What do you typically charge?

A set percentage based on the project total. 5% 6% ??

Hourly rate ??

Rack elevations, schematics,

Just trying to get a idea of what others charge.

In Dtools I've set it up as a percentage.

I would watch out with project management as a line item. I used to work for a big company and had a client who own a pro sport team and there gc made us document everything. Project management hours were a must around 40 hours at $150/hr.

But I just got a tv hang from a rival company because they add over $300 project management to switch out a tv. Client got really pissed over that and I'm there new av guy and there are planing to do a lot of work in the next 6 months.So $300 could cost you a client if you put it on a small job.

Yeah, that's a tough one. The company I was with did this, and to say it raised customer's eyebrow, would be an understatement.

I think there should be a two tier program. Hang and bangs should be pretty much devoid of any heavy duty project management fees... just sayin'...
But the big jobs of course have to have project management $$$ in there, but it can be dicey if you break it out as a seperate line item, as customers (some) may feel they are getting taken to the cleaners... Do electricians bill this way?

That's why it just gets added as labour, not a separate line item.

Yep, but some places actually break it out seperately which is dumb... roll it into labor like you say...


"How much for project management to install a volume control and pair of deck speakers????" 8>)

In this instance the client has hired a project manager for the entire remodel of two golf clubhouses.

The cost of the entire remodel is about 5 million, I do not know what the budget is for all of the Audio, Video & low voltage wiring.

The have asked us to get a contract to them to sign off as the project manager for the all the low voltage stuff.

Not the proposal for the equipment. Just to design the both systems and crete the drawings, wiring plans, rack elevations, etc.

So I'm trying to determine the best course of action to do this since they're not sharing the budget numbers.

Should I have a one time fee that covers all or a hourly fee not to exceed a certain amount.

Big question is what do you charge hourly for this?

burtont62 - Are you sure you've got the job?
It almost sounds like they want you to design a system, and because they're paying you for it, they are then free to send it out for bidding on the open market.

That sounds exactly like what it is, even though it appears the client wants a design and also project management too, if the terms aren't being conflated.

Good for them getting paid for design.

This is billed at an hourly rate. The deliverable should be a package with a Scope of Work, equipment list sans $, and floorplan device placements. The project should be about 80-90% engineered: the last few little details and wiring schematics should be done by the winning bidder, as called out in the Spec you created.

The client may require the designer to review all bids then manage the installation and commencement of the winning bidder. If you want to bid on the project you should be clear up front: some consultants are paid to review bids and help in the selection process. You cannot provide that service and also bid on the work.

Congratulations on the opportunity.

It sounds underhanded but when I have been in this situation I design the system but leave out a few parts or leave a few model numbers out of the proposal .

You spend hours designing a system and some guy comes along knocks 5k off a 200k job and wins the job. That just wrong.

All this is doing is keeping the other bidders honest that they went throught the design and gave a crap.