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Figuring Pricing
#1
jekjr
jekjr
How do you guys go about pricing work like cutting brush and undergrowth. NO mowing just trimming bushes and cutting limbs and hauling out to the road for city to pick up and haul off.
I had a guy call me this morning and he wants to hire me to do this work on his dad's place for his dad's birthday.
Probably two acres or more if memory serves me correctly I cut his brother's yard one time last Summer.
Chainsaw and hedge trimmers and possibly brush cutter......
I have been estimating how much time a job will take and charging $25 per hour. Any input will be appreciated.
I had a guy call me this morning and he wants to hire me to do this work on his dad's place for his dad's birthday.
Probably two acres or more if memory serves me correctly I cut his brother's yard one time last Summer.
Chainsaw and hedge trimmers and possibly brush cutter......
I have been estimating how much time a job will take and charging $25 per hour. Any input will be appreciated.
#2
Kodie's Lawn Service
I cut a hillside it was about 100 feet long and 40 feet wide I priced it and charged it 150 cause the brush was tall as me and then to keep it cut down I charge them 50-75 depending on the height :thumbsup:
Kodie's Lawn Service
How do you guys go about pricing work like cutting brush and undergrowth. NO mowing just trimming bushes and cutting limbs and hauling out to the road for city to pick up and haul off.
I had a guy call me this morning and he wants to hire me to do this work on his dad's place for his dad's birthday.
Probably two acres or more if memory serves me correctly I cut his brother's yard one time last Summer.
Chainsaw and hedge trimmers and possibly brush cutter......
I have been estimating how much time a job will take and charging $25 per hour. Any input will be appreciated.
I cut a hillside it was about 100 feet long and 40 feet wide I priced it and charged it 150 cause the brush was tall as me and then to keep it cut down I charge them 50-75 depending on the height :thumbsup:
#3
jekjr
Did you base that on how much time it takes and $$ per hour.
jekjr
I cut a hillside it was about 100 feet long and 40 feet wide I priced it and charged it 150 cause the brush was tall as me and then to keep it cut down I charge them 50-75 depending on the height :thumbsup:
Did you base that on how much time it takes and $$ per hour.
#4
Carscw
Some would say $150 was a little cheap but it got you a more work. I would have bid it the same way in the long run you make more money.
Sent from my iPhone using LMF
Carscw
I cut a hillside it was about 100 feet long and 40 feet wide I priced it and charged it 150 cause the brush was tall as me and then to keep it cut down I charge them 50-75 depending on the height :thumbsup:
Some would say $150 was a little cheap but it got you a more work. I would have bid it the same way in the long run you make more money.
Sent from my iPhone using LMF
#5
Kodie's Lawn Service
No I give a rate on how much I fell it is and work With the person that need it done :thumbsup:
Kodie's Lawn Service
Did you base that on how much time it takes and $$ per hour.
No I give a rate on how much I fell it is and work With the person that need it done :thumbsup:
#6
jekjr
Ok thanks.
I did a job on some overgrown stuff that was really tough around a house. I just walked it and looked at each segment and asked myself what would I cut that and haul it off for? Then added the segments up and gave them a price. it worked out to about $25 and hour when I got through. That was the first job I ever bid on of that type. I made out ok on that one but I could see where I could get way off either way on some jobs doing that. I am just looking and learning.
Thanks for the input.
jekjr
No I give a rate on how much I fell it is and work With the person that need it done :thumbsup:
Ok thanks.
I did a job on some overgrown stuff that was really tough around a house. I just walked it and looked at each segment and asked myself what would I cut that and haul it off for? Then added the segments up and gave them a price. it worked out to about $25 and hour when I got through. That was the first job I ever bid on of that type. I made out ok on that one but I could see where I could get way off either way on some jobs doing that. I am just looking and learning.
Thanks for the input.
#7
S
Steve0853
S
Steve0853
My son and I occasionally get into some trimming and clearing request also.
You don't say where you are from, but we are in central NC.
We figure limbing, trimming, hauling different than straight lawn mowing. It's a lot more of a skill job and pole saws, chain saws, and other equipment required costs a lot and you have to allow for that equipment costs. Also, every Tom, Dick, and Harry up and down the road wants to mow grass. Not many folks will do trimming, clearing, and hauling.
We give a total price before we start and we've never had anyone to say we were too high. On a rare occasion, the job was easier than we thought and we reduced the price. We never charge more than we quote and have been burned a time or two, but that's how is goes once in a while.
If you are by yourself, $25/hour above and beyond gas, dump fees, and equipment amortization is pretty good. For me and my son, that would be $50/hour since there are two of us. Remember, if you are hauling and dumping, your time needs to include that time even after you have left their property.
