price for this job

[josharb87]

But doobin, John’s costs don’t change because he only needs a hedge cutter, he can’t say to the bank “sorry I didn’t make this months payments but I only needed a hedge cutter this month so priced for just paying off the hedge cutter”

That might not sound fair to the little customers, but they do have a choice-accept or not. Likewise should he then up his prices for the next “big” customer to cover the loss on the little customer’s “fair rate”? That wouldn’t be fair either! 

 

retiered climber makes good points too, both of them do.

 

I guess the only way for the OP to gauge wether it was a good price or not is to take his target day rate, divide by 8 then X4 (I rarely priced for 3hours, half days or full days, traveling, tipping etc takes time, early finishes are normally well needed bonuses or time for another wee job) 

 

sometimes on the shitty jobs you wish you’d priced more, but when you realize you’ve made your targets, you can’t really complain

 

that hedge doesn’t look too hard or taxing really, I’d have priced 2 men, 1/2 a day, 1 tip fee  

[doobin]

55 minutes ago, josharb87 said:

But doobin, John’s costs don’t change because he only needs a hedge cutter, he can’t say to the bank “sorry I didn’t make this months payments but I only needed a hedge cutter this month so priced for just paying off the hedge cutter”

That might not sound fair to the little customers, but they do have a choice-accept or not. Likewise should he then up his prices for the next “big” customer to cover the loss on the little customer’s “fair rate”? That wouldn’t be fair either! 

 

retiered climber makes good points too, both of them do.

 

I guess the only way for the OP to gauge wether it was a good price or not is to take his target day rate, divide by 8 then X4 (I rarely priced for 3hours, half days or full days, traveling, tipping etc takes time, early finishes are normally well needed bonuses or time for another wee job) 

 

sometimes on the shitty jobs you wish you’d priced more, but when you realize you’ve made your targets, you can’t really complain

 

that hedge doesn’t look too hard or taxing really, I’d have priced 2 men, 1/2 a day, 1 tip fee  

Of course the costs change. All that is required is two men and a ladder. 
 

So he either sends two men and sends the machines on another job, or he says ‘I’m sorry, the job is too small for me’ Or he prices stupid, hopes he gets it and doesn’t care if he doesn’t. 

 

What he shouldn’t do is come on here, acting the big ‘I am’ and slating a firm with just a hedgecutter for doing a decent job at a fair (and profitable for them) price. 

[Ian C]

4 hours ago, doobin said:

Of course the costs change. All that is required is two men and a ladder. 
 

So he either sends two men and sends the machines on another job, or he says ‘I’m sorry, the job is too small for me’ Or he prices stupid, hopes he gets it and doesn’t care if he doesn’t. 

 

What he shouldn’t do is come on here, acting the big ‘I am’ and slating a firm with just a hedgecutter for doing a decent job at a fair (and profitable for them) price. 

I don’t think John is being the “big I am” or slagging  another firm off, he was making an honest statement in that it doesn’t look too professional with limited Ppe and I’m with him on that, yes it’s hot but whilst working if I saw my guys up there like that I would be telling them as well. Ftr I would be around the 450 mark to trim that but it also depends on area.

[doobin]

10 minutes ago, Ian C said:

I don’t think John is being the “big I am” or slagging  another firm off, he was making an honest statement in that it doesn’t look too professional with limited Ppe and I’m with him on that, yes it’s hot but whilst working if I saw my guys up there like that I would be telling them as well. Ftr I would be around the 450 mark to trim that but it also depends on area.

Maybe I read it wrong. Either way the price is right for the job in my book. 

[John Shutler]

9 hours ago, doobin said:

What bit of it don't you get? Your hourly rate is justified for what you do best- big takedowns that would take hundreds of man hours without machinery. If you can convince someone to pay you that for a poxy conifer hedge, then more power to you (and you'll probably make more from sales than being on the ground!)

 

If I have a customer that requires a hedge cut, I don't charge two lads out at what it costs to send a digger and a Heziohack. I charge them a fair rate (one could say the going rate?) that covers my costs and allows profit relative to that job. Meanwhile the diggers are out paying their way at a suitable rate for them. In business, this is called duplication. It's not selling yourself short to charge less for two men than you do for two mean and £150k worth of kit.

 

Your snide dig at a bloke not wearing a helmet in a conifer hedge that you could pretty much walk along, on the hottest day of the year just makes you look butthurt.

it’s ok, you don’t get it, that’s fine. I have a set rate and people pay it or they don’t, i don’t care either way wether we get the work or not. 

 

Your but hurt comment is hilarious though, i’m far from that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to display a bit of professionalism in an industry that is often undersold, maybe that’s why i can charge what I do?

 

Further to that making sure someone wears a helmet wether they are 6 inches or 60ft of the ground is no more about ensuring the safety of your staff as it is about making sure that the buisness isn’t liable. i certainly dont want to loose my home because i didn’t ensure that people weren’t using suitable PPE when carrying out work under my direction.

 

i’m sure if someone falls off your homemade platform on your mini loader then decides to sue you you’ll wish that maybe you had done things differently? who knows 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

On 13/07/2022 at 13:35, Mick Dempsey said:

Love the script in that movie.

1: alright mate?

2: yeah, you?

1: yeah, you?  
 

It’s Pinteresque.

It's a lot like Cornish fore play...

 

 

 

 

 

Awake are 'e?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

On 13/07/2022 at 18:32, John Shutler said:

That may well be the case, however, if it was a couple of my blokes a ladder and a hedge cutter there would still potentially be two valtras, a Unimog, two diggers, a heizohack, big diesel stump grinder and Merlo roto with grapple saw plus numerous other pieces of kit sat in the yard that need paying for so my rate would still be £150-£165 an hour 🙄

The last conifer hedge we "trimmed" I took away 90 cube of woodchip

You have a Merlo rotator with grapple?

 

You like it?

 

Any massive + or - points?  Apart from initial outlay??

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

On 13/07/2022 at 18:58, John Shutler said:

I don't take umbridge to the suggestion that a garden conifer hedge trim isn't an ideal fit for my buisness, we still do the odd one here and there but I charge my usual hourly rate for the work. Why would I sell myself short??

 

Or Maybe the sort of people that I am working for that are happy to pay a decent hourly rate are the ones that are pleased to see climbers wearing helmets when carrying out aerial works? I would go so far as to say  using PPE in general but I can't see if he's wearing a harness, ear protection, eye protection etc

 

or maybe the guys only charging £300 to trim that hedge can't afford helmets? who knows?

You can't argue with that....  Pay peanuts an all that...

[Mick Dempsey]

There’s points on both sides. 
 

If a super well equipped pro firm quotes £450 and a couple of youngsters who know what they’re doing (as these seem to) come in at £300 for a simple bit of hedge cutting like that I’d go with the cheaper quote every time.

Especially as you have to pay that every year.

As time goes by your work changes and you have to say goodbye to some clients and let the new generation get their foot on the ladder.

 

[John Shutler]

15 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

You have a Merlo rotator with grapple?

 

You like it?

 

Any massive + or - points?  Apart from initial outlay??

yeah it’s great on the right job, or just drop the grapple saw off and you have your own crane.

massive learning curve but 100% worth it