Hi, my name is Chris and I'm new to the industry. I've just completed an interview with a prospective client and now they want a contract proposal. The turf area is 318x 683. there are approx 10 trees that need new muclh. There is about 20 ft. of hedges at three feet high, and there is also edging and blowing to be done. Any help with making a decent bid wil be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Chris M.
How do i determine what to charge??
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Yes their is an echo in here :laugh:
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Maybe they're bidding against each other 
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I don't know about your market , but here in West Tennessee that would probably be done for $45.00 per visit including mulch and srub work.
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Do yourself a favor and startout with small to medium residentials....don't get in over your head your first year in the game....also you're just starting out, do you have the proper equipment to service 5 acres on a regular basis??....remember you're about to sign a contract for this service....the customer doesn't want to hear sh!t about your craftsmen mower being in the shop....they want it done according to the contract.
Hi fellas, yes that was me also posting on the other forum. Did'nt know if all forums were connected. Sorry. Still, I asked for help in pricing because it's my first one and I don't wanna go too low or too high. It's a storage facility (two actually, but pricing seperately and collectively), with several turf areas (approx 325x680) to mow,edge, and blow weekly. There are approx 10-15 trees that need new mulch. The existing mulch is about an inch in depth with a two ft. diameter. There are also approx. 20-30ft. of 3ft. high hedges that need trimming. Each hedge is shaped like a small mushroom (about 25-35 in all). That about sums up one property. The second is basically the same except it has a few trees that need to be flat-topped and this site does'nt require any mulch. The footage is about the same as the first one. I just wanna make a good decision and a good impression. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Chris M.
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Who was that great philanthropist??? Austin Mowers???
one MILLEY-ON Dollars....
one MILLEY-ON Dollars....
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Actually, an area that's area of roughly 4-5 acres. Some guys would mow that for $250 / time, some guys are going to charge $100 / time. Some guys even low.
Personally, without even looking at it, I would be about $225 / cut.
Personally, without even looking at it, I would be about $225 / cut.
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people on LS anymore are all newbs and they are wanting us to bid their work so they can undercut us! i say no more!!!!! revolt!!!!!!! yea!!!!!
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$4000 per week!!
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No.
What everyone needs to do, is to say they charge 2x's, or even 1.5x's what they do, so when these new guys go out to bid, either they're at our price, or higher, so the bar gets raised.
Amen to that. :usflag:
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Don't let anyone price your jobs but you. I say that with all due respect for everyone on this forum. Everyone's costs per hour are different. When we first started our lawn and landscaping business in 1979, we had the same question. We cheated our self out of many jobs and created a lot of work at no profit by letting our competitors price our jobs. We thought they must know the right answer, they have been in business. We also thought we were small we could do it cheaper. That too was incorrect. If you want to know why you charge what you charge based on your company's expenses, use-rates and overhead our information will help you. Take the guess work out of your bidding. We offer a bidding package that includes bidding, contracts, estimating and selling. Check out our website at www.profitsareus.com or better yet, call us at 800-845-0499. Being a full service lawn and landscaping company our self since 1979, we know what it takes to get it right. We have been helping contractors since 1990. I offer seminars on bidding and contracts throughout the United States and Canada and have simple, accurate and easy to use information.
NEVER UNDER-SELL YOUR SERVICE AGAIN!
* The Biggest question in mowing & landscaping is what should I charge.
This CD and manual will answer that question for you.
* Simple to use, this manual & CD explains then calculates your costs per
hour of operation for each piece of equipment on the job and then
calculates your minimum selling price.
* Take the guess work out of your Bidding process forever.
* Increase your Profits on every job
* Get back your free-time, you deserve it!
* We are Lawn Guys too - since 1979
* 800-845-0499
See us at www.profitsareus.com
NEVER UNDER-SELL YOUR SERVICE AGAIN!
* The Biggest question in mowing & landscaping is what should I charge.
This CD and manual will answer that question for you.
* Simple to use, this manual & CD explains then calculates your costs per
hour of operation for each piece of equipment on the job and then
calculates your minimum selling price.
* Take the guess work out of your Bidding process forever.
* Increase your Profits on every job
* Get back your free-time, you deserve it!
* We are Lawn Guys too - since 1979
* 800-845-0499
See us at www.profitsareus.com
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Come on guys, atleast try to be helpful
How about posting a picture from google maps or something so we can get and idea of what needs to be done.
charge enough to cover your overhead and get enough money to make a pleasing profit, this is different for everyone so you need to figure it our for yourself. Search the forums and google, there is tons of info out there, just use the search feature!
How about posting a picture from google maps or something so we can get and idea of what needs to be done.
charge enough to cover your overhead and get enough money to make a pleasing profit, this is different for everyone so you need to figure it our for yourself. Search the forums and google, there is tons of info out there, just use the search feature!
Hey fellas, I'm not trying to undercut anyone or in any way take away business from a competitor. I'm just trying to get a little help without offending anyone. I'm new to this and was seeking advice from the professionals that inhabit this forum. I'm trying to get where you're at and your opinions mean a lot to me. Once again, thanks for the help. Chris M.
I think it would be best if you went back and read up more on the subject. If you haven't been doing any research or studying for a solid year if not longer on how to run a business, how to handle paperwork, how to find your target market, how to properly bid on properties, then you're going to be riding a bumpy road with things you SHOULD have learned about before you started. Most everyone that's been in the business for awhile has had to go out and just do what they learned, not what someone told them to do. Why should any of the guys asking this same question be handed the info that took years to learn from others? I understand it's your first bid and you want to submit a price that is reasonable but if you put the bid in and made a few mistakes, well learn from them, that's what 90% of the pros did. How would you handle this if someone asked you how much they should charge to do what you described? You can't period. I ALWAYS go to the property and look it over to make sure there isn't something that can burn up time so I can give a accurate estimate/bid. Asking someone to do it on a forum isn't going to do you any good.
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no offense but you dont have the equipment to compete with bidding on those size properties. with your equipment you will have to bid much higher to make a profit than guys with larger mowers.
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