Misc. jobs including cleanup hedge trimming

[syzer]

When you guys go to give an estimate on this kind of work, say just a good spring clean up. What do you do? Do you look at how long its going to take you to hedge bushes put a price on that, remove leaves put a price on that, reshape beds put a price on that?

Or do you go out and say this job will take up 4 hours and we want $xx.xx per man hour. We have two guys here one @ $xx.xx and one @ $xx.xx and this is what we are charging? If you guys go by this method what do you aim to get per hour on a job? I struggle with this concept and am new so either way is a little tricky for me to estimate.

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by syzer
Or do you go out and say this job will take up 4 hours and we want $xx.xx per man hour. We have two guys here one @ $xx.xx and one @ $xx.xx and this is what we are charging?

That's the method I use, $35 per man hour & I try to usually estimate an hour or two over. If it takes less time people are always thrilled to hear their bill will be less.

[joshua]

i use the same method that kirby does, i figgure the time i think it will take me and give them that price. it it takes me longer then i suffer because i bidded wrong. if i over bid on the job then depending on how much i will add something extra.

[kutnkru]

A combination of both. I asses the needs of the property and then figure how long each service will take. Once I have a figure I add a 30% time factor to it, and then submit a price based on the estimated number of hours needed.

And yes we will pro-rate a bill if we are there for less time than was originally specified. Just make sure that you are covered. If you get into a situation where you think its looking around that 5.5 to 6 hr mark bid it for 7 possibly even 8 depending on how extensive the labor will be.

Good Luck this season!
Kris

[Fantasy Lawns]

I know my flat rate per hour & rate for going to the dump if needed ....fiqure the time add the dump run ...add any extra I may need ...like they need it done tommarrow or can I schedule it in with my other work

[awm]

I charge an hourly for these things.Be careful though as they may want an the same hourly rate for mowing which is done I do at a set rate .

[LScom Addict]

I charge by the hour too. I know approximately how long it should take and then figure a little bit additional to cover errors in the calculations. I like the idea of pro rating the bills if customers start to give you looks. That may help to calm them down a bit, sort of a comfort feeling.