That is almost a perfect example of this job I need done. I don’t begrudge a couple of guys making $1K for a day of driving and a half day of working. Seems like decent money to me. Even at $75/hour, a 16 hour day comes in at $1200 per person. Not unreasonable. I can supply an employee or two for pulling on ropes etc. But 4-10 times that amount are the range of the quotes I am getting.
Just trying to calibrate my expectations. I recently paid about $5K for a 100’ SSV to be erected. (I paid for the crane work and we built the foundations in house). Now the same guy wants the same amount to hang a PTP 550 on it and another tower. That is where the heartburn is kicking in. I too have erected towers. I know that it is a bit more work than just hanging a small integrated radio. From: Jaime Solorza Sent: Wednesday, July 4, 2018 10:57 AM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing I understand as an employer you have to look at cost vs benefit....but tower climbing is to me different from other Telecom work. I really don't climb much anymore and out of the flow as to what folks are charging now. Did a job in Midland with son realigning two 11GHz links on water tanks....left El Paso at 4 am, drove almost 4 hours...worked 6...drove home....I made 800.00 , son 600.00. Plus Travel and per diem ...some other outfit wanted to charge them 3000.00. They hired us again few months later to install new radio after one got sent to heaven by lightning.. but Midland pays well. Just don't like it much..no mountains... Jaime Solorza On Wed, Jul 4, 2018, 10:38 AM <[email protected]> wrote: I realize that but it is not low for a run-of-the- mill telecom tech around here We start them at about $15 and after a few years they will top out around $25 if they are still doing install and repair work. I am trying to illustrate the job costing that I am applying to this particular job to judge whether or not these quotes are reasonable. If 4 man is the law, and if it takes twice the amount of time I am guessing (which happens all too frequently) and if they have to drive a half a day and stay overnight, then I can see it. But my heart says that 4 men is overkill and it should not take that much time etc. I am totally double minded on this because I quit doing lowball bids years ago. If I don’t make good money on a job I pass it over. “for the labourer is worthy of his hire” From: Jaime Solorza Sent: Wednesday, July 4, 2018 10:29 AM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing 25 an hour is low for tower work Jaime Solorza On Wed, Jul 4, 2018, 10:13 AM <[email protected]> wrote: Let’s say I pay a guy that I have sent to Comtrain $25/hour. I pay a few benefits, modest health insurance etc. To not lose money, I have to bill one of my other companies $39.50. I have a very comprehensive spreadsheet that calculates every jot and tittle for loaded rates. It even includes the expense of calculating the billing etc. If anyone wants a copy send me an off list request. I don’t think I can attach spreadsheets to the email. So, lets round up. $40/hour is my out of pocket. Say I need two of these guys to hang the radios. $80/hour. I know I can climb that tower, hang the radio, secure the CAT5 and be on the ground in 2 hours. Have done similar jobs many many times as a younger man. Then drive for a half hour (let’s round up to 1 hours) and then do the same at the other site. 5 hours total so far. Then say we have to go back to the first site and tweak the aiming. 6 hours into the job. 6 x 80 is $480 My out of pocket payroll expense to hang a pair of $600 radios. Perhaps there is some OSHA rule that requires 4 guys. I don’t know about this rule.... but two people have mentioned it now. OK, my expense is not $1200. Let’s say I want send my guys to do this job for someone else and make a 50% margin, then I would be billing $2400. And pocketing half. Still far less than the quotes and estimates I have received. I realize everyone has to drive in from somewhere and they have to be paid while they drive. But still... Where is that rule that you must have 4 guys on a tower crew? What is a fair margin when renting our your employees to others. What is the cost of sending someone to Comtrain these days? From: Chuck McCown Sent: Tuesday, July 3, 2018 11:15 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing I figure less than 3 hours per tower, in reality it should be one hour per tower. So 6 man hours. Of course there would be transport time to and from. But if my own employees were doing it I would have less than $240 in payroll expense. From: Jaime Solorza Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 9:34 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing Too busy to help you...but 4500.00 is more or less what son and I would charge... Jaime Solorza On Tue, Jul 3, 2018, 1:28 PM <[email protected]> wrote: Thanks From: Trey Scarborough Sent: Tuesday, July 3, 2018 1:15 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing Check with LRC https://www.lrcwireless.com/ On 7/2/2018 8:31 PM, Chuck McCown wrote: Near Innis Louisiana. (NW of Baton Rouge, SE or Alexandria). From: Colin Stanners Sent: Monday, July 02, 2018 7:27 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing $5000 and they don't even need to mount big dishes or take out the rubber tape? Incredible.... sounds like it's their "we don't want your business, go away" pricing. Maybe post the area and see if any AFMUG members are around? On Mon, Jul 2, 2018 at 8:23 PM, Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote: Integrated radios/antenna. From: Colin Stanners Sent: Monday, July 02, 2018 7:16 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Tower climbing How big are the dishes? Those seem really high compared to around here. On Mon, Jul 2, 2018 at 8:12 PM, Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote: I have a pair of PTP550s to hang and wire. Long away from my base of operations. About 100’ up on both ends. Have received two quotes to hang and aim: $5000 $8000 ($14,000 if it goes to 2 days) Not sure why they think this needs 4 guys to do. I am too old to do it myself, just don’t have the leg strength/endurance to be safe. 10x the cost of the radios to hang and aim??? -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- AF mailing list [email protected] http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
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