Estimates and Contracts

Hey I'm new to the owning aspect of this industry and had a couple of question about estimates and contracts.

Estimate:
After going to the new clients house and taking measurements of the lawn and see the property for w/e else what is the approach to giving the client the estimate? mail, email, in person? do you break down the price? Do they need a copy of something on paper of the price or just the quote?

Contracts:
I made 2 contracts so far, one for strictly lawn maintenance and the other for everything else. For new customers do i send them the contract with the contact info blank for them to fill out and send back with a self addressed and stamped envelope? Or is that only for current clients, if so what do i do with a new account? how do i approach them.


Please leave input thanks....

 

Personally, I break down the prices of each aspect of the job. Sprinkler system is xxx dollars, 20 plants is xxx dollars and so on. Specify that you allow for so much room for error- 10-15%, so that any major unforseen costs can be added to the price. Have a line at the bottom, they can sign next to the paragraph stating that this constitutes a contract, bla bla bla and you're done. I ask how they would like it delivered. Email is most common, more convenient for them and certainly for me as well.

I would only have a completed contract given to a customer, they simply sign it. This avoids corrections to be made if you know what the details of the contract are going to be before you write it (or fill in the blanks)

 

tell me how this is, i made it strictly for lawn maintenance....

 

I don't agree with the $25 clean up fee on equipment for mowing through pet droppings. We mow alot of properties that have pets and do not charge for cleanup.

 

I recommend adding a schedule for the year for flowerbed service since alot of people will wait til their out of control after after service. This can affect your available time to service a property during busy times of the year. It helps us keep our flow going and locks in money for us. Just a suggestion.

 

well this is strictly for just lawn maintenance, you dont mind dog crap on ur equipment? lovely

 

if a client has pets, i add an extra 5.00 per mow. without them even knowing it. chances are that you will step in it. mower will roll over it. its a mess and stinks up the truck. 5 bucks is a bargin if you ask me..maybe i'll add 10 from now on.

 

I would drop the by before 20 under the payment section.

 

so then what should i do for the pet dropping portion of it? Any more suggestions for me? what else do i need besides this aggreement? list of services for the client to check, etc?I'm trying to figure out the steps of landscaping and what comes before and after the contract portion...?

 

You listed all of the services didn't you. I actually have only done one contract and usually just deal with proposal forms. The contract just has to be specific so there are no questions about what you are providing as a service. If you are providing fertilizer and you put it in the contract you want to put the type, number of applications and times of year for example.