Price Check

[olmod]

Ok guys I am sure I will get some grief on this but I am going to ask anyway. I am bidding a wall project. It is 90' long and about 50' of it is 6' tall. The remaining 40' goes from 6' down to 1'. The block is going to cost me depending on what the customer chooses $4-5,000. There is a area 40'x40'x6' deep that I have remove two big stumps and all the dirt. The customer is making this area parking space. The wall will be holding back the hillside along the driveway and this new area. I figure with 2 guys it is going to take a week and half maybe a full two weeks to complete this project. I am coming up with a figure of $18,500 for this project by the time I figure 160 man hours, equipment rental and charges, material and labor. Do you guys think I am good on price or to high or to low? I have done plenty of these jobs in the past but it had been a few years so I wanna make sure I am not over charging. I also really want this project as it would be nice to have going into winter. Thanks for your advise!
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[alldayrj]

Thats what i would charge for the wall. Plus all that excavation. Are you hauling it or spreading on site
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[DVS Hardscaper]

I love when people come to the forum asking for help and 9 times out of 10 in the same breath they tell us "we have done alotta walls"! LOL

Most of us are happy to help whether you're doing your first wall or your 75th wall.
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[bigslick7878]

Originally Posted by DVS Hardscaper

I love when people come to the forum asking for help and 9 times out of 10 in the same breath they tell us "we have done alotta walls"! LOL

Most of us are happy to help whether you're doing your first wall or your 75th wall.
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They do that because certain jack$%^&* immediately tell them to go back to cutting grass, they aren't qualified, don't know what they are doing, they are in over their head, and let the "professionals" do it because they are clearly incapable of performing such a complex task.

Food for thought.

[olmod]

That is exactly why I said what I said. Thank you guys for your help. I felt pretty confident in my pricing but just wanted to double check. I know I would help guys out if they asked. From the sound of the guy when I met with him Saturday I believe he has already made up his mind that I will be doing the work so I will post pics of the progress of the job.
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[DVS Hardscaper]

Originally Posted by bigslick7878

They do that because certain jack$%^&* immediately tell them to go back to cutting grass, they aren't qualified, don't know what they are doing, they are in over their head, and let the "professionals" do it because they are clearly incapable of performing such a complex task.

Food for thought.

I never told anyone to keep cutting grass. Someone musta had a bad bad Monday

I do tell people I'm not taking their math exam for them. This topic creator wasn't looking for a that, he/she was looking to see if the price is in line with us pros. Which I do this as well once in a while. Nothin wrong with that

My whole point is - don't be afraid to ask for help. No need to qualify your asking for assistance. I think it's cute when they do that!

So I thought you were blocking my user name? Click on my profile, and find the ignore tab and click on it. Go ahead, I'll watch my visitor list
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[DVS Hardscaper]

Originally Posted by olmod

Ok guys I am sure I will get some grief on this but I am going to ask anyway. I am bidding a wall project. It is 90' long and about 50' of it is 6' tall. The remaining 40' goes from 6' down to 1'. The block is going to cost me depending on what the customer chooses $4-5,000. There is a area 40'x40'x6' deep that I have remove two big stumps and all the dirt. The customer is making this area parking space. The wall will be holding back the hillside along the driveway and this new area. I figure with 2 guys it is going to take a week and half maybe a full two weeks to complete this project. I am coming up with a figure of $18,500 for this project by the time I figure 160 man hours, equipment rental and charges, material and labor. Do you guys think I am good on price or to high or to low? I have done plenty of these jobs in the past but it had been a few years so I wanna make sure I am not over charging. I also really want this project as it would be nice to have going into winter. Thanks for your advise!
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I won't sit down and calculate the job, I have enough jobs of my own to price! But I will offer some pointers:

1) you mentioned winter. Make sure your proposal has a sentence saying that if weather conditions prevent you from performing turf restoration that the balance is still due upon completion of the wall, however the client may retain a few hundred dollars until the seeding is completed in the spring.

2) during fall and winter there are wet periods. You mentioned equipment rental. If its sunny tomorrow but too wet to work - did you pad the equipment rental to cover the equipment sitting? I find weekly or monthly rates are the way to go, this way the weather doesn't cost you money.


.
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[olmod]

Yes I padded plenty for the rental. I know I am planning on the job taking two weeks at the longest and I am only renting the excavator since I have everything else and only really need it till I get the base done which I should have done the first week easily but I am renting the excavator for the entire two weeks. I usually always pad my numbers enough to cover any unforeseen problems. The bad thing is it usually makes me look higher than everyone else. But there is never a case where I have to ask for more money or the chance of me loosing money either.
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[jbailey52]

Originally Posted by olmod

so I will post pics of the progress of the job.
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Wait your going to post pics.... You must not come to this side of the forum much. And while we are on it, what the hell is the visitor page? Sometimes when I try to click a thread my fat fingers hit the thread starter user name instead, and it lists people who have visited it... But visited what? Is there something there to see I'm missing?

[Red Shed Landscaping]

I just completed a wall similar is size last week which was 120' long by 4' high. It came out to be about $15,000 I didn't have the parking area to excavate so would be less.