Talking to my plumber neighbor changed how I price quick jobs

I was venting to my neighbor about a client who wanted me to 'just fix a typo' on a flyer and then add a few more small changes. He's a plumber and said he charges a $95 trip fee just to walk in the door, no matter how small the job. He told me my $25 quick edits were like giving away my service call for free. It hit me that I was treating every tiny request like a favor instead of a business transaction. Now I have a $50 minimum for any gig even if it's just a 5 minute text fix. Has anyone else put a floor on what they'll work for?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane1706d agoMost Upvoted

Stood on my own porch after reading this and realized I've done entire jobs for the cost of a burrito bowl. I once charged a client $15 to fix a broken link in their email newsletter. My plumber neighbor would probably laugh me out of the neighborhood if he knew I was basically working for taco money. Set my minimum to $40 last week and already had someone try to haggle me down on a 10 minute job. Held firm and they paid it anyway. Guess I was the only one who thought my time was cheap.

margaret5516d ago

Ain't it funny how we're the only ones who think our skills are worth less than a fast food combo? You held firm and they paid, guess that says more about them than you.

logan2716d ago

$95 just to walk in the door seems kinda steep for a leaky faucet though. I get the point but a quick typo fix is hardly the same as rolling a truck out to someones house.