After you have done a few, you'll have a sense of what to look out for. If you want to make $25/hour for your time, you probably need to charge about $35/hour to allow for gas, equipment, and prep time.
You don't say where you are from, but we are in central NC.
We figure limbing, trimming, hauling different than straight lawn mowing. It's a lot more of a skill job and pole saws, chain saws, and other equipment required costs a lot and you have to allow for that equipment costs. Also, every Tom, Dick, and Harry up and down the road wants to mow grass. Not many folks will do trimming, clearing, and hauling.
We give a total price before we start and we've never had anyone to say we were too high. On a rare occasion, the job was easier than we thought and we reduced the price. We never charge more than we quote and have been burned a time or two, but that's how is goes once in a while.
If you are by yourself, $25/hour above and beyond gas, dump fees, and equipment amortization is pretty good. For me and my son, that would be $50/hour since there are two of us. Remember, if you are hauling and dumping, your time needs to include that time even after you have left their property.
After you have done a few, you'll have a sense of what to look out for. If you want to make $25/hour for your time, you probably need to charge about $35/hour to allow for gas, equipment, and prep time.
#8
Kodie's Lawn Service
Another good thing to try would be think to your self am i going to make more money charging a rate or by the hour think when charging by the hour is it gonning to take longer and make more that way an hour or a flat rate :thumbsup::smile::banana::banana::banana::banana::2cents::2cents:
Kodie's Lawn Service
Ok thanks.
I did a job on some overgrown stuff that was really tough around a house. I just walked it and looked at each segment and asked myself what would I cut that and haul it off for? Then added the segments up and gave them a price. it worked out to about $25 and hour when I got through. That was the first job I ever bid on of that type. I made out ok on that one but I could see where I could get way off either way on some jobs doing that. I am just looking and learning.
Thanks for the input.
Another good thing to try would be think to your self am i going to make more money charging a rate or by the hour think when charging by the hour is it gonning to take longer and make more that way an hour or a flat rate :thumbsup::smile::banana::banana::banana::banana::2cents::2cents:
#9
jekjr
I bid two jobs today. Both are jobs pertaining to cutting bushes down and getting rid of them. Both will only have to have the debris taken to the road where the city will remove it. Both wanted me to give a bid price.
I got a call tonight and I got one of them. I bid $450 on this job and I am banking on doing it by myself and it taking about 16 hours. If it works out I will make decent money.
Most of the work will be with a chainsaw and a brush cutter head or polesaw on my trimmer...... I will haul the material out to the road with my craftsman tractor and the cart I pull behind it....
jekjr
Another good thing to try would be think to your self am i going to make more money charging a rate or by the hour think when charging by the hour is it gonning to take longer and make more that way an hour or a flat rate :thumbsup::smile::banana::banana::banana::banana::2cents::2cents:
I bid two jobs today. Both are jobs pertaining to cutting bushes down and getting rid of them. Both will only have to have the debris taken to the road where the city will remove it. Both wanted me to give a bid price.
I got a call tonight and I got one of them. I bid $450 on this job and I am banking on doing it by myself and it taking about 16 hours. If it works out I will make decent money.
Most of the work will be with a chainsaw and a brush cutter head or polesaw on my trimmer...... I will haul the material out to the road with my craftsman tractor and the cart I pull behind it....
#10
Above Par Lawns
Above Par Lawns
$450.00 seems a little low for a 16 hour job. I'm not sure what size job you're doing but 16 hours is a long *** time it sounds like. Are you a real business or just a guy making cash on the side?I got a call tonight and I got one of them. I bid $450 on this job and I am banking on doing it by myself and it taking about 16 hours. If it works out I will make decent money.
Most of the work will be with a chainsaw and a brush cutter head or polesaw on my trimmer...... I will haul the material out to the road with my craftsman tractor and the cart I pull behind it....
#11
Kodie's Lawn Service
A way to save time there would be to use your mower with a good chain and pull as much of the brush as possible
Kodie's Lawn Service
I bid two jobs today. Both are jobs pertaining to cutting bushes down and getting rid of them. Both will only have to have the debris taken to the road where the city will remove it. Both wanted me to give a bid price.
I got a call tonight and I got one of them. I bid $450 on this job and I am banking on doing it by myself and it taking about 16 hours. If it works out I will make decent money.
Most of the work will be with a chainsaw and a brush cutter head or polesaw on my trimmer...... I will haul the material out to the road with my craftsman tractor and the cart I pull behind it....
