Working on other peoples cars, how to charge?

[anti_flag_army]

Im sure many of you guys have people that you know, or friends of friends that all at one time or another need their car worked on and who do they turn to but you! Every time this happens im happy to help someone out by working on a car, I enjoy getting experience on many different cars that i would never work on otherwise. But when they are offering to pay for my time i always come to a blank on how to charge. On one hand I dont want to lowball myself, on the other Im no professional mechanic that can justify charging some crazy hourly rate.

This just happened today, my grandmothers friend needed an alternator replace on an 05 taurus, it was a pretty easy job taking about an hour and a half including a trip to the store to get a wrench i didnt seem to have. She was very happy for the work and asked me how much she owed me, and i came to a blank. I asked her what seemed fair to her and she said $120. I couldnt stand to take that much money for such an easy job and ended up taking a little bit less.

I guess what i need to realize is that it may be an easy everyday thing to change an alt to people like us, but for everyone else having someone come out to your house and work on the car right there may be worth a lot to them.

What do you guys think? What would you have asked for on an easy job like this? (the alternator was in a very easy to reach spot at the top of the engine)

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

By the case.

[dre1507]

You did a right thing by taking a bit less. Shows you didn't undercut yourself too much and that also you're not greedy. she offered a lot more than my mechanic would've charged me, but to her, not having to bring it to you made a world of a difference and i guess she just wanted to give you a little reward for it.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Did that include the purchase price of the part and the wrench, or did she buy that for you?

...and did she bake you cookies and sammiches and whatnot?

[themadscientist]

I don't work on friend's or family's cars for money. business conducted between friends and family can cause trouble. If you feel the need to charge labor just politely decline to do it. Make up some BS story like you are too busy or it's above your skill level or something. money+friends=problems

[poems2beats]

I usually charge half of what a shop would charge. By working on peoples cars you can find yourself in sticky situations... CYA

[Dattebayo]

If they give you money, do it like a trade of favors, like you need to borrow the cash and will pay it back, but in the mean time here's some mechanic work done in good faith.

But if they have to give you something, I would say steak, cookies or beer. Sex is also a great way to pay for services rendered.

[dusred]

I don't work on friend's or family's cars for money. business conducted between friends and family can cause trouble. If you feel the need to charge labor just politely decline to do it. Make up some BS story like you are too busy or it's above your skill level or something. money+friends=problems

Exactly. Besides causing tensions between friends there is the liability side. If you work on someones car and they get it back and something else goes wrong 1 day later they are going to blame it on you because you aren't a professional and you "probably didn't really know what you were doing" and you will be an enemy forevermore. If you do it for free and something goes wrong they'll be less likely to blame you.

I do automotive work all the time for my friends and family and they'll pay me by fueling my truck or giving other gifts. When a friend of mine does work for me I'll usually do the same. I won't ever let money get between me and those I'm close to.

[Jesda]

I offer to help them do it so they can learn, but never do it all myself. However, with an older woman, I'd ask for something that took effort to do, like fresh baked cookies or a cheesecake.

[ADDirishboy]

I work on friends cars for free, only thing they need to provide is beer.

[PoorManQ45]

I don't work on friend's or family's cars for money. business conducted between friends and family can cause trouble. If you feel the need to charge labor just politely decline to do it. Make up some BS story like you are too busy or it's above your skill level or something. money+friends=problems

I agree. That's why I usually charge by beer and food. The bigger the job, the fancier the restaurant

*edit* the alternator job would have warranted some cake and maybe some killer homemade lasagna!