# working for your church? charges



## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

Hi looking for some thoughts, or how you would handle yours?


My question is. I have always done work for my church for just parts. when i was in Michigan. it was a small church and the ast pastor always helped or got the parts.

now that i`m az for a few years now, our church is always in need of a plumber. it is a large church with a pre school and 5 different buildings 2500 members apx.

there is a full time maintenance man but he knows nothing of plumbing.

and now i`m a official business with overhead, it is hard to spend a few hours on repair trips for nothing. and now that is almost like i`m paying to do the work for them.

do you charge full price , 1/2price or?

the current task i looked at today is to r&r 5 urinals leaking at the gasket. and 5 co covers and plugs. 

thanks for you time.

randy


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I am a believer myself, being an elder of my church. When I had my own shop, I would charge full rate, discounting material to cost. Now I work for someone else, and I plumb at our church for free, whenever I have time, which isn't often. Your church is big enough to pay you full rate, if they didn't hire you, they would have to hire someone else, so they might as well give the work to a parishioner/member who has a vested interest in doing the job right. One of my pet peeves is churches wanting stuff done for free. Jesus said, "the worker is worthy of his wages."


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## rex (Jun 13, 2008)

i charge my church full price no discount....only people who get discounts are are non profit animal shelters.....

although i dont attend any more only my parents do....the greek orthodox have plenty of cash...i plumbed the fathers house and that was all the proof i needed to charge full price.....i have absolutely no greek in me tho....


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I understand that if it was small and struggling, like the one I attend. It sounds like the church you are going to could more than afford to pay full price. My church is doing everything they can to promote businesses that are owned from within, and they do try to compensate. In short, you should charge full rate, and there should be no complaints from within.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*I have had the same experience*

I have always charged full price, 
but have given discounts and done stuff for free
on occasion... usually you are trying to fix what someone else in the church totally screwed up in the first place..

too many politics, too many church meetings... and too many people sticking their noses into things that dont concern them....
telling you how it ought to be done or should have been done..... or how their brother in-law could have done this for nothing....all this is after the fact.... 

Lots of people volonteering for projects but never showing up when its time to do the hard work....ect 

I finally fired them all and now try to avoid dealing with any of them..... 

My Motto is

The church will always find someone wanting to do pennance for their deeds...:laughing::laughing::yes:

and I will just keep doing good deeds for my customers and stay out of it.......


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

everyone summed up how i feel. 

i guess i was looking for support.


thx


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## SPH (Nov 4, 2008)

We only charge for the materials, the labour is a donation.

Give till it hurts!


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

It depends on the situation but normally full price. Their solace is that they would not get ripped off.

Mark


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

I don't have a church, If I did I would probaly offer discounts for some things, pulling urinals would not be one of them!


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

I came to look at it this way, having struggled with this question myself in past times. I'm not sure if I'm right but I'm comfortable with the policy that came from my consideration of this question.

Jesus was a carpenter by trade before his public ministry began. His earthly father, Joseph apparently died sometime after his 12th birthday. This left Him with a mother and siblings to provide for. Now I get that He is the Son of God and all, and that provision really was not difficult for Him yet He chose to become one of us and I think that means in every way except for sin. So he had a family to provide for via his carpentry skills. I wasn't there and I don't know for sure but I'm betting that the synagogue got full rate (especially since He apparently was not all that happy with most of the Rabbi's anyway) and maybe the poor widow lady down the street got cut rate or free. In any event, I'm betting with all those mouths to feed that he was not known as "discount Charlie" and probably didn't put up with a lot of foolishness from people wanting "deals". I may not have any clue what I'm talking about but that's pretty much how I see it. 

I sure do wish I could have been a fly on the wall though. I'd love to see how He handled whiny, price objections. I wonder what His closing percentage was?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

We charge full rates, no discounts here for any church.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Most churches i've seen are so used to their members giving them everything that they expect a freebe or discount from everyone. They do have a building fund for a reason. Full rate imo.


