Your Universal Remote Control Center
RemoteCentral.com
Custom Installers' Lounge Forum - View Post
Previous section Next section Previous page Next page Up level
Up level
The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:

Login:
Pass:
 
 

Page 1 of 3
Topic:
Custom installers hourly rates
This thread has 36 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 16:46
ljg
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2002
9
I am in the NY area and think custom electronics installers hourly rates are crazy.

My custom installer charges $150.00 per hour for programming.

I would like to hear about rates thru out the country

LJG
Post 2 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 17:08
John Pechulis
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
July 2001
7,127
$100 per hour here in NE Pa.

JJP
Post 3 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 17:10
QQQ
Super Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2002
4,806
On 09/10/02 16:46.28, ljg said...
I am in the NY area and think custom electronics
installers hourly rates are crazy.

My custom installer charges $150.00 per hour for
programming.

You do? Good for you. I think your hourly rates are crazy too. I don't know what they are but I'm sure they're too high if you can afford a custom installation!
I would like to hear about rates thru out the
country

LJG

Our company charges $125.00 per hour. $150.00 is not excessive. Do some people charge less? Sure.

p.s. If you want a friendly reception you might word your post a little bit differently. Since this board is devoted to custom installers starting off by telling us how our rates are crazy might not be the best way to approach things.

p.p.s. Hourly rates may depend on what is being programmed. I'm sure you can find plenty of people to program a Pronto remote for less than $150.00 per hour. On the other hand, $125.00 per hour + or - $25.00 per hour is fairly standard for AMX or Crestron programming, ESPECIALLY in larger cities.

This message was edited by QQQ on 09/10/02 18:25.19.
Post 4 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 18:41
McNasty
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2002
1,322
I won't tell you all what we charge hourly for programming a Pronto, because you'll just laugh. Let's just say my boss charges the same hourly rate for programming as he does for running wire. Which is a VERY fair rate. And people still complain. Some people just have no Idea how much work goes into stuff. They see how easy it is to operate and immediately think it was easy to make it work that way.
Post 5 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 18:48
McNasty
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2002
1,322
Oh..did you see the other thread. He wants an AMX PHAST programmed. $150 an hour isn't crazy for programming that.
Post 6 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 19:03
Shoe
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
August 2001
1,385
BTW, what do you do and how much do you charge? We, custom installers, have a skill set that is unusual to say the least. Remote programming encompasses skills that cross several disciplines not to mention dealing with condescending customers who are so arrogant as to think they are the only ones worth whatever paycheck they get. You know what, do it yourself. Oh, thats right, your not capable of operating your system without a remote to automate it for you. Does this sound harsh? I just finished a hard day at work and am being told I'm not worth it. Deal with me during the day and you'll never get a hint of this attitude because I'm a professional. But your in an area for us professionals so please go away.


This message was edited by Shoe on 09/10/02 19:17.23.
Post 7 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 21:07
deco
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
July 2002
53
You can always find someone to do something cheaper, but when it comes to elegant programming for hi tech systems, if you go cheap I gaurantee you will get what you paid for.

Deco
Post 8 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 21:09
deco
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
July 2002
53
On 09/10/02 17:10.49, QQQ said...
You do? Good for you. I think your hourly rates
are crazy too. I don't know what they are but
I'm sure they're too high if you can afford a
custom installation!

BTW QQQ nice comeback.....

Deco
OP | Post 9 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 21:54
ljg
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2002
9
I stand corrected

I apologize for using a poor choice of words.

I really should have asked if $150.00 per hour was standard.

With all skilled professionals and trades people sometimes people think they are being charged too much whether its $300 per hour for an attorney, or $100 for a plumber, 0r $200 for a CPA, or $150.00 for a Custom installer.

I did not intend to dimenish the professionalism of the custom installation profession.

In answer to QQQ's question I do not charge by the hour, I only recieve compensation if I produce.

LJG
Post 10 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 22:20
avdude
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
February 2002
814
retracted...

This message was edited by avdude on 09/10/02 23:11.16.
AVDUDE
"It might work better if it were plugged in and programmed first...just a thought!"
Post 11 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 22:30
Nothingman
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
August 2002
9
Er, well... how do you follow that one up? Down here in sunny Florida, we charge between $110 and $130 for programming, depending on what we're programming.

And to add to the rant (as if it needed to be added to), we're talking about specialized knowledge. It costs us to gain it, and it needs to be paid for as a result. It's something that should gain you respect from anyone who hasn't got it but rarely does, thus the claims of "crazy" rates.

I'm just rehashing everything... ah well. Nevermind.
Post 12 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 22:57
QQQ
Super Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2002
4,806
ljg:

Apology accepted. I don't know where your concerns (re: $150.00 being too high) come from. In other words, I don't know if you just object to the fee period, or are unhappy with other aspects of your programmers work and therefore are objecting to the fees as a secondary reaction.