A way to save time there would be to use your mower with a good chain and pull as much of the brush as possible
#12
jekjr
I am in real business. I am a one man show I do what ever bymyself. Our area is pretty economically depressed so you have to many times take what you can get. I can work on this job as I get to it. I worked about 5 hours on it today.
jekjr
$450.00 seems a little low for a 16 hour job. I'm not sure what size job you're doing but 16 hours is a long *** time it sounds like. Are you a real business or just a guy making cash on the side?
I am in real business. I am a one man show I do what ever bymyself. Our area is pretty economically depressed so you have to many times take what you can get. I can work on this job as I get to it. I worked about 5 hours on it today.
#13
C
claudedog1234
Pricing and other info on starting a lawn care business can be found in this article. Hope this helps.
How To Start Your Very Own Lawn Care Business On A Shoestring, And Make Huge Profits, While Keeping Your Current Job.
C
claudedog1234
How do you guys go about pricing work like cutting brush and undergrowth. NO mowing just trimming bushes and cutting limbs and hauling out to the road for city to pick up and haul off.
I had a guy call me this morning and he wants to hire me to do this work on his dad's place for his dad's birthday.
Probably two acres or more if memory serves me correctly I cut his brother's yard one time last Summer.
Chainsaw and hedge trimmers and possibly brush cutter......
I have been estimating how much time a job will take and charging $25 per hour. Any input will be appreciated.
Pricing and other info on starting a lawn care business can be found in this article. Hope this helps.
How To Start Your Very Own Lawn Care Business On A Shoestring, And Make Huge Profits, While Keeping Your Current Job.
#14
jekjr
Thanks for the link. My major problem is figuring how long a job will take. Jobs like trimming shrubs that have overgrown and places in yards that for what ever reason have become way overgrown are hard to estimate or for me anyway. If you underestimate your time to do a job you go in the hole bad. If you over estimate your time involved you charge the customer what could be possibly a lot more. Problem there being you are high and probably do not get the job. Nobody wants to just say just do the job and give me a bill. They all want a set price. Therefore misfiguring just a few hours either way can be a good bit of money either you do not get for hours worked or you over bid, thus keeping you from getting the job.
Regardless of how one slices or dices it time is the measuring stick when it is all over with. You can say I will do this or that for this much money but we all have a figure in our mind that consists of how much time am I going to be there....... Guess it just takes a lot of practice. My problem is I have done it in the past a good bit but I did it for my self or in a situation where I was not having to figure how long it was going to take. Now that I am in business it would be nice to figure it to the minute.
jekjr
Pricing and other info on starting a lawn care business can be found in this article. Hope this helps.
How To Start Your Very Own Lawn Care Business On A Shoestring, And Make Huge Profits, While Keeping Your Current Job.
Thanks for the link. My major problem is figuring how long a job will take. Jobs like trimming shrubs that have overgrown and places in yards that for what ever reason have become way overgrown are hard to estimate or for me anyway. If you underestimate your time to do a job you go in the hole bad. If you over estimate your time involved you charge the customer what could be possibly a lot more. Problem there being you are high and probably do not get the job. Nobody wants to just say just do the job and give me a bill. They all want a set price. Therefore misfiguring just a few hours either way can be a good bit of money either you do not get for hours worked or you over bid, thus keeping you from getting the job.
Regardless of how one slices or dices it time is the measuring stick when it is all over with. You can say I will do this or that for this much money but we all have a figure in our mind that consists of how much time am I going to be there....... Guess it just takes a lot of practice. My problem is I have done it in the past a good bit but I did it for my self or in a situation where I was not having to figure how long it was going to take. Now that I am in business it would be nice to figure it to the minute.
#15
exotion
Basically this is where experience comes in. None of us can tell you how fast you work. At some point you need to kinda guess and use this situation in future bids. Sorry.
exotion
Thanks for the link. My major problem is figuring how long a job will take. Jobs like trimming shrubs that have overgrown and places in yards that for what ever reason have become way overgrown are hard to estimate or for me anyway. If you underestimate your time to do a job you go in the hole bad. If you over estimate your time involved you charge the customer what could be possibly a lot more. Problem there being you are high and probably do not get the job. Nobody wants to just say just do the job and give me a bill. They all want a set price. Therefore misfiguring just a few hours either way can be a good bit of money either you do not get for hours worked or you over bid, thus keeping you from getting the job.
Regardless of how one slices or dices it time is the measuring stick when it is all over with. You can say I will do this or that for this much money but we all have a figure in our mind that consists of how much time am I going to be there....... Guess it just takes a lot of practice. My problem is I have done it in the past a good bit but I did it for my self or in a situation where I was not having to figure how long it was going to take. Now that I am in business it would be nice to figure it to the minute.
Basically this is where experience comes in. None of us can tell you how fast you work. At some point you need to kinda guess and use this situation in future bids. Sorry.