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## NickTex (Jun 18, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> In any event, I'm betting with all those mouths to feed that he was not known as "discount Charlie" and probably didn't put up with a lot of foolishness from people wanting "deals".


I imagine his competition sat around the supply house bad mouthing him, "That Jesus thinks he's God's gift to carpentry."


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## ThePlumber657 (May 26, 2010)

Well than try this............ As a business owner you can write if all off as a charitable donation and get a break on your taxes. But of course charge full price, as it only benifits you in the end. Talk to your accountant, might be worth it in the end.


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

thanks to all. 


I submitted the proposal for the repairs.

I thought long and hard. I decided on full price, then i discounted it by 15%. for me I think that is more than fair. they will approve the repair, or they will find a handy plumber to try to do it. [good luck with that] either way I`m good with it, i can sleep with my choice. 

I will post the outcome of this.


good day


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

full rate. heathen here. if they don't have enough to pay the tariff they need to get up off their lazy azzez work on sunday. like the rest of do. breid..............:rockon:


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## Mongrel (Mar 4, 2010)

Interesting and beneficial as a plumber, but more so as a 'Christian'...

I belong to and support (as I am able) a church with about 100 members give or take. We rarely (more like NEVER) meet our budget through 'offerings'. But we seem to make it somehow anyway. Over 1/3 of the money taken in goes right back out to missionaries who are on the field throughout the world, or have retired. By the way-retired missionaries like I'm talking about, typical have NO retirement plan, 401ABC or other income to support themselves when they come back home. And this is after years of trying to exist in foreign economies with a devalued dollar and barely making your minimum needed support. (I know this because I have such people in my family). Now, I'm only saying all this to let those that may care to read it, know that the 'average' corner church in America, made up of 'average' Americans, supporting 'average' missionaries and ministries, is hurting pretty bad right now. Not a complaint, "I'm just saying..."

Point is that, every churck in America doesn't look like the Crystal Cathedral, and doesn't operate like some whack-job TV Preacher trying to squeeze every dime from any widow they can find.

Now, in my case? I lost my job on Feb. 17. No unemployment, just a few months worth of nickels in the bank. My church has been reaching out to me and my family, and has been offering me (and anyone else unemployed in the church) whatever work comes up and insisting that we get paid full price. This is in addition to the weekly friday night meals and desserts that have been dropped off on my doorstep (no questions asked...), and a host of other stuff being done on behalf of those who may need help at this time.

Alright, so what's the final chapter of this book?

Everyone has to make up their own mind on how to deal with this issue. For me, you better believe when my family gets back on their feet again I won't have to question whether or not to give my church FAMILY a discount. I may not even charge them at all...

God Bless us all...


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## PlumbKing (Mar 27, 2010)

Don't mix business with your faith.

Full charge for my church. They want to employ their parishioners.

I donate many many many hours doing other things physical.


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

an update.

i received a call from the church maintenance man today. the church authorized the repairs. i`m not sure if they called around or not, i did not ask. 

I was able to sleep at night with the regular price -15%

anyway i`m happy one more job. this one goes towards lettering or a wrap for my van

so people can see me! i need to learn photo shop so i can design my truck. ugh!


thanks for all who posted.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

No discounts on labor, parts at cost. Did a job for a church member who noticed my logo on my one of my checks we payed the tithes with one sunday. Out of personal checks that week. I charged her full rate, no discount. She was the accountant for the church, and is living very comfortably in a home that could swallow mine.

(On a side note, I knew putting my plunger logo on my checks, would bring in business. Purple cow Biznitches)


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

I have to watch my wife paying tithes. One day she ask me about a job I did for $3800.00. I ask her why? She said she had to pay tithes. I said " We're paying tithes on gross"??? God is making more than I am!! Whatever, it keeps coming in. But I think God owes me a refund check.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

I've had a couple calls come in over the past few weeks from churches...I just toss them to another plumber without even wasting my time trying to arrive at a price or estimate.


