Finding installers
02-18-2009, 04:29 PM
#32
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 384
I bet you I'd get more than you!(nasty car surcharge-remember the bottle of ****?) I checked job futures for our labour rate but there doesn't seem to be an exact listing under the noc code for us the best comparison for ontario is between $13-$19. However that's just for Automotive accessories installers, were quite abit more skilled than that therefore a higher wage should apply
02-19-2009, 02:51 AM
#34
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 384
In our shops we don't just do car audio we do remote starts, Alarms, back up cams etc. We also have a wood shop which also alows us to do custom work as well. I think that the higher wage applies. People seem to assume that cause we work for FS we're a bunch of pimple faced hacks that couldn't do a deck with out a wiring harness! I don't see how installing bush bars or tinting windows takes more skill than what we have. In my case I also have upholstry experience as well. It's kinda looking like if we want a wage that reflects our experience here in ontario we're s*#t outta luck.
02-19-2009, 08:46 AM
#35
As mentioned above, it's not necassarily a matter of skills, it's a matter of profits. Accessories is a 36 billion dollar a year industry in canada (JUST accessories and bolt-ons) whereas as car audio is only around 19billion. I know FS does custom work I worked at BB for awhile and they do not. The guys at windshield places make more than installers and a slightly trained ape can do their job.
02-19-2009, 01:03 PM
#36
Guest
Posts: n/a
arent our inbstallers worth whatever we can charge out for them....we charge 65 an hour.....if i only paid my guys 19 bucks and hour i would expect them to be pissy about the whole thing
02-20-2009, 10:44 AM
#37
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 384
That's exactly why I'm trying to figure out what everyone else gets. I'm along with seductive getting pissy about it. What my question was if there were anymore installers from ontario that were willing to chip in because it is already obvious that people in our profession make alot more in other provinces like B.C. and Que. No body seems to want to say anything or they don't find it relavent to them. The information that I've found seems to show that it's the standard around here to shortchange your guys. I have noticed that around here we have the stigma of being a pimple faced kid that only puts in decks and can't even do that properly! We are skilled people, at least myself and the installers that I know. We are professionals and deserve to be paid that way. Everyone else seems to get more from the installers out west to the guy at GM putting on door panels for $32 dollars an hour. Hell even the students get $27 an hour!
02-20-2009, 11:17 AM
#38
Most mechanics gt paid about the same as installers. At Nissan, Hyundai, Suzuki and other non-unionized places most Class B's only make $16/h...Charging out $60/h and paying a installer $15/h is reasonable for a qualified installer. More for a top installer less for a less experienced installer.
From working in the shop to now opening my own you guys have to realize the immense amount of overhead that needs to be paid. I just finishd working out all the rough details for my monthly expenses and all that and for 2 bays, 1 high pay installer, 1 shop "helper" and myself I have to sell around $25k a month just to cover overhead and payroll. Then whatevers left on top of that I have to split with the "company". For big box stores it's a bit different, but for a an independant it's a tough game.
I would gladly pay an installer 50% of whatever gets billed out that he does the job on. But come January when it all slows down, he might only make $300/week then he'll go work for somewhere where mone is more stable.
I Don't know some of you guys experience levels and how quickly you can bang out quality work, But it took me year to make a name for myself in the area and for a long time I couldn't get more than $13/h from anywhere. I do any and all types of installs from basic radio and speakers, to full out custom interiors, remote starters, alarms, car puters and on any car and In a very timely fashion. Even at that I had to be at the top of my game for 2 years and I had to leave the company I was with to get paid $18.75/h. And in Montreal that's unheard of. Even at that I know I' worth more because of the amount of install money I bill out. No shops can afford to pay an installer rediculous money around here because the busienss is seasonal, overhead is higher than the US and profit margins are lower. So I decided to open my own shop. Now from the other end of the business I can clearly see how paying someone what they think they are worth just doesn't make any sense from a business point of view.
So if you are THAT good, and wanna make good money, move out west, or open your own shop.
From working in the shop to now opening my own you guys have to realize the immense amount of overhead that needs to be paid. I just finishd working out all the rough details for my monthly expenses and all that and for 2 bays, 1 high pay installer, 1 shop "helper" and myself I have to sell around $25k a month just to cover overhead and payroll. Then whatevers left on top of that I have to split with the "company". For big box stores it's a bit different, but for a an independant it's a tough game.
I would gladly pay an installer 50% of whatever gets billed out that he does the job on. But come January when it all slows down, he might only make $300/week then he'll go work for somewhere where mone is more stable.
