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The underpricing thread.


Mark Bolam
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A large beech limb snapped out and skimmed my car by inches, blocking a road. I offerd to go get my kit (5mins away) after Id stopped shaking . On my return police were there, and after a while they let me clear it up (30mins). I took 100 of the wifey,cool. Then got asked to price the canopy removal as it was due for removal (council advice). £1500, 1 heavy day 4 blokes. Turnss out the other quotes were 2500&3000. Both 3days!!!!

 

Still made a grand in a day plus timber plus extra work. However Id never charge that again for the same job lol. Was very lucky it was 10mins from my yard

 

They guy even said 'you can have the stem for free if you like'. No mate your ok...it's still up

Edited by Dr.Green
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got asked to price the canopy removal as it was due for removal (council advice). £1500, 1 heavy day 4 blokes. Turnss out the other quotes were 2500&3000. Both 3days!!!!

 

Still made a grand in a day plus timber plus extra work.

 

IT doesn't sound like you underpriced it. £1500 for 4 men is a good rate round here. What the others priced is irrelevant..

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IT doesn't sound like you underpriced it. £1500 for 4 men is a good rate round here. What the others priced is irrelevant..

 

 

W other prices are very relevant, I'd rather win it for £2400 than £1500. But hats still a good rate for a day.

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Not really, its often the difference between winning the job and not

 

True, but if I always try to give good value and if I have got my pricing right I don't want to be any cheaper, so anyone who wins the work can have it.

 

If I do a job in less time then I thought, then I have over-priced it which is also a mistake and could be just as costly as I am more likely not to have won the work..

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hire a man and saw here it's £15.00 an hour in my eyes that's about righ any less and your not making anything. Usually farm trees involve big saws that drink fuel

 

these prices still seem too cheap to me, i charge £20 an hour for the majority of jobs and if i need to use bigger stuff like the 076 or 25 inch 461 or the land rovers winch or a quad bike etc it will be nearer to £30. the hourly rate is offered and the customer can take it or leave it, they usually take it and say things like what a nice job or you have done so much in just a couple of hours.:thumbup1:

 

altough this is for land owners, not farmers, so they have a slightly different attitude to money, but my costs are the same regardless of the customer.

 

going back to underpricing, grubbing out domestic hedges seems to be my looser, they seem to quadruple in size, meaning which ever trailer i have isnt anywhere near big enough. i dont like to think about all the return trips for yet another load i have done after every one else has been at home for an hour:lol:

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  • 6 years later...

Just came across this thread and really feeling it right now. 
On a job atm, 4 large dismantles, a smaller one and some other bits. Chip and wood staying on site, figured 5 days with three guys. It’ll be easy… 🤦🏻
One of the lads had to go off on semi-long term sick leave. Managed to cover some of the days then the other guy got covid. Spoke to client and stupidly decided to soldier on and just get it done. Now going into day 7 AND on day one I realised I’d gone over the vat threshold the month before so will have to pay that out of the budget. Might rebrand as a charity. 

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