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How much do you charge for building PC's


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Also to keep in mind, when i build a PC i send it out with all the manufactures documentation and warrenty information. However for local customers I do the RMA process for them, and reinstall the parts at no cost.

 

If someone buys just a component from me, excluding motherboard and PSU's (and HDD's if they want me to re-install the OS) I install it for no charge

 

Both are for a very practical reason, people comeback, they tell their friends. I am by no means getting rich doing this, it's mostly extra money/toy funding, but i do hope it grow's.

 

I try to show some integrity in everything I do, and I test everything before it leaves my shop (currentley a spare room in the house), and I take pride in my work. So if something does happen all i ask is for whoever the customer is to ship the tower back to me (some are competent enough to ship the defective component) so I can take care of the problem and hopefully get the repeat/turnaround buisness.

 

I am not trying to hijack this thread but the guy a few posts up kinda erk's me, and gives small guy's trying to start out and provide a decent service a bad name. NEO I think it was.

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I negotiate the price with the persons I build for. On my last build I got $50 to replace the mobo on a burnt out pc. I have also walked customers through repair over the phone (for those living over 100 miles away). Its hard but I successfuly got a 52 year old woman in South Carolina without any pc experience at all to replace her psu within 10 minutes.

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If you are not willing to back up your work with some kind of warrenty you should not be doing it at all. Do it right or dont do it basicly. Charge appropriatly. Charging less than 100 seems a little silly to me unless it is mainly for fun or you are jut trying to grow the buissness and make more mony later.

 

Personaly I do it for as a favor or just for fun but only to frends and if they dont want a smoken fast system I encourage them to get a retail one.

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For friends, I'll usually do it for some beer and some food. However, I'll make them watch so that they can handle some future problems on their own.

Custom builds for customers go for about $50-$100, since they usually don't want anything to complicated and I almost always get repeat business when they need technical assistance.

In house service for customers, I charge a minimum of $50 for the first two hours, $20 after that. Most problems are resolved in the first 2 hours, and I'll spend any additional time servicing and cleaning the PC.

Drop-off service goes for $15 an hour.

Back-ups to dvd go for about $30, depending on the amount of info and loyalty of the customer.

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One of the most important things to consider is, you had better have some kind of insurance. They don't give that to you for free.

 

Building a computer for a friend is one thing, but working for someone as a business is another. You can't afford to cover the cost of damaged parts on your own. Even the best make a mistake now and then.

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parts = at cost from newegg

 

labor = $250 for full build + OS install etc

 

$350 for full build + OS install w/RAID + custom installs

 

$400 for full build + OS install w/RAID + custom installs (watercooling/case modding)

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Ive built several for my wifes friends and believe it or not I just say "give me what you think is fair" and the least amount of payment I have had has been $100, the most $250....lol

That was buying all parts from the egg, building it and installing OS

 

Generally if you give people the choice they treat it like a tip and give you 15%-20%.

plus they recomend you to other people.

 

Tell you ther truth I'd do it for free, opening all those boxes and assembling it is plenty of fun. but I dont tell them that.

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rule of thumb is....

 

labor cost what the parts do.... so what ever the total amount of parts cost then that is the charge for labor...

 

That covers any warranty work and your wages....Keep in mind under Microsoft EULA that the person who installs the OS IS the tech suport...It IS the installers sole responsability...

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I have designed over 20 diffrent systems for friends, who at the last minute back out. By design I mean go over the entire parts list, compare it for pricing, compare it for performance and stability, and do it all again. This REALLY annoys me expecialy sence I havent been paid at all in months. Anyone know of a way to sort this problem out in the future?

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