Job Estimate
I've been in the Real Estate rental business for 30 years.
Most Air Conditioning companies, and Contractors in general, don't like to discuss cost per hour with their customers or itemize the cost of materials. They would rather bid the job, because usually, they make more money that way. I was told the job was going to take 2 to 3 hours to complete - 4 to 6 man hours, at the going rate for that profession of $100.00 per man per hour.
I priced out the parts to complete the job, and I came up with $150.00/$200.00 at the high end.
The bid for $775.00 made sense if the men worked 2 to 3 hours, but they were only there for 1 hour and 15 minutes, 2 1/2 total man hours.
Considering the cost of labor and materials, I put a fair price for this job at around $400.00.
Hughes service was very good and they did a good job. My only complaint was their pricing. I ended up paying $250.00 per man per hour instead of the going rate of $100.00 an hour. I discussed all of this with the owner, but he wouldn't budge off the pricing. For that reason, it is unlikely I will use his company in the future.
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