I Don't know some of you guys experience levels and how quickly you can bang out quality work, But it took me year to make a name for myself in the area and for a long time I couldn't get more than $13/h from anywhere. I do any and all types of installs from basic radio and speakers, to full out custom interiors, remote starters, alarms, car puters and on any car and In a very timely fashion. Even at that I had to be at the top of my game for 2 years and I had to leave the company I was with to get paid $18.75/h. And in Montreal that's unheard of. Even at that I know I' worth more because of the amount of install money I bill out. No shops can afford to pay an installer rediculous money around here because the busienss is seasonal, overhead is higher than the US and profit margins are lower. So I decided to open my own shop. Now from the other end of the business I can clearly see how paying someone what they think they are worth just doesn't make any sense from a business point of view.
So if you are THAT good, and wanna make good money, move out west, or open your own shop.
02-22-2009, 11:12 PM
#39
Most mechanics gt paid about the same as installers. At Nissan, Hyundai, Suzuki and other non-unionized places most Class B's only make $16/h...Charging out $60/h and paying a installer $15/h is reasonable for a qualified installer. More for a top installer less for a less experienced installer.
From working in the shop to now opening my own you guys have to realize the immense amount of overhead that needs to be paid. I just finishd working out all the rough details for my monthly expenses and all that and for 2 bays, 1 high pay installer, 1 shop "helper" and myself I have to sell around $25k a month just to cover overhead and payroll. Then whatevers left on top of that I have to split with the "company". For big box stores it's a bit different, but for a an independant it's a tough game.
I would gladly pay an installer 50% of whatever gets billed out that he does the job on. But come January when it all slows down, he might only make $300/week then he'll go work for somewhere where mone is more stable.
I Don't know some of you guys experience levels and how quickly you can bang out quality work, But it took me year to make a name for myself in the area and for a long time I couldn't get more than $13/h from anywhere. I do any and all types of installs from basic radio and speakers, to full out custom interiors, remote starters, alarms, car puters and on any car and In a very timely fashion. Even at that I had to be at the top of my game for 2 years and I had to leave the company I was with to get paid $18.75/h. And in Montreal that's unheard of. Even at that I know I' worth more because of the amount of install money I bill out. No shops can afford to pay an installer rediculous money around here because the busienss is seasonal, overhead is higher than the US and profit margins are lower. So I decided to open my own shop. Now from the other end of the business I can clearly see how paying someone what they think they are worth just doesn't make any sense from a business point of view.
So if you are THAT good, and wanna make good money, move out west, or open your own shop.
From working in the shop to now opening my own you guys have to realize the immense amount of overhead that needs to be paid. I just finishd working out all the rough details for my monthly expenses and all that and for 2 bays, 1 high pay installer, 1 shop "helper" and myself I have to sell around $25k a month just to cover overhead and payroll. Then whatevers left on top of that I have to split with the "company". For big box stores it's a bit different, but for a an independant it's a tough game.
I would gladly pay an installer 50% of whatever gets billed out that he does the job on. But come January when it all slows down, he might only make $300/week then he'll go work for somewhere where mone is more stable.
I Don't know some of you guys experience levels and how quickly you can bang out quality work, But it took me year to make a name for myself in the area and for a long time I couldn't get more than $13/h from anywhere. I do any and all types of installs from basic radio and speakers, to full out custom interiors, remote starters, alarms, car puters and on any car and In a very timely fashion. Even at that I had to be at the top of my game for 2 years and I had to leave the company I was with to get paid $18.75/h. And in Montreal that's unheard of. Even at that I know I' worth more because of the amount of install money I bill out. No shops can afford to pay an installer rediculous money around here because the busienss is seasonal, overhead is higher than the US and profit margins are lower. So I decided to open my own shop. Now from the other end of the business I can clearly see how paying someone what they think they are worth just doesn't make any sense from a business point of view.
So if you are THAT good, and wanna make good money, move out west, or open your own shop.
02-23-2009, 09:11 AM
#40
Yeah exactly.. if you can't get paid what you want where you are. MOVE!!! or start your own shop. The market out in west way bigger than the east. You guys have a much younger, better paid client client base. Just getting through all my market research to get my busines splan done I came across some interesting info. Alberta and BC are almost 60% of all of canada's car audio business. So you guys can afford to pay alot more since there is more money to go around. Where I was working I was getting $18.25/h for 37.5hours on the books. and everything above that (which was a 56 hour week april-dec) I was getting cash, plus I'd get good tips from customers, and comissions on custom jobs. I was clearing minimum 1700 every 2 weeks. usually more around $2000 with tips and such..and arund $1200 every 2 weeks in the 3 dead months. Still not enough to have a good life with a house and family though.
