Well, for starters I charge more than your hypothetical standard tuning rate. Here in temperate New England (bone dry in the winter, houses frequently overheated; humid summers with open windows delivering plenty of humidity and the occasional breeze) there's ALWAYS a pitch adjustment, whether the piano was tuned 6 months ago or ten years ago.<div> Having tuned for 30 years, and accumulated various chronic tendonitis type maladies as a result (shoulder, elbow, wrist, thumbs, etc.), I make no attempt at being the "fastest tuner in town", and expect that a normal tuning appointment will take 1.5 hours. That 1.5 hr. will include a half hour pitch adjustment followed by a 1 hr. fine tuning. If the piano's near proper pitch I should be able to make some minor action adjustments (hammer spacing, lost motion) in the alloted time. </div> <div>IF this is someone calling, inquiring as to "how much is a tuning" I explain the "basic tuning" is $XXX for the first 1.5 hr., and $YY for subsequent hours for any pitch adjustment, repair, or action regulation. They either say "OK when can you be here" or "umm well I'm just calling around to get an idea how much a tuning will cost maybe I'll call back later". </div> <div>Extra time for pitch adjustments etc.on performance instruments (concert hall, school auditorium, church sanctuary, etc.) are billed appropriately (while I tend to be overly generous with John Q. Public customers).</div> <div>Typically a first John Q. Public appointment will take 2.5 hr. (50 to 100 cent pitch raise), and include some essential action adjustments, and estimates for future improvements.</div><div>YMMV,</div><div>Patrick Draine<br> <br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 2:27 PM, Matthew Todd <<a href="mailto:toddpianoworks@yahoo.com">toddpianoworks@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"> <div>How much do you normally charge for a pitch raise?  Do you base the price off of your regular tuning rate?  Say you charge $100 for a standard tuning.  Would you say a pitch raise would be half of the tuning rate, or more?</div> <p> </p><hr size="1"><div class="WgoR0d">Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51733/*http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ" target="_blank"> Try it now.</a></div><p></p></blockquote></div><br></div>