help pricing a job please

[flatyre]

Hey folks a construction firm has asked me to put in a quote for a job. Basically the area in pink is to be levelled, membrane, and ornate gravel, with low maintenance shrubs, its about one hundred yards long, mostly about five feet wide, opening up to a triangle thirty feet long by fifteen feet wide at the entrance. Eighteen ash whips planted between A and B. From B to D is to be planted with 3 to 3.5m Malus Profusion and 2.5 to 3m Cherry Prunus Spire. All gardens are to be turfed, however the ground has been brought up to the level of the kerbs, unfortunately it is pure glar which will need a few inches removed and topsoil brought in to give a workable surface to lay the turf on. I have done this type of work before separately and only as an employee, so basically I haven't got a clue how to price it. I know its a big ask from a poor drawing but even a ball park figure would get me started.

 

[Richard 1234]

No idea really from picture.

But break it all down into separate pieces. Work out time, equipment, materials, plants etc for each area add a contingency for when something goes wrong!! And the important bit the profit!!

I do a fair amount of commercial grass cutting in villages and pricing them is a pain but i find if I break it down into different areas I can work out how long each bit takes. Then I just add up and add an hour or more for loading/unloading and travel.

[Ian88]

Good luck with that! Take 2/3rd of a day getting costs and number crunching, I would start with along the lines of . . .

 

Material costs, make a list of very thing you need and work from there. This shouldn't change to much and once worked out give you a point to go from. Ring round a few local places and ask for delivery prices to go with it, add this into it all as well or a bit less if you plan on picking it up your self. Make sure you have enough money in the bank to cover this as you may be waiting a bit for payment. Material, hire, plants, consumable ect

 

Waste disposal, if you cant move it your self or have a use for it then speak to skip companies, maybe grab lorries if there is a fair bit . . . Its a massive time saver and a weight of your mind, no pun intended.

 

 

Your time it will take to complete the job x your day/ hour rate.

Add 20-30% on to make you justify that day you have had behind the desk, contingency and if you get it right will be your profit . . . This kind of thing deserves more of a reward than your bread n butter so ask for it . .

 

Try and work some money in the for some new gear to make it faster.

 

Think through every process on the job and make sure you haven't missed some thing, you may end up doing this a few times before you click send. I take ages looking over big quotes.

 

If its to much for your then try not to loose the work, if you get on well if some you have worked for in the past then ask them for help?

[woodplans]

First thing is to contact them and tell them you cannot source Ash trees!!

 

No nursery is allowed to sell or move at the moment.

 

As mentioned above, break it down into materials needed.

 

These are fixed costs and have no wiggle room so be sure to take off dimensions etc correctly.

 

Now work out man hours/days required

 

What equipment will be required and for how long. Do you rent this or own it? either way it needs billing for.

 

Then you need to account for overheads , these are also fixed costs so no wiggle room. They include all costs to run your business for a year, insurance , accounts, phone, small tools, training , vehicle, etc etc. Divide this up by the expected days you will work. And you have a daily cost of doing business.

 

Add them all up and you have the true cost of completing the job.

 

This is all a fixed cost and should not be tampered with!

 

 

Now you can add on your desired profit margin.

 

This should vary on the following factors:

 

how much you want the job?

 

How busy are you?

 

How well does it suit your business, i.e. do you have the tools and manpower etc to perform this kind of work. Is it far to travel.

 

How many risks are involved.

 

All the above should influence how much margin is added.

 

Hope this helps.

 

You could get unit prices from others but they will have no true correlation between how your business can undertake the work.

 

P.m me if you want more info.

[5 shires]

Between £3k & £3.5....that's a price for the whole job no matter how long it takes not hourly rate.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Some very good tips above.

 

Don't forget to check if it's CIS and also confirm invoice to payment terms too - will save hassle/distress/disappointment after the event.

[Richard 1234]

Some very good tips above.

 

Don't forget to check if it's CIS and also confirm invoice to payment terms too - will save hassle/distress/disappointment after the event.

 

 

I've never worked anything on CIS I presume you can reclaim/account got in some way the tax outgoing so you don't end up paying too much tax?

Interested to find out as there will be quite s bit to tender for this coming year nearby as there is loads of building going on!!

[arbormonkey]

When working for building company's they are on a different tax scheme so all tax is taken off they ask for your utr num an you get coupons to use on your tax return because you have already paid the tax hope the hellps

[Richard 1234]

When working for building company's they are on a different tax scheme so all tax is taken off they ask for your utr num an you get coupons to use on your tax return because you have already paid the tax hope the hellps

 

 

Thanks do you get these coupons from the builder or from hmrc?

[Billy]

The accounts department of the building co tractor will email you the tax coupons when you are paid.