Cost to wash and wax a 36ft boat $360-450 ?

[Timm R]

Quick to jump

My aren't we quick to jump . If one was to carefully read the original post they would see 4-6 hour was being devided by the 360 dollars,that would equal 72.00 an hour.Second Abe stated that he had an unskilled laborer,not a pair or a crew.Third time of year has everything to do with rates.Try getting a room in the off season.In most of the country boating ,motorcycling golfing is seasonal.Everybody wants thier stuff taken care right then.Rates change considerably in slow months.By I charge between 50 and 100 dollars an hour to do government work .Welding industrial machine repair etc.The businesses are glad to do business with me because of the quality of the work.Abe hired out tthe job because he thought he was getting the better end of the deal.

 

[Wanderer138]

$360 sounds fair to me

Granted Abe didn't say how big his boat was, but the last time I had my H23 done (in 2001) it took two people four hours and cost $400. That's $50/hr per person. That's less than an auto mechanic's hourly rate and unlike a mechanic, I wasn't charged extra for "shop materials" .For $400, they did the hull and deck. The hull alone would have been $125. Sailboat decks are expensive because of all the hand work needed around the hardware (cleats, winch, handrails etc.) I was pleased with the work and paid without complaining.I don't keep the boat in that marina any more so now I wax the boat myself. I can tell you it ain't as easy as it looks, especially in this heat. And it takes me ALL day to get the job done.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Dave]

At Ease

Hey, At Ease.If you want your boat detailed by some alcoholic homeless person you might get a line of them around the block. If you want it done by someone that has experience and is running a business performing this service and will back up their work when completed then you will pay a SKILLED TRADESMAN not only his hourly wage but also the overhead to run his business including taxes. I'm sure lots of these 20 buck an hour under the table cash workers exist...but that is ILLEGAL.dave

 

[Brad D]

Bargain

I pay 450 for our Vision 36 and feel I am getting a great bargain. My boat man does down to the water line and includes the SS. Since he is also our mechanic and all around handy man, i sure won't call him "unskilled" - might have a hole where one don't belong ;~) Considering the temperature, work and result, i am very pleased with that price - I would not have argued, but tipped if the work was good.Brad

 

[Scott]

Abe, what's the story?

You leave a lot of questions ... Was your laborer working independently, or were you dealing with the manager of a marina and simply objecting to the rate charged for unskilled labor? When I was a consulting engineer I was paid about $30 per hour and the company I worked for billed my time at $120 per hour. This enabled my employer to stay in business (if our clients were happy with the service) for the profit it generated (after all the benefit expenses and overhead expenses). In return, I got a steady paycheck and healthcare. If I had to find that work myself, I probably would have charged around $100; but who knows if I would have steady work. I probably would have spent 2/3 of my time beating the bushes for work and trying to collect from people that would STIFF me and 1/3 of my time (if I was good and lucky) actually getting paid for my work. I might not have been able to afford healthcare.It sounds like you objected to a fair price, assuming they did a good job. Unless you thought you were ripped-off because they did a poor job, how can you complain about getting a job done that you obviously prefer to have done for you? The actual number of manhours that it took to get the job done is really meaningless.I wouldn't beat you up for using the term "unskilled labor". That's just a commonplace term and not an attitude toward's labor. I was wondering, though, are you the type of person that only feels good about getting the better end of the bargain, or are you a win-win type of person?For those of you who think that life would be easy by trying to clean boats for $200 per (or even $360), you've got to be kidding!

 

[Rick D]

Buff and Puff

We pay about $450 USD for topsides and hull in the slip for our Legend 40.5. They do a great job including lifelines and S/S. It does go pretty fast for them, about a day plus for one guy or a full day for one and a half (the half being the boss). These are the same guys who wash the boat, so it isn't a rip. Also, it's real, back-busting, hard work every minute and yet with enough care to do the details. I do it once a year so it isn't too tough to do again. that's a lot of money but I figure the pay off is in resale and what I didn't have to do. Rick D.

 

[abe]

Scott...

