What to charge for doing computer repair/upgrade for someone?

Stratum9

Senior member
Apr 13, 2002
602
0
0
My mother's co-worker wants some work done on her computer: general cleanup and re-install of Office 2000, perhaps even doing a complete restore of the OS, as well as adding some more memory. My mother recommended me since I built my own computer, my wife's computer and my mother's computer and knows I could use the extra cash. I said I'd be glad to do it and she said she would be willing to pay me whatever I charged. Other than the cost of the memory modules I have no idea what to charge her.

For you guys who regularly do this kind of thing what do you suggest?

She also wants some kind of filter software that will block access to porn sites from her thirteen year old son. I know there's several things out there but never tried any of them. Can anyone recommend a good one?
 

Omegachi

Diamond Member
Mar 27, 2001
3,922
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<evil laugh> 100 billion dollars </evil laugh>

I guess depends, if he he a good friend of your mom, then charge him less. or else probably around 20-30 bucks. or 10 bucks an hour. just tell the person how you are going to charge first. be good to him and maybe he'll recommend you to his friend's.
 

mcveigh

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2000
6,468
6
81
too cheap,
I charge 60 an hour and I'm a little on the low side, but when It comes to a full reinstall I just charge a flat rate, usually 150. I charge actual cost plus @10% for parts.

say you'll do it for $100 plus parts
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,089
12
76
fobot.com
charge enough so they won't want you to do it too often or you will end up in the living hell that is "PC support for friends/relatives" (search ATOT for posts on this subject)
 

LordThing

Golden Member
Jun 8, 2001
1,970
0
0
I can tell you what we charged when I was a tech at Computer Companion.

We charged $45 to look at the machine. That money covered $15 for evaluation and $30/hour labour.
We also charged $30 for installation of ram above hourly cost.


If you figure in $30-$45/hour for you time...you figure you will spend at least 2 hours of work on the machine no matter what. Especially if you do a complete re-install of the OS. Set down your hourly (lets say $30) and tell her you are willing to do it and keep costs under $150 since it is a family friend. Sounds like you are doing them a favor and still is enough of a healthy chunk of money so they wont be bugging you all the time. Plus you can do all the work while you are fraggin some n00bs on American's Army. :D
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
I'd charge 20 bucks for a re-install of office and upgrade memory... but a OS restore? that would = more $$$ :)
 

Night201

Diamond Member
Apr 23, 2001
3,697
0
76
Originally posted by: Omegachi
<EVIL laugh>100 billion dollars </EVIL laugh>I guess depends, if he he a good friend of your mom, then charge him less. or else probably around 20-30 bucks. or 10 bucks an hour. just tell the person how you are going to charge first. be good to him and maybe he'll recommend you to his friend's.

$10/hour! What are you smoking?
 

yakko

Lifer
Apr 18, 2000
25,455
2
0
Make sure that whatever you do you charge an hourly rate. I just spent last weekend doing an upgrade to Windows 98 with the install of Peachtree accounting software and yes I do mean all weekend. I worked on it most of my waking hours because I had to get all the previous years of data off of a tape back up. The place I did it for was the VW shop I used to work at so I didn't charge anywhere near what I should have but I also knows I get a lot of my parts right around cost plus I get free use of the lifts. If it had been anyone else I would have said $20 to $40 an hour depending on what they wanted done.
 

amdskip

Lifer
Jan 6, 2001
22,530
13
81
I'm too freakin cheap. I did a windows reinstall and only charged $30 for some relation. They keep screwing the freakin computer up and thats why I did the format because it would no longer run disk cleanup and it was just generally a huge freakin mess.