Couple of questions about mileage/time

[Vince Pachiano]

I read a few older posts about charging/bidding for mileage and/or time.
One person suggested <20 miles (32 km) they did not charge.

So if I'm bidding on a job that is 60 miles one-way, do I figure 120 miles or 100 miles or 80 miles
What about time spent while traveling? Do I add in the 2 hours travel as part of the bid?

[Mike Watson]

Depends on how hungry you are, what the client's alternatives are, and how much they want YOU instead of just somebody.

I live in San Diego, and I go anywhere in the county at no additional charge. Because I border Orange County (and north of that, LA), I can't really charge time/mileage to go to OC or LA - those places are FULL of video guys who are local. So I work in LA "as a local", meaning no mileage or trip charge. (I do require a full day booking to go to LA.)

To go to Vegas or Phoenix I charge mileage (at the IRS rate, $0.56/mi) plus time (I charge travel time at half-price). Farther than that, you fly me (airfare) plus time (at half price).

If it's a big enough gig, I waive the cost for the time.

I am pretty flexible about it. Generally by the time I am traveling out of state, it's a pretty big job, so when I initially quote it I add everything up, including mileage and travel time and whatever else, then when we get to a bottom line number, I knock off a few bucks so I don't feel like I'm beating them up.

[Paul Mailath]

for me it's a matter of time, if it takes me more than 1.5 hours to get there I charge travel & accom. The main centres for weddings are all about 45 minutes from me so I have to include them as local.

[Robert Benda]

You'll have to decide what is right for you. Similar to Mike, except my problem is rural: the only two towns of any size are 30 and 90 miles away. If I want to work often, I have to consider if I'll charge more... I just built some of that travel into my standard rate.

When I do charge mileage, I charge $1 a mile, one way, and round up. I also consider start and finish times, so that, a location 5 hours away, that the job starts at 11am, means I have to leave my house at 4am, or get a hotel. So then I start to add those items in, as well. I just did a quote for a job 280 miles away, and requested $400 in mileage/hotel for the 2nd half of the day (hotel for 1 night+miles) or $600 if they want us the whole day (miles+2 nights hotel).