Advice on contract for bike build

[clutch88]

So I am on the hunt for advice from some experienced builders. I have built and sold a couple of bikes and I am starting to get requests to build for other folks. I was curious how the professionals handle this situation. The customer is providing the motorcycle so this is not exactly a ground up build. I am also looking for a template or a direction to go in as far as a contract for these builds. Any advice is welcome. Thanks - Clutch

[Tattooo]

So I am on the hunt for advice from some experienced builders. I have built and sold a couple of bikes and I am starting to get requests to build for other folks. I was curious how the professionals handle this situation. The customer is providing the motorcycle so this is not exactly a ground up build. I am also looking for a template or a direction to go in as far as a contract for these builds. Any advice is welcome. Thanks - Clutch

You need to know and get in writing what the customer wants.... That's the first place to start.....

[farmall]

You need to design a standard shop work order form so you can list and the customer can sign off on what is to be done. It may run to more than one form depending on parts quantity and complexity of build. That's just like any other work order. My mentor uses duplicate carbon copies. Customer gets one when job is done and he keeps the other.

Warning! Customers may come in one day as rational humans and another as lunatics. Cover your ass.

You need standard verbiage covering what happens to "customer abandoned" vehicles or items with unpaid bills. They typically go up for magistrate auction for balance due. You find out about specifics from your county court house. I am not a small business law guru but have observed some necessities. Keep ACCURATE records, and all parts and labor go on the work orders. Have a receipt book so you can give receipts for cash etc paid and keep copies for your records. Do not EVEN think of not recording everything professionally because if you don't measure time/parts/money you will lose your ass.

You also need to remember to document "customer declined" work so if you find a part or system is fucked they don't want to fix they sign off on that, for example defective brakes or other serious problems.

I suggest all parts be paid for in advance or pretty close, so when customer disappears on a crack binge you aren't out any money. Business is business and honest people pay up. I wouldn't expect labor in advance because if you pay someone for a full job before you get it, you have no leverage so I don't expect others to roll that way. Labor should be paid for before next "task" is done but that's up to you how far ya want to let labor ride.

[clutch88]

You need to design a standard shop work order form so you can list and the customer can sign off on what is to be done. It may run to more than one form depending on parts quantity and complexity of build. That's just like any other work order. My mentor uses duplicate carbon copies. Customer gets one when job is done and he keeps the other.

Warning! Customers may come in one day as rational humans and another as lunatics. Cover your ass.

You need standard verbiage covering what happens to "customer abandoned" vehicles or items with unpaid bills. They typically go up for magistrate auction for balance due. You find out about specifics from your county court house. I am not a small business law guru but have observed some necessities. Keep ACCURATE records, and all parts and labor go on the work orders. Have a receipt book so you can give receipts for cash etc paid and keep copies for your records. Do not EVEN think of not recording everything professionally because if you don't measure time/parts/money you will lose your ass.

You also need to remember to document "customer declined" work so if you find a part or system is fucked they don't want to fix they sign off on that, for example defective brakes or other serious problems.

I suggest all parts be paid for in advance or pretty close, so when customer disappears on a crack binge you aren't out any money. Business is business and honest people pay up. I wouldn't expect labor in advance because if you pay someone for a full job before you get it, you have no leverage so I don't expect others to roll that way. Labor should be paid for before next "task" is done but that's up to you how far ya want to let labor ride.

Thanks for your reply and insight I will most definitely be documenting everything!

[Tattooo]

You need to design a standard shop work order form so you can list and the customer can sign off on what is to be done. It may run to more than one form depending on parts quantity and complexity of build. That's just like any other work order. My mentor uses duplicate carbon copies. Customer gets one when job is done and he keeps the other.

Warning! Customers may come in one day as rational humans and another as lunatics. Cover your ass.

You need standard verbiage covering what happens to "customer abandoned" vehicles or items with unpaid bills. They typically go up for magistrate auction for balance due. You find out about specifics from your county court house. I am not a small business law guru but have observed some necessities. Keep ACCURATE records, and all parts and labor go on the work orders. Have a receipt book so you can give receipts for cash etc paid and keep copies for your records. Do not EVEN think of not recording everything professionally because if you don't measure time/parts/money you will lose your ass.

You also need to remember to document "customer declined" work so if you find a part or system is fucked they don't want to fix they sign off on that, for example defective brakes or other serious problems.

I suggest all parts be paid for in advance or pretty close, so when customer disappears on a crack binge you aren't out any money. Business is business and honest people pay up. I wouldn't expect labor in advance because if you pay someone for a full job before you get it, you have no leverage so I don't expect others to roll that way. Labor should be paid for before next "task" is done but that's up to you how far ya want to let labor ride.

Yea ^^^ what he said^^^^^.... LOL He likes to type more than I do... LOL

[clutch88]

Yea ^^^ what he said^^^^^.... LOL He likes to type more than I do... LOL

Thanks to you too I appreciate the assist!