I feel I can't even ask a question without insults... as I said in my original post I did not want to offend anyone. Now for the details.This guy, who normally works $8-9/ hr for a local boat shop approached me about 6 months ago and offered to clean,and wax the boat for $100. He has no employees, no business license, no additional help, workers comp, nor major business overhead. He seemed to need the work and so for $100, how could I loose. When he asked for $360, yes I was shocked. That is the price that I would expect from a professional company, not someone like this guy. I am sorry if I offended anyone. But, a skilled mechanic for BMW/Mercedes in the area charges $67/hr. A nurse is the operating room gets paid about $25-30/hr. Someone who cleans cars at a car wash gets paid little above minimum wage. So when this person who at first approached me and really seemed to need work and offered to do the work for $100, and turned oround and charged what a professional service would charge, yes I feel I was overcharged. It is fascinating to me to read some of the threads and how people complain about been overcharged by yanmar for an oil filter, and then get the type of reaction I did when I posted the question.Thank you to all who posted, and next time I will get off my "ass" and do it myself. abe

 

[Big Windy]

Wash/Wax

Got to agree with Abe on this one. If I did not know better, I'd think I was on a power boat web site...they are always at each other about something trivial. Abe has spelled it out quite clearly...the guy was trying to rip him off. Incidentilly, 'unskilled' is not a derogatory term or an insult as some seem to think. It is a term used when discussing labor..."having or requiring no special skill or training" as Webster says...you know, like washing a boat.

 

[Herb Parsons]

That extra info changes things

That extra info changes things considerably. Being fair the folks that responded, it does paint an entirely different picture. With the new information in mind, I would have paid the guy $100, not $200, but that's me.I don't think the hourly rate for the other professionals you mention is quite a fair comparison. I work as a computer professional, both full time for an employer, and part time as a consultant. If one were to figure my hourly rate from my employer, it would come to about $35 an hour. However, when I do work as a consultant, I charge $100 an hour, and get it pretty easily. Keep in mind, this is for the same work.The reason I accept that situation is that the employer "guarantees" me 40 hours a week, those that use my consulting services don't. Thus, I get a higher rate.

 

[Pete]

lessons learned

As Abe has said he as learned that he should have not relied on a price quote from 5 months ago and should have "confirmed" his work and cost before having the work done.I don't think I could wash and wax my boat and polish the metal in 4 to 6 hours of work.I don't think most owners could do that much work is that time frame. So it begs the question what did Abe expect and what did the boat polisher expect?Both parties should have been more open of there expectations of what the job included.Additional to expect a 5 month old quote to still be valid is a little silly. Try going in to a car dealer with a 5 month old price quote on a new car,an see what happens.YOU need to be a educated consumer is the bottom line and know what you are paying for and what you expect from the person you have hired.I can't help but wonder had the boat polisher REDUCED his price 5 months later who would still pay the quoted price of $1oo.?

 

[Rick Webb]

Let's Not Forget an Employers Additional Costs

UnemploymentWorkers CompSocial ScurityHealth InsuranceRetirement PlanWhat others am I forgeting?BTW I just checked a place in Pensacola and they get $10 a foot.

 

[Pete]

? for Abe

In additon to all the other comments made let me add another. When you basicaly hired this guy,you know he was working under the table and did not have insurance,no overhead etc etc.and as you said he looked like he need the work so for $100 how could I go wrong? Ask any lawyer how you could have gone wrong !Ask how you could be held responsible as an employer had he been hurt "on the job" Ask what a broken arm cost these days in medical bill and lost time.Maybe another lesson learned !

 

[John]

Must be Texas justice !

Must be a Texas thing that Herb would pay the $100. You post qauls me when you talk about how you "accept" the empolyer/empoyee relationship. Your $35 pre hour is acceptabe because you empoyer "guarantees" you it,as opposed to your $100 you earn? Let me guess how much of the $100 is cash or hidden? how much is taxed?You seam to have "accepted" health benifits, paid holidays, vacation,reimbursment for out of pocket bussiness cost etc etc.Then you freelance in the same market that you employer pays you for,because you can do it cheaper?The employee has become the competitor! The only thing "acceptable" would be a "Pink Slip".

 

[Herb Parsons]

You assume WAY too much

I claim every bit of my outside work on my taxes, have done so every year for over 10 years (that's about the amount of time I've been doing it).I don't "freelance in the same market", I work for a school district, not a computer consulting company. Ironicially, when I DID work for a computer consulting company, I turned over the two clients I had as side work at the time to my company, WITH the understanding that they would be exempt from my no compete clause. In addition, every new client AND new partner relationship I've added since working for the school district I report immediately to my immediate supervisor, getting his OK, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest.I'm curious, what in the world was in my post that would make you want to launch into such a personal attack?

