# What should I charge customers for PC repair, upgrades, etc...? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 29, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755 "2004-04-29T22:26:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/1 "2004-04-29T22:26:27Z")
So what is the going rate for such things as OS installs/upgrades, CDROM installs, memory installs? I’m getting more and more requests to perform these kinds of things, and most the time, because some are friends, I usually would give them a freebie, or I’m paid for parts plus maybe twenty bucks. Now as more requests come in for PC work, people are willing to pay. But I don’t know what to charge. Any PC techs willing to share their rates for such things? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/2 "2004-04-29T22:47:34Z")
At the computer company that I work at, we charge $85 an hour, in half hour blocks. Plus the cost of the equipment. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/3 "2004-04-29T23:33:54Z")
I’ve had relative success charging $30 an hour; of course I’m a high school student, and I haven’t tried higher rates, so I may be underpricing myself. To reverse the question–how have you find so many prospective customers? The people I know only need so much computer stuff done, and many of them know enough to fix on their own. I’d work a lot more at $30+/hr if I could find more clients. Sure beats any other work I could get at my age, $7-8/hr tops. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/4 "2004-04-29T23:44:45Z")
Close friends and family are free. Everyone else pays $65/hour + parts. I only do this part time on evenings and weekends, and I don’t advertise so all my work comes from referrals and repeat customers. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/5 "2004-04-30T00:22:33Z")
You could also go the flat-rate route. A fixed rate for simple hardware installs (like a DVD-ROM drive and to make sure the system recognizes it, etc). A little higher for software installs. The big money would be in troubleshooting. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/6 "2004-04-30T14:02:09Z")
My guy charges $45/hour, one hour minimum. Worth every penny, too. He’s been in business for five years. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/7 "2004-04-30T14:17:41Z")
> [@iwakura43](#): > > To reverse the question–how have you find so many prospective customers? Basically through word of mouth from hooking up friends and co-workers. I just don’t really know what’s fair as far as pricing goes for providing this service. $30hr plus parts sounds pretty reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/8 "2004-04-30T14:52:43Z")
All my clients are charged a flat fee. Hourly rates seem to scare them. And well it should in some cases. I do quite a bit of “system tune ups”. (Remove spyware, virus, temp files, scan disk, defrag, etc.). By the hour… it would be prohibitive for them. So, I give them a flat fee of $60…barring any unforseen problems. (Which I will call and tell them about before proceeding.) $40 for a simple virus removal… Computer builds… cost of parts plus. I do a heap of freebies as well. Hard to charge friends, as they are the ones that are bringing me the business of their friends and co-workers. I prefer not to advertise as well. I let my work and my friends speak for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![larsenmtl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@larsenmtl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/larsenmtl)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-charge-customers-for-pc-repair-upgrades-etc/242755/9 "2004-04-30T15:29:12Z")
Wow, $65 to $85 seems high. I do programming on the side (VB6, C, .NET, JavaScripts, HTML, ASP, PHP) and I only charge $35/hour. Maybe I should switch to the hardware stuff.