Contractor Hourly Pay in Richmond VA

[Anatole Doak]

Hi everyone - 

Quick question. My business partner and I in talks with a General Contractor right in Richmond VA where we're looking at a few specific SFHs. We're looking at houses that just need a little work (mostly cosmetic, paint, floors, etc), and we've asked him to take a thorough look through the house, give his opinion on what needs to be done and put it in a spreadsheet with cost and timeline so we can compare properties.

We're just not sure what we should pay for this type of service and in pricing negotiations now.  He estimates that it'll take 3 hours per house.  $50 per hour has been thrown out, does that seem high?  Low?  Anyone have experience with something like this? Thanks!

Anatole

[Matthew Paul]

It sounds about right . BUT  as a contractor I rarely do jobs "by the hour" .  One reason is the customer doesnt realize that the 3 hours that I spent picking up materials is part of that hourly charge .  Another is that a good contractor can cheat himself , and a bad contractor cheats the customer