Member Avatar for darrglud

I'm thinking of doing computer repairs / building over the summer for some extra cashola. How much more money should I charge, above the cost of components?

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Several answers in this thread point to two common approaches: charging by time or charging a flat/project fee. and lean toward an hourly model, while shows how per-job or per-client pricing can simplify network/setup work. ’s benchmarking idea is useful—compare local shops and adjust for convenience and warranty. A practical pricing framework ties these ideas together and makes quoting consistent.

A simple, repeatable formula keeps estimates honest and defensible:
Total = PartsCost + PartsMarkup + (HourlyRate * TimeEstimate) + CalloutFee + Overhead
Explain each term on the invoice: PartsCost (supplier invoice + shipping), PartsMarkup (covers sourcing risk/warranty), HourlyRate (compensates for time, taxes, and business costs), TimeEstimate (based on past jobs), CalloutFee (travel/onsite), Overhead (tools, insurance, advertising amortized per job).

Operational rules that reduce disputes: require signed estimates for flat-fee jobs; use a diagnostic fee that is credited if the job proceeds; collect a parts deposit for custom builds; set clear warranty and data-backup disclaimers; itemize parts vs labor on every invoice; keep supplier receipts and job logs for tax purposes. Self-employed tax and recordkeeping basics are important—see the IRS Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center.

For summer/side gigs, estimate realistic throughput before setting rates: compute average net profit per typical job (after parts, shipping, taxes, and overhead) and use that to project how many jobs are needed to meet income goals. Charge more for complex diagnostics or rush turnaround and offer tiered service levels (economy / standard / premium) to match different customer expectations.

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Member Avatar for Serunson

well, i would charge $50 dollars an hour (£25)
plus parts then plus a small labour charge, i.e. $20 (£10).
But it really is up to you! ~ think about what u would be willing to pay, and go from there.

Member Avatar for Infarction

Depending on how efficient you are, $20-50 sounds about right. If you venture toward the low end you won't make as much but you'll likely have happier customers (and maybe even return business)

Member Avatar for darrglud

Well, I would charge the customer the whole cost of the components + shipping. Plus I'm only looking to earn around 500$USD to 1000$USD over the summer.

Member Avatar for jbennet

Yeah last summer I setup networks for people and i asked for £25 ($50) for 3 clients and configuring the router etc... and £5 ($10) for each additional client.

so a 4 client network came to £30 ($60) and took me about an hour

All prices are exculding h/w costs of course.

Member Avatar for Spriggan

look at the geek squad, then divide by 3

Member Avatar for snipertomcat

When I did computer repair working for myself, I charged about 35-40 an hour and I had a lot of new customers and returning ones, so that price range should work fine.

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