How do I price jobs when sealing/repair?

[Ducko]

Hello,

I am looking to start a sealing business next spring. I live in Toronto Canada and there is a lot of competition. I will note that much of the competition is pretty weak since there work is not quality and they have very little to no advertisement lol. Quality and advertisement are my strengths!! lol

Anyhow, I wanted to mention those things so you can have a background of where I am coming from. I tend to call all the competition and have them give me quotes so I can have an idea where my prices would range.

For the meantime I would like to know what you kind gentlemen think is a positive way to approach my pricing strategy in regards to sealing (for both pavement and interlock) and minor repairs.

mucho respect! :canadaflag:

[JFGauvreau]

In Toronto you have one of the biggest competitor, I won't reveal any names but you will see them every day, dropping kids in projects with the karts they have to push around that caries their equipment.

The prices are lower in Toronto because of that, so you'd be looking at around 15cents p/sqf

For interlock, I have no clue.

[Ducko]

Ya I know who your talking about. Im worried about them cuz there everywhere but I have faith that my quality, selling skills, and marketing can be used effectively.

I appreciate your response. I see your responses all over this site lol.

I gotta question. I am looking to start the sealing business as a full time thing next spring. Obviously, exact numbers cannot be forecasted in regards to earnings. How many jobs would I have to average/day so I can make enough money to hibernate with in the winter?

[JFGauvreau]

I'm assuming you already have a business for lawn mowing/landscape ?

If so, then you should start selling them first. All of my existing customers I had, I was able to sell almost 75% of them on my sealing service. If they like your service already, then it will be a fairly easy.

Try and book a lot of jobs BEFORE you buy your equipment, that way when you buy your equipment, it will already be paid for.


Like I said, Toronto is one the hardest place in Ontario to start a seal coating company. I would try also to go on the outskirts of the town, in the rural section (if their is any in Toronto) Places where other company think its a waste of time, but it can actually be a gold mine. You really need to search a good market for asphalt sealing, you need to knock on doors before everyone else.

The truth is, even if you have a better product, you fix cracks better, overall you are more professional, most customer don't see that, as long as it's black, they will pay for it. That's why that company is still around. So it's really a "first come first serve" So you need to be able to start early, as soon as the temperature is hot enough and go out there and knock on doors and leave flyers early in the season.

As for your money, all depends on how much you need lol. Some people will be able to live with 1 job every day. You just do the math your self to see.

20 days of work in your first month (other days it will rain for example)

20 days of work X 3 jobs a day = 60 jobs a month.
( that's realistic, I'm talking about 800 sq/f or less residential driveways)

*Let's say those small driveways are roughly 150$ bucks each
= 9k gross.

Sorry about the long speech! Hope this helps you, if you have any more, just PM me!

[shepoutside]

Quality sells. There is start up time, but build your business on your work and don't worry about anyone else. I'm near Kitchener, but I have many customers in the greater GTA that keep calling me back. I'm not cheap, but I do a quality job, and have earned that reputation. Good luck.

[Ducko]

Thanks for your vote of confidence Shep! I went to your website ( http://www.callshepsnow.com/ ) and I like the way you set it up.

I am working full time right now at my 9-5 job but by next spring I would like to go fulltime with my business. I would like to work hard enough with the lawn maintence and sealing to hold me off for the winter.

I have a mortgage and insurance to pay so I need to make sure I can pay those bills in the off season.

If I were to do some light snow removal and hopefully work like 6 days a week during the spring/summer season do you think I will be able to be "comfortable" during winter?

In other words what do I need to do in my 1st year to be comfortable in the off season?

[shepoutside]

Depends what is "comfortable" is. My version, and my wife's version, are very different, lol. Figure your budget for the year, and divide by the summer months, and that's what you need to make. 12 months down to 6-7? It will be tough, first year and all, but know some that have done it. Some of my Striping buddies only do parking lots all summer, and take off the winter. Make a plan, work your plan!! Good Luck!!

(thanks for the kind words. Have two other web sites, 1 for pavement marking, and one for sealing. They work well )

[tdmsealcoating]

My pricing starts at 10 cents per sq. ft. . Average is 15 cents .Im in New Jersey. The only way to figure it out is to start business . Believe me will get burn at least a few times , everybody did. I had a few jobs i went negative with. But its part of life , you make mistake and you learn . Good Luck !

www.tdmsealcoating.com

[RSK Property Maintenance]

ok so lets say you had a driveway that was flat, and straight 980 sq ft. you would do that for roughly 150 dollars, and it only has about 5 cracks 1/4" wide 5ft long. lets say your a solo operation, about how long would that take to do, because I have a few of my lawn customers inquiring about the cracks in there driveways and having them seal coated.