Pricing thread

[Mark Bolam]

Day rate is for losers.

Honestly, you've got to figure it out for yourself.

 

 

Word.

We do it for select customers, who are fully aware we'll mince off at 3ish or tough it out till 6 as the day demands.

Nothing worse than mincing around with the blower and coiling ropes till about 5 while the customer looks at his Breitling.

[carlos]

i guess a day rate could be better than massively under pricing a job if your unsure as to how to quote it.

[Thesnarlingbadger]

Price everything individually as you would normally. Add up the quote and round up/down depending on the customer, if he is a nice chap you wouldn't expect any grief from round down, if he could be a pain in the backside then round up to cover the messing around.

Try and look at big jobs as loads of little ones, might find it easier that way.

[aspenarb]

Thanks for the info guys, yes there are many variables to consider when pricing, It would be handy to have some sort of reference thread where people can post their jobs, what they charged, and what they overlooked etc. But then that would make it too easy I suppose. Anyway this is the job in question.

 

 

 

Five roadside ash the customer wants reduced but he's not sure by how much, biggest one nearest the drive has an LV running next to it, there is a footpath between the trees and the road, but it is a fairly busy road. He also want the conifer removed and a 17ft holly just out of shot reduced by half.

 

Two of these leaning ash need taken out but can't just be felled as he doesn't want them damaging the smaller trees they overhang. Also there is no access round the back so everything the customer doesn't want will need to be dragged up the side of the house and round the front.

 

 

Then two of these trees need removed, they are the ones to the right and left in the second picture.

 

 

 

Might not need a full road closure but have spoken to an experienced climber who says two climbers and a groundsy will have the Ash trees sorted in a day, will need a hand with the leaning ash in the back so that's another days wage plus my overheads which on this job wouldn't be much as no fancy equipment needs hired. I'm thinking about £1200, but then I fall into the usual trap of thinking what a big firm would charge, maybe as much as £3,000 so then I start thinking greedy and wondering if I should up the quote.

 

You need to price it as you see fit and hope for the best, There are teams on here that would smash that out and be playing pocket billiards by two in the afternoon.

 

Bob

[Mesterh]

Word.

We do it for select customers, who are fully aware we'll mince off at 3ish or tough it out till 6 as the day demands.

Nothing worse than mincing around with the blower and coiling ropes till about 5 while the customer looks at his Breitling.

 

Totally agree although I would never mince, I prefer to saunter and have been know to prance but not mince.

[oldwoodcutter]

Steer clear of pricing anything up 'dayrate' because after mid afternoon the customer will be watching you like a hawk, and if you go much afore 5 he will be knocking your day rate down, 'as you didn't work all day'.

[felixthelogchopper]

Word.

We do it for select customers, who are fully aware we'll mince off at 3ish or tough it out till 6 as the day demands.

Nothing worse than mincing around with the blower and coiling ropes till about 5 while the customer looks at his Breitling.

 

Would you charge extra for skipping?

[John Shutler]

Steer clear of pricing anything up 'dayrate' because after mid afternoon the customer will be watching you like a hawk, and if you go much afore 5 he will be knocking your day rate down, 'as you didn't work all day'.

 

the point at which people fall down is they dont specify the working hours

if we are on a day rate we are onsite 8-4. we have upto half an hour at 10 and half an hour at 1

People cant argue youve left early if you establish these things before you start

It also gives you scope to stop less and leave early if you want to crack on with it

[Marc Lewis]

Ask the fella whats he's willing to pay..

Might turn out he's a decent type and actually offer you more than you thought to ask..

 

Try not to break out in a huge smile when its twice as much as u thought

[aspenarb]

Caravan Utilising Nomadic Tree Surgeons can always undercut prices because they have their own green waste stations dotted about.

 

Bob