OT.......programming cost

Hello all,
I work for an OEM and we have been asked to help automate a water pretreatment system. Water treatment is what we do so no learning curve to learn the system, functions, ect. It is just that we do not normally do this type of work. I do not have all the details as of yet, but my question is what are some of the going rates for PLC programming, instalation, and startup. I am sure there a ton of details that effect this. I am just looking for some general knowledge. We are a rather small company and at this time the only ones being asked to do this job. I want to make sure it is worth our time, but not overprice it......make sense? If more detail is needed post questions and as the information and details are utlined I will post them.
Thanks in advanc,
Micheal

This one is wide open.

Try searching the forums, as it has been brought up in the past.

Seems to me there was once a download posted on here with some basics, possibly something that was linked from MrPLC.

Michael,


You will first want to determine what is involved in the application. Type of controller, number of I/O, functions required.

From there, you will determine your cost to develop this application. If you already have a set hourly rate that you charge customers, then all that you will need to do is determine the number of hours required to develop the application.

Your development costs will be primarily your labor costs (pay, taxes, insurances, etc..)

You will also have hardware costs. Will the customer be purchasing the equipment directly or will you be purchasing it and reselling it? If you are doing the purchasing, make certain you include a margin acceptable to where you will make a decent profit.

From what you said, you will also have to include on site costs (including travelling costs)

We typically don't do any onsite development unless specifically requested by the customer.

When quoting...you want to make certain you have everything spelled out and there are no surprises.

Here is a link to a newly created page whereby we are promoting our programming services. www.entertron.com/plc_program_development.htm I don't know if this will be of assistance but take a look, it may give you some additional ideas.

God Bless,

Thanks for the info so far. I have found out a few more details... As with any project there are several ways we can go about doing this. I am planning on going to the location tomarrow to look over what they have and everything they want. I know that the current PLC, AB MicroLogix 1000, is being used and has NO I/O avaliable. The program within the PLc is "supose" to be rather simple. While I am there tomarrow I will see if I can latch on and look at it. Our company sold the unit to them years ago, it was not built by us. I have been informed that although we did not write the logic we have a copy......"somewhere". Anyway, the end result will be to run five Stager Valves which control Aquamatic valves that control the Regen process. The Stager Valves run off 120 VAC. The input control to start the Regen process will be either a float in the top of a storage tank or a flow switch. The process will be rather simple, when the tank is full or the machine is not flowing water, start the regen process. Timing will have to be looked at to see how many tanks can be Regenerated as the storage tanks drain. When the storage tank is empty stop the Regen, fill tank. Once the tank is full again the continue the Regen till all five Carbon/Multimedia tanks have been Regenerated. I have already done something along these lines for the Regen process. The big unknow at this time is thay have some sort of display that is failing and is no longer made. While I am there I need to find a solution to replace it. Then, they do not log Alarms, they would like us to add Alarm disply/logging. I think that is it for now, keep the suggestions comming.
Thanks,
Micheal

Hi Michael

I hired a firm here in Cincy once to do some ASCII for me in an AB 1500 with an LRP processor to use for 40 voice alarms over a large plants PA System. It was a pretty heavy program. About 3 years ago they got $80 an hour and the final cost was $6,500. A local service technician gets $100 an hour $150 for OT plus milage costs. Out of town you pay ALL the expenses including meals.

Leon

We pay on average 125/hr, this is for scheduled in advanced work, if I help we pay 100…

I know what some of you are thinking, you would normally charge more when a customer helps, but I am a good helper (ok I'm a good grunt)

geniusintraining said:

We pay on average 125/hr, this is for scheduled in advanced work, if I help we pay 100…

I know what some of you are thinking, you would normally charge more when a customer helps, but I am a good helper (ok I'm a good grunt)

Click to expand...

As in "go GIT me these parts" (hehe... pun intended...)

I got out of the contract SI field a couple of years ago and am now an in-house SI responsible for about 45 locations. Our rates a couple of years ago were $105/hour, iirc.

I just got out of the Water/wastewater field after about 10 years in it. Our going rates were appx $50/hr for bid work, $65/hr for non bid and/or hourly stuff that we can do in office, and $100/hr for site work. If there was an overnight stay involved, we'd just do $800-$1000 a day depending on the customer. Programmers were always salaried, so it didn't really matter how many hours were actually worked when we had to travel.

BTW, it always seemed to me like the bid work should have been higher since we were guessing at the hours ... but I was told that since we're competing we have to bid it leaner. Plus, we always seemed to guess a little high when we bid work, so it worked out.

You need to figure out how much the programmer actually costs you and make sure you add overhead and a markup on that. Don't just look at thier salary, gotta look at taxes and benefits too. I think its called thier total burden. The company I work for now is much bigger and has more benefits, I doubt they could do work that cheap.


-jeff

holy cow.
i'm just went from 16 bux and hour to 20 bux an hour.


the program was already running when i got here but i have made numerous changes since then and have setup all of the panelviews and client stations singlehandedly. I also do field work inland and offshore as well as maintain the network at the office.

Well, if you are looking at my numbers. Thats what the company charged, not what I got. If I were doing freelance work, I'd be considerably cheaper. I was a little upset when I first started doing service, and looking at the budgets and the bids. At the time I was making like $15 - $20/hr. Thats when they sat me down and explained burden to me, and liquidated damages, and how working on a service ticket was affecting the bid work that was also on my plate. And, of course, being the the lowest paid guy there, their markup was a lot higher on my labor.

Anyway, offshore? Are you working in oil and gas kurt?



-jeff

i work for a company that specializes in DRA. An additive that drops pipeline pressure and increases flowrate. I work on the injection units in the field as well as offshore. The bulk of my programming is done at our manufactoring plant.

As a rule of thumb I go $100.00 per I/O point.

kurt.brinker said:

holy cow.
i'm just went from 16 bux and hour to 20 bux an hour.


the program was already running when i got here but i have made numerous changes since then and have setup all of the panelviews and client stations singlehandedly. I also do field work inland and offshore as well as maintain the network at the office.

Click to expand...

I would say you are grossly underpaid. If you are a capable programmer you should be making at least 28-30 dollars an hour.

geniusintraining said:

We pay on average 125/hr, this is for scheduled in advanced work, if I help we pay 100…

I know what some of you are thinking, you would normally charge more when a customer helps, but I am a good helper (ok I'm a good grunt)

Click to expand...

Your lucky you threw that comment in there. I was thinking at least $150

diat150 said:

I would say you are grossly underpaid. If you are a capable programmer you should be making at least 28-30 dollars an hour.

Click to expand...

I agree. You are working in oil and gas, seem to be a competent programmer, are doing some offshore work, and you are making $20.00/hr?

I hope you got kissed first.