Dismayed by lowballing/undercutting

[chuck norris]

5 hours ago, slasherscot said:

it swings both ways.....seen plenty of jobs overpriced........£450 to do 20ft maple that took 2hrs to fell chip and sweep up etc...just worry about the ones you do win. Everyone can misprice jobs

 

everything is willing what people are willing to pay, if someone is happy paying £450 for 2 hours work let them

[Stephen Blair]

The title is all very dramatic, you never got the job. Move on. If you are going to be sensitive best you take your regular pay check it's much easier than running your own company.

[dan494]

Do enough quotes and you'll be the one who puts a stupid low price on a job, get it, regret it, and called too cheap by whoever else quoted. Swings and roundabouts

[Mark Bolam]

it swings both ways.....seen plenty of jobs overpriced........£450 to do 20ft maple that took 2hrs to fell chip and sweep up etc...just worry about the ones you do win. Everyone can misprice jobs[emoji33]
 

More jobs like this please!

[Mark J]

I have an hourly rate, it takes into consideration fuel, replacement kit, insurance etc.  I then double it.  I win enough work to keep me busy.

[Khriss]

Astonishing pricing K

[Joe Newton]

it swings both ways.....seen plenty of jobs overpriced........£450 to do 20ft maple that took 2hrs to fell chip and sweep up etc...just worry about the ones you do win. Everyone can misprice jobs[emoji33]
 

I'm a freelance climber and looking to get more of my own work.  I am asking myself if its really worth the hassle though?  I earn a decent rate and have absolutely no stress but i appreciate its not really sustainable long term.
 
Heres an example of what I am up against.  Last week I went to price a tree for a customer.  A Sycamore approximately 2ft diameter and 60ft high.  Just about every shrub known to man planted below leaving quite a small drop one, ideally everything needs rigging.  All timber to be logged on site but stacked around the other side of the house which is a good distance away, lots of wheel barrowing.  Chips to leave site.
 
I quoted £400 for 2 men for a day which I think is a more than reasonable price, allowing us to take our time and not damage anything.
 
2 hours of my time it took, plus 2 minutes back in the office writing out the quote, checking for conservation areas etc.

Today she calls and tells me she liked me and my quote but has just been quoted £200 by another company she assures me are a professional outfit.
 
I asked for the company name out of curiosity and sure enough they are a well established company in my area and from what I see generally work to a pretty high standard.
So how and why would an established company work for nothing, I don't see the reasoning.  Even if work is slow, they are surely working at a loss on those rates!
 
How common do you guys find situations like this, and is it really worth it?  
 
 

and there's probably someone out there crying about being undercut by you for that job!

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, Joe Newton said:

 

 

 

 

and there's probably someone out there crying about being undercut by you for that job!

There is someone making washers with a press tool . Blanking them out of sheet steel with a hole diameter of 12.7mm ( 1/2 inch ) and an Od  of 22mm . Some where in the country is a bloke with a press tool blanking out 1/2 diameter steel disks for a job  and binning the 22.0 dia disk  with the hole in it ...........Moooooove on !

Edited October 17, 2017 by Stubby

[Jimbo 76]

6 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

The title is all very dramatic, you never got the job. Move on. If you are going to be sensitive best you take your regular pay check it's much easier than running your own company.

Must have been that sun yesterday.......Totally agree with Stephen....

[nailer]

worrying about someone being cheaper than you is the least of it. over time, it's more than likely you'll be losing work to a firm a lot dearer than you, regularly. that's what you need to be thinking about.. why it happened and what to do about it.