What to Charge....

[sandman]

I understand there are numerous variables when it comes to bidding on projects, but I was hoping for some guidance from some professional cleaning/sealing contractors. Would anyone be willing to offer sometype of outline that they use when quoting a clean & seal job?

I understand this is THE forum for hardscapers, so I would appreciate any help you guys could share. Thanks and have a great holiday season!

[Derek]

Experience and knowing your operating costs are the most important factors to bidding projects.
Experience will not only make you more efficient while doing the work (allowing you to charge for less time and make your bid more competitive) but will also help you estimate how long it will take you to complete the work.

Knowing your operating costs is a must for any business to survive. If you don't know the your overhead cost, you can't know if you are making or losing money...that is until you are overextended.

The variables in the field that affect price include: Paver shape, type of paver, type of staining or soiling, weeds, moss, repairs, type of sealer, required site protection, type and specs of equipment you use, distance to jobsite, ease of hookup, type of existing joint material, etc., etc., etc.

We always estimate our work by the manhour, giving the client a lump sum price. Of course it can be broken down into square foot cost after the fact, but we never stick to a static square foot price, as some of our competitors do. I usually only use the sq. ft. price as a check within a range depending on the work we are performing. Due to experience, I know about where it should be for the type of work...and if it is extremely low or high, I will go back over to see if I missed or added too much of something.

[Lynn_A]

I can't agree with Derek any more.

Until you get your legs under you in the business, you need to track everything. You cannot overlook any of your operating expenses or you'll end up looking at your shoes when the job is complete.

If you quote a job by the man hour method and someone squawks about it, try to get a feel for what your competitor is charging and then you can perhaps find some corners to cut.

Just don't undersell yourself, as it's a hard pill to swallow.