I almost cracked the whip hard in conversation with a church that I advertised in their bulletin for years, they sent me a bill and I told them to remove me from the bulletin.

Come september, my advertising costs per month are going to be $0.00 

If I slow down, I'll direct mail.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

I think that on this issue you need to kneel down and ask for God's guidance. :laughing:

If you are catholic, do you give the catholic church a break and stick it to the baptists? How about the Muslims? 

Be fair and charge everyone the same rate. Including your mother


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

When the church calls for plumbing work.

We bill a normal invoice. But send an attachment along
which breaks down the job showing all costs and the profit 
we made on the invoice. We then remove the profit but in order to do that we need a signature of a church officer. That profit we gave up shows up as a charitable contribution on our taxes. 
The church got a break, I covered my cost. The church dosen't think 
I will work for nothing, and keep calling for free work. Past experience has shone that a call for free work, was not necessarily plumbing!
And when the pastor, (pastors) get a stipend for their housing which they own ... No profit is given back, after all if they worked somewhere else, they would have to pay for plumbing repairs, toilet blockages and I told one pastor off at a property committee meeting about submitting a bill to the church for light bulbs in his house.


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

PLUMBER_BILL said:


> When the church calls for plumbing work.
> 
> We bill a normal invoice. But send an attachment along
> which breaks down the job showing all costs and the profit
> ...


 I've done work for Habitat before. My tax lady says you can't write off something that you never made in the first place, such as labor, or in your case profit. Atleast not legally. Yea you may write it off, & get the claim, but if you get audited, is when it becomes an issue. Thats just how I understood it.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

​


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

the local baptist church, i don't know what variety had a well put in by the the local well guy. he doesn't get a check for 5 weeks. he calls them up and they said "we thought you would want to donate the well". 5" sub. he doesn't attend there anymore. lol. i love it. republican farmers. you got to love em. breid....................:rockon:


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

nhmaster3015 said:


> I think that on this issue you need to kneel down and ask for God's guidance. :laughing:
> 
> If you are catholic, do you give the catholic church a break and stick it to the baptists? How about the Muslims?
> 
> Be fair and charge everyone the same rate. Including your mother



i gave my church a break because i do get alot out of it. we have alot of activity's there. it is like working for family.
not going to do it for free but i will give a discount

i dont charge my mother, even with a 500mile trip to do the work


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## Everflow (Feb 1, 2010)

I always charge churches full price, anything else and I would be trying to buy a ticket to heaven. Hummm....Not a bad idea.


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## 3/4 MIP (Dec 1, 2009)

I agree, charge them. However, if my personal church has a quick repair (20 minutes or less) I'm probably doing it for free.

3/4


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## TopDog (Jun 12, 2010)

3/4 MIP said:


> I agree, charge them. However, if my personal church has a quick repair (20 minutes or less) I'm probably doing it for free.
> 
> 3/4


Same here. Adjusting water level in toilets, change a flapper etc. Anything over an hour is discounted for my church. Any other church pays same as everyone else.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Don The Plumber said:


> I've done work for Habitat before. My tax lady says you can't write off something that you never made in the first place, such as labor, or in your case profit. Atleast not legally. Yea you may write it off, & get the claim, but if you get audited, is when it becomes an issue. Thats just how I understood it.


 

Correct...because it would so grossly abused. 


I can see people stating they charged $1600 "in value" to replace a toilet. Easy way to not pay taxes, ever with those figures.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

*working for churches*

Each of us, employees and owner will give materials at our cost to the churches we attend that need work. Depending on the job most of us donate our time unless it takes days to do the job. 
Churches that we do not attend we charge full rate.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

slickrick said:


> I have to watch my wife paying tithes. One day she ask me about a job I did for $3800.00. I ask her why? She said she had to pay tithes. I said " We're paying tithes on gross"??? God is making more than I am!! Whatever, it keeps coming in. But I think God owes me a refund check.


lol, I think I married your wife's sister. I get the same thing here.


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