What are you charging lately for field TIG on 1–2 in 304L sanitary tube (0.065 wall), fully purged, ER308L 1/16, bringing your own Dynasty 210DX, around Kansas City? Are folks landing a clean day rate or hourly plus setup/purge gas, and what structure lets you keep fit-up tight and color control consistent without bidding yourself into a corner?
In KC I’m landing $850–950/day with my 210DX, or $95/hr when fit-up’s unknown, with purge gas and wire at cost and a 2‑hr mobilization minimum. “keep fit-up tight and color control consistent without bidding yourself into a corner?” — I charge a paid 30‑minute fit‑up/purge check at the start and don’t run production beads until they sign off, which keeps color straw or better and avoids backtracking. Are your clients covering purge gas separately or trying to bake it into the day rate?
I’m at $1,050/day with my 210DX or $110/hr when joint prep’s unknown, argon and wire at cost plus a $30/day O2 meter charge, and OT at 1.5x after 8 because someone always says “one more spool” at 5 pm. For dairy/pharma I spell out “straw or better” and <50 ppm backside O2 so color isn’t a debate — does that structure fly for you around KC, @OP?