Do you charge more for commercial work

[benedmonds]

Apparently £4500 for 3 men 5 days site clearance, everything chipped up some climbing as trees are in bt lines, all timber off site and drove a 12 mile 1 way trip. Around 9 trips at best & haulage for our little tractor is also too much! another firm quoted half that they recon! being told i need to evaluate my costings!

Are we really pricing above everyone else?

 

Maybe they think they could do it in three days. Maybe they have a mog with crane fed grab and will do it in 2. Site clearance using a little 6 inch chipper and 3.5 ton trucks can't compete with bigger kit. That's why folk buy bigger kit..

[hamdogg]

I've recently priced a commercial job take down 1 ash - climbing and rigging 2 men a day! Then second day reducing back a couple of sycamores lifting 1 and supply and plant a 12cm girth lime! What ballpark would people be in for that! Think I may have overpriced!

[Ian Flatters]

I am all for best value, but that isn't always the cheapest and definitely NOT the average.....

 

If I can do a job cheaper because I have better kit am more skilled etc why should the council be wasting money on someone not as efficient.. We recently felled 13 big poplars for a council, we had a digger, tractors and trailers and did the job in about 5 days, did it safely and efficiently. Another contractor couldn't believe we managed it such a time and would therefore quoted loads more.

 

At the other times we've not won works as we were more expensive and the contractors doing them did them to a a low standard. In this instance the best value for the council would have been to spend more.

 

Unfortunately there is no easy solution..

 

Well said totally agree we came in at half the price of another company on some highways stuff. Then again i got told today for some light pruning work i was the most expensive.

 

I think its how your company is setup. 2 men and a chipper around my way are cheaper than my 2 man team with a larger chipper. Scales of overheads i guess.

[Gray git]

I've recently priced a commercial job take down 1 ash - climbing and rigging 2 men a day! Then second day reducing back a couple of sycamores lifting 1 and supply and plant a 12cm girth lime! What ballpark would people be in for that! Think I may have overpriced!

 

As long as id get to keep the logs I'd say that'd do.

 

No sorry around 700-800 + cost of tree but very rarely do a dismantle involving rigging with only 2. Job like that I'd rather put 4 on and be done in a day so less travelled time and bods to shift and chip as a big team.

[Dr.Green]

I just landed a windfarm job in Scotland. I was told I was a little under. They added 15% onto my quote. Cheers

[Dean Lofthouse]

I just landed a windfarm job in Scotland. I was told I was a little under. They added 15% onto my quote. Cheers

 

That probably means you were half of what everyone else quoted .

[Gary Prentice]

Apparently £4500 for 3 men 5 days site clearance, everything chipped up some climbing as trees are in bt lines, all timber off site and drove a 12 mile 1 way trip. Around 9 trips at best & haulage for our little tractor is also too much! another firm quoted half that they recon! being told i need to evaluate my costings!

Are we really pricing above everyone else?

 

In a word. No!

[benedmonds]

Apparently £4500 for 3 men 5 days site clearance! being told i need to evaluate my costings!

Are we really pricing above everyone else?

 

In a word. No!

 

I disagree..

 

A three man team with truck and chipper at £900 a day would be good going. I'd send 5 guys (or even 6) including 2 climbers, 2 tipper trucks, a 3.5 ton tipper trailer and a 10 inch chipper for £900 a day. All things being equal and assuming you have a 6 inch of 7 inch chipper, we would probably get the job done in 2 days therefore would have quoted £1800 + VAT so yes you are way out...

Edited February 14, 2015 by benedmonds

[Paul Jenks]

Pricing is always a contentious issue. Especially on here. Your costs are your costs. Most of us know roughly how long something will take to do, with the odd mistake, one way or another.

There are a lot of variables, not just in our(collective) costs.

Without actually seeing the site it's difficult to judge. Some jobs are better suited to small crews, some to bigger ones. If you only have a small crew, that's how you price. It's not right or wrong, just different.

If one person feels it's going to take 5 days for his crew and equipment and his costs are £300/day/man that's what he'll charge.

It's not all about profit either. Wage costs between companies varies and also the amount of training and staff progression and kit replacement.

If he didn't get the job, fantastic. He'll have learnt something or been gifted not working for a company that may not rate what our industry provides.

 

Can't win them all, (and don't want to).

[Gary Prentice]

I disagree..

 

A three man team with truck and chipper at £900 a day would be good going. I'd send 5 guys (or even 6) including 2 climbers, 2 tipper trucks, a 3.5 ton tipper trailer and a 10 inch chipper for £900 a day. All things being equal and assuming you have a 6 inch of 7 inch chipper, we would probably get the job done in 2 days therefore would have quoted £1800 + VAT so yes you are way out...

 

Having spent over four hours in an induction recently, not earning a penny for myself or the three staff members present, I tend to stop thinking that's a day or two days. I'd hate to be paying for six of us.

 

Unless I've already got a good relationship with the main contractor I now factor in the induction as half a day. What with that and the other usual delays and changes that have occurred between the initial site visit and commencement, little often gets better and is normally worse.

 

If you can afford to charge guys out at £150.00 a day and wait three months for payment, you've far better control of your overheads and cashflow than I.