Article research - How much do you charge for a days work?

[Dean Lofthouse]

I dont make a set profit and the same as you, I try and guess what the competition may have priced.

 

But I really don't want to know.

 

A: If they are well cheap it could knock your pricing confidence

B: If they are well dear it could make you think you are too cheap

 

Friday I did £350

Monday I did £1000

 

Both days I was using the mewp and exactly the same equipment.

 

Every job is different and the circumstances are different

[Big 'Ammer]

Here here..

 

I'm not interested in what other people charge, they may have different kit and overheads to me. I have spent a long time working out costings for my particular setup.

 

For me to have and maintain fairly new kit I have to charge minimum £60 per hour for me and one groundy and thats just hedge reduction work, bring in rigging down equipment the price goes up, bring in the mewp, the price goes way up

 

Don't be doing a full weeks work at £60 / hour then Dean, just stay a part- timer or you'll have to start putting the vat on.......

 

Sorry wrong thread!!! :001_tongue:

[Rob D]

I know it depends a lot on what gear you have, who works for you, how fast you work etc. etc. but in the past I've found myself working 12 hour days 6 and a half days a week not including the paperwork side - it seemed like I had to to get on and earn the money for new gear. These days when someone takes a step backwards and struggles for breath after I give a quote I just say 'that is what the job is worth to me' and walk away. Some of these still come back to go ahead with the work.

 

I like to know roundabouts what the competition is charging purely out of curiosity/interest - it doesn't affect my pricing.

 

IMO we should get paid a lot more than we do - if you think about it if you looked at £60 to £70 per hour for 2 trained blokes, a truck, chipper, insurance (taking a rough/general rule of thumb from previous posts just to try and put a price on it!) then compare that to other skilled trades such as plumber, electrician, brickie, carpenter etc who e.g charging say £40 to £50 an hour for just 1 person working out of a small van (again just as a rule of thumb!)....

 

.... it just seems that our trade seems to be selling itself short (again IMO as there are obviously people out there quite happy with what they earn).

[Olly C]

I'm quoting cheap at the mo. just to make sure the work keeps rolling in. between 220 and 600 a day depending on kit, labour, loads to remove from site etc. however last week took down 2 large Leyland Cypress. only afterwards discovered we undercut the next best quote by 2100. GUTTED.

[Treewarrior]

It's just not British to discuss your earnings on a public forum!

Hear, hear!

[Mesterh]

Would never charge by time, only by results; but for a daily target:

£800 + vat 3-man team

£950 + vat 4-man team

 

JESUS! Top man for getting those prices

 

3 man team standard truck with chipper £400-450 a day domestic 30% more on commercial.

 

That is a ball park rate goes up if its a ball ache job and down if its a nice easy straight forward one with no messing about.

 

 

Well that were the prices they have came down alot atm

[Dean Lofthouse]

Don't be doing a full weeks work at £60 / hour then Dean' date=' just stay a part- timer or you'll have to start putting the vat on.......

 

Sorry wrong thread!!! [/quote']

 

I wish all the work I did was paid

 

Servicing the chipper

Quoting

Invoicing

Landrover repairs

Chainsaw sharpening repairs

 

 

I bet out of a 10 hour day I get paid for 7 of them and then out of the 7 day week I get paid for 4.

 

This sat/sun was quoting, invoicing, getting mewp out to check and take to site for monday, then get everything ready for monday morning and seeing neighbours to warn them of the works

 

So worked a full weekend for nowt.

 

I'd be a millionaire if I got paid for everything

[Mark Bolam]

I think everyone in our industry should earn about double what they do now, from groundies right up to really efficient contract climbers.

 

BUT we won't because some (defo not all) of the work is simply too enjoyable.

 

You know that feeling you get when you've just knocked a big top out and it's landed perfectly? How much is that worth?

 

As an old foreman used to say to us youngsters - 'the crack is worth ten grand a year!'

 

And that was in '93!

 

I say that to my lads now!

[Big 'Ammer]

 

 

I bet out of a 10 hour day I get paid for 7 of them and then out of the 7 day week I get paid for 4.

 

 

So 7 hrs at £60 = £420

 

£420 x 4 days a week = £1,680

 

£1,680 x 40 weeks work a year = £67,200

 

Just under the £68 K vat threshold!

 

So it can be done!!!

 

But then, 4 days a week for three quarters of the year sounds a bit 'part - time' to me.....

 

Only kidding mate! They are your numbers, though.

[Johny Walker]

So 7 hrs at £60 = £420

 

£420 x 4 days a week = £1' date='680

 

£1,680 x 40 weeks work a year = £67,200

 

Just under the £68 K vat threshold!

 

So it can be done!!!

 

But then, 4 days a week for three quarters of the year sounds a bit 'part - time' to me.....

 

Only kidding mate! They are your numbers, though. [/quote']

 

your right there big fella you dont need to be in the vat to earn a descent wage its all down to over head keep them down & your fine