 

[abe]

You are right Pete, but look at all those people

who mow the lawns across America, and I can tell that at least in California most of these guys work on their own without a proper business license. That is even a higher risk job than cleaning the boat. But you are right, and next time anyone has ANY work done on the boat, they should take that into consideration. What happens if that guy who goes up the mast falls and goes boom.thanks, abe

 

[chris]

I think abe is right...

He should not have been charged "company" rates.We all take risks. Almost everyone has hired someone without a business liscence to work on your car, house, boat, or take care of your kid. Think of the risks you take with a baby sitter. Alot of sinners out there casting that first stone. And when Herb is asked to do computer work for his friend or neighbor, will he charge $35 or $100/ hour? Will he notify the IRS? Or he may not do it at all out of respect for the law and his company. (Herb not picking on you just using you as an example, this can apply to anyone).I really think there is alot of hypocrasy going oround. thats my 2cents (or 1 cent if you exclude company overhead)chris

 

[Scott]

Touch a few nerves!

Abe, your follow-up explanation makes it sound like you were simply taken by surprise because you had a pretty informal agreement and you didn't have a high level of expectation for the work. How did the guy do? Did he do a good job? Better than you anticipated or worse?You have to admit, you do make it sound like an example of a yacht owner stiffing a guy who really needs the money. No wonder you touched so many nerves. Plus, the responses touched the nerves of some guys who sound like they throw nickels around like manhole covers (to quote what Mike Ditka said about George Hallas)!I think the point most people made is that there is a lot more involved than the simple hourly rate of labor. I'm surprised that your marina allows an independant to work on their property. I asked my marina about doing this work and their response was that I should probably wait until next summer when they have some of their dependable high school kids on hand. They wouldn't trust the job to just anybody and I wouldn't want to pay the rate for their full time staff of mechanics. They can't afford the liability of people who are not their employees performing work on their property. In today's litigious society, I can fully appreciate the concern.Hey Herb ... with a full time job and a part time job, how do find enough time to sail?*box Scott

 

[Rich Stidger]

Abe, I think you did OK

I can't believe how many posters jumped on you for complaining about a charge that was well over 3 times your quote. Size of the boat is immaterial, a quote is a quote.The fact that the quote was 5 months old- well I would have re-confirmed the quote first, but I can't imagine any circumstance (in-season, out-of-season, whatever) that would cause the price to jump from $100 to $360.I disagree with most of the posters that you should be happy with the $360 price AND given a tip to boot! (I don't even want to open the floor on tipping. My employer paid me for 40 hours/week. Period. He never 'tipped' me for doing a better job or something over-and-above.)I understand that businesses have overhead and charge more than what the pay their employees. And I understand what 'typical' rates are for the various skill levels that are offered at marinas and other businesses.I do not want to pay those rates and so I do all my own work. I hire NOTHING except jobs that I cannot do (like hauling my boat, or stepping the mast). This is my choice.BTW, I agree with Tom Mac in that many boaters seem to have way too much money and need to relieve themselves of it. However, IF you have tons of money, and IF you don't have time or IF you dislike a given job, then hire it out and pay the QUOTE.Dis-mounting soap box. Thank you.

 

[Herb Parsons]

Full time/Part time/Sailing

Yep, I work full time, and have some part time stuff. I do about 10-15 hours part time per month. That translates to about $700 - $1200 "salary" for the part time stuff (one of my long time clients gets a substantial discount because he guarantees me 6 hours a month).The First Mate/Admiral put her foot down last year, and said that my boat expenses had to start coming out of outside computer work instead of household budget. So, computer work (outside my job) goes to a different account instead of household, and boat expenses come out of there.If I had my 'druthers, I'd skip the extra work, and devote it all to sailing, but then there'd be no money for it, or no wife to enjoy it with. I had to compromise somewhere.

 

[Bill]

Gabe, You Gotta be Kidding!!

Just got back from a couple of days on Calico Dragon and I stumble on this posting. WOW!! I'm guessing you were bored and wanted to start some contraversy??How could you have ever believed a quote of $100 for all that work? Did you get a quote from a professional boat detailer and compare? As they say if a deal seems too good it probably is. I agree with the others that think you probably stiffed the guy. Go get a couple of quotes for all that work and you'll likely conclude you owe him money.