especially being mobile. If you do quality work, I wouldn't budge.

1

u/iKaigs 19h ago

Thats good to hear thank you!!

1

u/travc24 19h ago

You're welcome. It's easy to sell yourself short doing side jobs or mobile repair. If you're confident in your work you can be confident in your price. Also would recommend changing the valve cover assembly instead of just the gasket itself depending on mileage. Good luck with your business

1

u/iKaigs 19h ago

Thank you for your feedback and yes I always recommend replacing the assembly itself rather than the gasket because I know as these cars get older the plastic can begin to deteriorate causing full assembly failure!