Either way, some things to note:
1. Unless you are really unhappy with your installer/programmer, I would be very careful about changing to someone else. There is usually a cost associated with the new person figuring out what the previous person did. Programming is like traveling from one side of the country to the other. There are a hell of a lot of different ways to make the trip. The new person will also have to figure out how EVERYTHING is connected and hooked up which can also involve a LOT of work, DEPENDING on the system.
2. Hourly rates can mean next to nothing depending on the efficiency of your programmer. A programmer that charges $150.00 per hour might cost less in the long run if they are highly skilled and efficient programmer that charges $75.00 per hour. Of course, I’m not saying that someone that charges $150.00 is always going to be good and efficient, just pointing out that someone might appear to charge less, but end up being just as much if not more.
3. FYI, most people who are good are not going to want to even consider taking over someone else’s project on a bid basis, so you are probably going to be paying time and material (by your question it look like you already know that).
4. Another issue is that if you hire a new programmer, you really need someone that will take full responsibility for servicing your entire system, PHAST and all. If you hire a new programmer, who do you call when you have a problem? You need one person to rely on.
5. Do you possess the programming for your system? If not, unless your programmer is willing to provide it, you will have to start over from scratch. Also, does your system run on a PC (if not there is no way for the programming to be extracted from your current system)? And if it does run on a PC, is the PHAST program password protected with a unique password? Again, if you don’t have the password, you may have to start over from scratch.

I'm not trying to talk you out of changing installers/programmers, just trying to warn you of what you may run into. We recently advised a client to change electricians in the middle of the job. It involved a huge cost to bring a new person on board, BUT it was the right decision in the long run. If that is the path for you need to follow, only you can decide. But if you are otherwise relatively satisfied with your installation, I wouldn’t jump boat.
OP | Post 13 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 22:58
ljg
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2002
9
On 09/10/02 22:20.43, avdude said...
Whoa,!!!

Probably a can of worms (or WA) you shouldn't
have opened here!

You see, everyone here has EXTENSIVE experience,
EVERY DAY with fellas and customers just like
you, who think that what we do is soooooo easy.
So let's break it down this way, shall we?

Cost to become an AMX dealer = tens of thousands
of dollars in opening orders, and promises to
perform at a certain level.

Cost to become an AMX programmer, see above plus
an average of $2000.00 - $7,000.00 in travel,
lodging, food and tuition for the training seminars
and continuing education PER PROGRAMMER/YEAR,
just to keep up to date with technology changes.

Cost to make fun of an idiot on this site...PRICELESS!!

Very mature resonse
P.S., along with the other interrogatories about
what you do, I pose this question: What DO you
do? Everyone on this site, that has any business
posting on this site, knows that the AVERAGE AMX
or Crestron installation is about $60,000. Furthermmore,
everyone who has any business on this particular
set of posts makes less than that per year on
average. In addition, I wonder, regardless of
what you do, how did YOU pay for the system you
are wanting to upgrade, change etc...?? Did you
win the lottery, or did you do it by charging
"CRAZY" rates at your job, although in your mind
you are worth what you charge? Are you using your
hourly rates to benefit the company and provide
continued training to your employees, or are you
just making such an insane amount of money that
it doesn't matter, and you have nothing better
to do than wonder if your being gouged by your
installer who CLEARLY possesses many abilities
you don't?

The install for the Phast system was far less than $60K

If you read my 2nd post you would have seen that I apologized for the first post.

Furthermore I don't charge hourly rates so you obviously did not read my second post.

You are also a very insulting and derogatory individual.
I'm in COMPLETE agreement with SHOE here, right
down to the hard day at work. I look to this site
for advice, help, and the occasional laughs, not
'you', so go away. I deal with 'you' every day,
and everyday 'you' don't get it. Go away. I can
turn on my TV, VCR, and even my lights. HAH!

P.P.S. I am an AMX programmer, especially of Landmark,
and would be delighted to do your system for my
current rate of $175.00/hour. I can program and
troubleshoot a system in a day (provided the trim
is already done and equipment is in place as per
design)! How long would it take you to learn these
skills, then apply them, then buy the programming
software, then acutally sit down and program it.
Bet it'd be cheaper to just let your "CRAZY" AV
Guys do it huh??!! Doesn't seem so "CRAZY" now
does it.
Post 14 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 23:09
avdude
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
February 2002
814
LJG,

My post was written and submitted before I was able to read your second post. I do accept your apology and I would hope you accept mine, based on the premise that I too was responding to the wording of your first post. Please keep in mind that I said average installation is about 60K, and that's start to finish for the newer NetLinx stuff...

Your second post explains and re-phrases alot. Thank you for that.

It's obvious you do realize that there is a large amount of expertise involved in this line of work, and I'm sorry for the rant.

Further,

I agree also 100% with QQQ, if you're not unhappy overall, DON'T change you installer. The new installer's learning curve would be huge and VERY expensive.

I do apologize for the insulting nature of my e-mail, it was overly defensive.

Humble pie consumed...GULP!
AVDUDE
"It might work better if it were plugged in and programmed first...just a thought!"
OP | Post 15 made on Tuesday September 10, 2002 at 23:26
ljg
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
September 2002
9
AVDUDE:

Apology accepted, I hope you and everyone in this forum accepts mine.

I have been happy overall with my installer it is just that it can become quite expensive to change components as I truly love Audio and Video and am constantly buying and selling equipment to get to that next level, I am a true hobbyist who unfortunately can't program his equipment. I do however wire and configure everything but the Phast programming.

LJG
Page 1 of 3


Jump to


Protected Feature Before you can reply to a message...
You must first register for a Remote Central user account - it's fast and free! Or, if you already have an account, please login now.

Please read the following: Unsolicited commercial advertisements are absolutely not permitted on this forum. Other private buy & sell messages should be posted to our Marketplace. For information on how to advertise your service or product click here. Remote Central reserves the right to remove or modify any post that is deemed inappropriate.

Hosting Services by ipHouse