Irrigation estimate

[houston]

Alright guys, I have to go do my first irrigation estimate tomorrow afternoon! Do you have any words of wisdom or advice that would help. I'll take all the help I can get! ;)

Thanks

[lawnscapes]

Hey houston,

Have you ever installed a system before? if not its alot of digging unless its a new commerical account where you can use a trencher if its residential most pepole dont like walk-behind trenchers in their yards. Most jobs we do by the zone pricing, depends on how big the water meter is and how many GPM's you can flow in most cases its 300.00 a zone.

hope this helps :D

[houston]

Yes, I have installed systems before and I have a Texas irrigators license. I currently also have a home repair company so doing the estimate itself I am not worried about, I just have not done any irrigation estimates before. Just looking for any advice that might help make the sale, etc.

Thanks

[aquamtic]

You need to see what your local market is doing. Some people price per head, per zone, by labor hours plus supply markup.

[Critical Care]

Hmm... on the average out here the going rate is $600 per zone, however I think most people on lawnsite.com are pricing per head. Guess you could make a bundle installing drip systems, eh?

[DanaMac]

Not that all companies around here price by zone, but typical here comes out between $450-$500 per zone. But I know of guys doing it for around $300 per zone. And of course I get called to fix their mistakes :D

[SWD]

Resist the impulse to go low on $ to get the work. As far as a differentiation between your company and other irrigators, stress such things as:
your license-you have one, customer needs to make sure the other bidders do as well (even give the customer the telephone # to TCEQ so they can check up on the bidders)
you are commercially insured - unfortunate situations occur, you are covered, r the other bidders?
professionalism - your employees and you have a uniform, facial hair neatly trimmed, truck is lettered, invoices completed on company letterhead (as well as the bid)
service of the product (this is my biggie)
you stand behind what you install (I give a one year warranty on pipe, manufacturer warranty on everything else) and I am available to service what I sell. From this one alone I have had multiple referrals
You should have an idea now on how to seperate your business from the rest of the bidders.
I don't get every install job, I close on about 60% I bid on. What I have gotten is word of mouth that I am a respnsible, trust worthy company, and yes, I may cost more up front but I am there in the long run.

[dougaustreim]

Pricing by the zone or the head etc is not the way to go. Develop a material list for the job and build your estimte from that, taking into account all costs that will be involved and then add your overhead and profit margins. Estimating or bidding is not the area of your business to use shortcuts.

Doug
Austreim Landscaping

[greenworldh20]

materials + labor + overhead + profit = price

now, test this 'price' to see if the market will bear it.

to make money in irrigation, you have to love what you do...if you don't 'love' it, you will never be able to 'sell' it.

then, become efficient...do everything you said you would do.

re-fine your technique on sales, service and installation. keep trying to improve yourself. i guarantee you your competition is.

good luck.

brian

[czar]

I charge resendential 450.00 a Zone includes labor and material then I add controller cost with wire, Commercial I charge 600.00 a zone includes labor and material then I add main line and controller/wire cost.