cold_and_tired
08-19-2009, 04:08 PM
I have been getting a lot of calls to repair sprinkler systems this year. Most of them are head replacements or adjustments and run of the mill troubleshooting.
I have been trying to charge a $50 service call fee to come out and assess the situation. Once the problem is identified, I tell the customer that I charge $X.XX per hour plus the price of materials.
Is $50 for a service call reasonable? I am catching hell from people for charging them. In a way, I feel that it covers my butt because if I diagnosed the problem for free, they would tell me that they will call me later to fix it (after they got bids from someone else or did it themselves).
Here are two noteable situations that I am up against.
1. Customer had personally installed a sprinkler system and prepared the soil for sod. I checked the sprinkler system and installed the sod. This was in May. I got a call on Monday saying that the sod now has dead spots on the edges and the customer wants me to replace them. I went to check things out and found that he had adjusted the heads (wrongly) since I first inspected them. I told him that I would have to charge him $50 for the service call to diagnose the problem. He says that the cost should be covered under the sod warranty. We are still arguing about it.
2. Starting in June, I installed 160' of vinyl picket fence, 45' of pavestone walkway, planted 4 trees, 35 plants and did numerous small things for the homeowner. I told her that nothing would survive without an irrigation system (which she did not have). In July she called me to install a sprinkler and drip system. Initially, her water pressure was 140 psi (!). I reduced it down to 70 for the irrigation system. Two weeks later, she said her water pressure seemed really low, I checked everything out (for free) and turned the water pressure up to 78 psi. Today she called to tell me that her husband had turned the pressure up to 100 psi and that the sprinklers are shooting water all over the house. I get along really well with her and she wants me to do a total landscape install for her in the backyard next spring.
Should I charge her the $50 or should I eat it in hopes of making it up next spring?
I know if I called an electrician or plumber to diagnose a problem, he would charge me for the service call.
I have been trying to charge a $50 service call fee to come out and assess the situation. Once the problem is identified, I tell the customer that I charge $X.XX per hour plus the price of materials.
Is $50 for a service call reasonable? I am catching hell from people for charging them. In a way, I feel that it covers my butt because if I diagnosed the problem for free, they would tell me that they will call me later to fix it (after they got bids from someone else or did it themselves).
Here are two noteable situations that I am up against.
1. Customer had personally installed a sprinkler system and prepared the soil for sod. I checked the sprinkler system and installed the sod. This was in May. I got a call on Monday saying that the sod now has dead spots on the edges and the customer wants me to replace them. I went to check things out and found that he had adjusted the heads (wrongly) since I first inspected them. I told him that I would have to charge him $50 for the service call to diagnose the problem. He says that the cost should be covered under the sod warranty. We are still arguing about it.
2. Starting in June, I installed 160' of vinyl picket fence, 45' of pavestone walkway, planted 4 trees, 35 plants and did numerous small things for the homeowner. I told her that nothing would survive without an irrigation system (which she did not have). In July she called me to install a sprinkler and drip system. Initially, her water pressure was 140 psi (!). I reduced it down to 70 for the irrigation system. Two weeks later, she said her water pressure seemed really low, I checked everything out (for free) and turned the water pressure up to 78 psi. Today she called to tell me that her husband had turned the pressure up to 100 psi and that the sprinklers are shooting water all over the house. I get along really well with her and she wants me to do a total landscape install for her in the backyard next spring.
Should I charge her the $50 or should I eat it in hopes of making it up next spring?
I know if I called an electrician or plumber to diagnose a problem, he would charge me for the service call.