Austin local service prices

[Yuvaraj Vimawala]

Hi,

I am a local investor in Suburban Austin area. I usually do make ready (paint, carpet, fence, toilets, fixtures etc.) on an acquisition before renting out.

I intend to offend no one by this post. I am sure there are some reasons behind these prices. However, I am appalled by some of the prices/estimates I have been receiving.

People are charging:

$200/ hr fence work

$90-100/ HR handyman (fixture install, toilet repair)

$300+ - pressure wash driveway

I was just charged $1300 for a 3-4 hr HVAC installation only. So that's like $325/hr.

$200+/hr plumbing (water heater replacement)

These are quotes from Craigslist & thumbtack - I am not even talking highly professional companies. Not even immediate service. No one is interested in free estimates, repairing or diagnosing: they just want to replace stuff. I dont get it, gas prices are also low.

What I'd like to know is are the prices just as high in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio markets? Is this something that is Austin specific? I've gotten work done for lot cheaper few (3-4)years ago.

Any good contacts / companies people use for make ready here?

Thanks in advance 

[Brian Mathews]

Obviously you don't own a business and don't know the costs associated with running a business.   There is a lot more to figuring out how much a part costs, subtracting that from the total of the job and that is an hourly rate.   You also have to take into account licensing, insurance, taxes, overhead, vehicle costs, such as tires, oil changes, breakdowns, etc...   I don't physically do all the work in my company.   I have employees to do most of the work.   I have to pay them as well as pay my share of employer taxes, provide some level of benefits and pay them a wage that they can live off of.   Sure I can find some joker for less money.   But do you want that person on your job site to steal from you or get hurt? Then what?  I pay workmen's comp and have general liability insurance in excess of $1 million.   It protects you and me.    @Curt Riffel  If that guy only took 2 hours to do the job.   You got screwed over. He should have evacuated it for several hours before restarting.   The distributor charged him $100 to process the warranty.    Hopefully he put new freon in it and installed filter dryers on both the suction and liquid lines or you'll be changing that compressor again.   Processing fee, freon and filter dryers easily run $400 - $500.