Increasing rate for working/staying away from home

[Dark Black]

I've searched this and can't find anything useful, apologies if I've missed the pertinent thread

I've always been lucky enough to find work local enough to be able to commute daily, however this year I've been really struggling to find anything local and the warchest is diminishing rapidly.

So I'm now considering contracts further afield that would require staying away during the week. My question is this, how much do you guys usually increase your normal rate to take into account accommodation etc?

I'm thinking £5 - £10 on my hourly rate which, taking into account lower fuel bills for the commute (assuming I could find accom local enough) should cover basic B&B. Doesn't seem like much given the inconvenience of staying away but I'm not sure the market will take much more of an increase in rates at the moment (I'm not looking at London btw).

[SueEllen]

You work out how much staying away will cost then see if the rate offered will cover it.

If not negotiate and be prepared to walk away if they refuse.

BTW you do the same with roles with commuting to different sites.

[northernladuk]

The decision to take a gig away from home is yours and yours alone. Why would the client pay you more? It's the cost of doing business. That said you can negotiate if the agent is making his own commission up and push him for a bit more. If he's on a fixed margin you'll be on a hiding to nowhere.
Also the amount will vary on the details surely. Staying 5 days a week in the south is going to cost a lot more than places in the NW.

10 quid on an hourly rate?? You having a laugh?? More like 10 quid on a daily rate.

[OrangeSquash]

I'd be looking to maximise the rate I could get for any contract. If the market will take a certain rate for a given skillset in a certain location, I wouldn't be reducing my rate if I happened to live locally. In the same manner I wouldn't expect to get a higher rate if I had to commute to a certain location (with exceptions for overseas work).

Just work out what you want/need, be prepared to negotiate and turn down the work if it doesn't look attractive overall.

[sal]

It's usually the client that determines the rate based on their budget and then the agent is taking a cut. There is usually a margin for negotiation based on how saturated the market is and how urgent is the client requirement, but not based on you having to commute or stay over.

You mentioned that you are struggling to find work for quite a while, neither agents nor clients like this, yet you are thinking about pricing yourself out of the market even further by asking for £5-10/h more, that's like £40-80pd with average rate outside London being what, £300pd so 13-25% on top, suuuure?

Sorry to be blunt but beggars can't be choosers. Seems like your unreasonable expectations in regards to day rate might be part of the problem why you are struggling to find work in the first place

[LondonManc]

As the username suggests, I'm from Manchester, contracting in London. I've spent about 2/3 of my contracting life in London during the week, nearly always heading back up north at weekends. Average £200/day better in London. For staying away, you'd want an absolute minimum of £100/day extra. Stop thinking in terms of hourly rate!!!

[SteelyDan]

If going via agencies, then the rate is the rate &, as others have said, you then decide whether it's worth your while going for/doing the work. Never heard of an agent/client accepting an increase in rate requirements owing to a candidate's need to travel or work away from home. Ain't gonna happen.

However, I've worked direct for a few clients, and they have been amenable to this, and in 2 particular cases covered all my expenses wrt travel, subsistence & accommodation.

[SimonMac]

Working away is tough, yes you could probably live away for £40-£80 a day but you need to think about comfort when you are away, not just the cheapest

[unixman]

The decision to take a gig away from home is yours and yours alone. Why would the client pay you more?

Because if they don't they will be restricted to a hiring from a vanishingly small pool of local contractors. Market forces.

I would work locally for £50 to £100 per day less than a Mon-Fri gig, for obvious reasons: the huge expense and inconvenience wipes out the earning difference. Most contractors would tend to behave in the same way. But it depends on the state of the market in your sector.

There are a few places where a client can maybe find all the talent they want locally. Cambridge is one, which might explain why rates are always low there.

[The Spartan]

I've only once ever managed to get the rate increased due to travel and accommodation, but like others have said here you're looking at £50 - £100 a day depending on where you end up.