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The Fox

pricing formula?
« on: January 24, 2006, 07:16:54 pm »
Hi

I was wondering if you guys use a pricing formula to price jobs up.
At the moment my pricing is a bit erratic as I try to gauge a price for the time it will take to do the job.
What I would like to use is a formula to get a more consistent price schedule. I am not asking for prices, I know what I want to earn an hour, just the best method to price a job up this is for domestics

Window with 1 opening =£?
2 openings +25%
That’s the idea I just wonder if a method like this would work 

Kevin

Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2006, 07:31:46 pm »
I've tried this many times, the problem is there are so many variations.

Not only windows, but access etc.

An easy way is to price the houses in £5.00 stages

It's then quite easy to see if its a £10.00 house or £15.00 house.

Work out which is which with your best work, and revalue your whole round based on them.

The Bear

Moderator David@stives

  • Posts: 8829
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2006, 07:37:39 pm »
I normally say a price which is subject to an increase after i have done the first clean if i dont think i have priced correctly .

It always works for me.

My first thought is how much can i get out of this job.

I dont have a formula ,I just have a feel for it after 8 years in the job.

I dont think i have 1 underpriced job on my rounds anymore.
The initial price is usually not important because once you have got them you can always put them up.

Sorry i cant be of more help

Dave

Simon Carter

  • Posts: 148
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2006, 07:40:16 pm »
I have a price chart that I have designed. Number of windows equals the price. Although I now use a water fed pole, I still equate a window as something I can do without either walking about too much if on the ground, or one that I could do off a ladder without moving the ladder. If I'm looking at a large bay window into the same room & if I would have to position the ladder four times, that's four windows. It's not an exact science, but it helps achieve some degree of consistency. How much you decide to charge per windows is your call depending on the degree of competition in the area, what you expect to earn etc.
Onwards and Upwards...

billozz

  • Posts: 526
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2006, 07:59:41 pm »
its very simple really.
what we do is we tell the customer that we will give them the price when we have finished....and we base our price on the time it takes to clean. we explain that we can not give an accurate price until we have cleaned the house as all houses are different...also if it is a first clean and they havent been done for a while we explain tht the price we charge for the first clean will drop somewhat on the second clean.
some customers give us a bit of a look but in the end they can see that its logical...after all we want to go back and clean them again ...this is our living...so we are not gointg to rip them off.
we have never...i repeat never had anybody say no i dont want you to price like that
regards
bill
there are more windows than window cleaners so lets help each other

jeff evans

Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2006, 08:13:58 pm »
i ask for whatever i think i can reasonably get,
the key to it is to have a price rise EVERY year
dont let this slide,after all if your not happy with
the price your working for you just dont go back.

REMEMBER YOUR THE BOSS ;)

jeff

steve k

Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2006, 08:54:06 pm »
Billozz,
You have effectively given them licence to watch and time you. ???
the only problem with that is if you do the job in 15 minutes and charge...say £10...will the customer not be inclined to say:
"hang on...it only took you 15 minutes..."

If I quote £10, I only start when the quote is accepted. The customer is then away making themselves busy about their business.
If it takes 15 minutes and the customer did question the time...I would say:
"you are paying for the end product...clean windows, I`m paying for the tools to do it that quick and that good." ;D

billozz

  • Posts: 526
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2006, 09:01:16 pm »
jeff,
i dont mind if they time me ...i charge them for the time it takesand no more....this means that all our customers pay the same rate whether they live in flat or a twenty bedroom house. if they question the rate per hour we explain thhat we have insurance equipment and sick pay to allow for....to be honest most of them just toddle off and make a cup of tea and dont bother to time us....but if they do we dont mind.....i think we should be happy to charge a fair rate for what we do, its a dangerous job and very hard work and we should not be afraid to charge accordingly
regards
Bill
there are more windows than window cleaners so lets help each other

jeff evans

Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2006, 09:49:25 pm »
HI BILLOZZ.
THINK YOU GOT THE WRONG MAN THERE
I THINK THAT WAS FOR STEVE .K.

CHEERS JEFF.

billozz

  • Posts: 526
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2006, 10:04:24 pm »
sorry jeff,
havent learnt to read yet...lol
there are more windows than window cleaners so lets help each other

Lee.

  • Posts: 232
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2006, 10:38:49 am »
an experienced w.c. once told me to price every window the same price e.g. £1 but add 50% of each windows price e.g. 50p  for every time you go up the ladder then round it up. (bear in mind that some windows require that you go up the ladder more than once.)

Thats how I do it and it seems to work for me, but hey Im a complicated person. ;)

steve k

Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2006, 11:01:34 am »
that sounds like £1 for all downstairs windows and £2 per ladder pich for upstairs windows...about £12-15 for non bay windowed semi...GOOD PRICING.

MUST GO UP TO NEARER £15-£20 IF THERE ARE BAY WINDOWS TOP AND BOTTOM...EVEN BETTER ;D ;D

Wish I could get that here... ;)

Ian_Giles

  • Posts: 2993
Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2006, 11:28:34 am »
Break the windows down into a single standard unit.

A standard casement window has 3 panes of glass.

It has the narrow opening light at the top, usually a larger opening pane on the one side, and the fixed pane underneath the narrow pane.

The average time taken for such a window is 90 seconds

Charge whatever you see fit for a standard unit.

On georgian windows, if you are working trad, your standard sized unit, with 12/15 panes is going to take you 3 times as long to clean.

Personally I always allowed 6 georgian panes to equal one standard window.

Mostly the 6 georgian panes fit into the size of a single opening casement.

It also makes it easier to count up the windows.

On upstairs work, every move of the ladder must count as at least one window.

If, for arguments sake you decide to charge £1.00 per ground floor window, for a first floor window you should charge £1.25, 2nd floor, £1.75, 3rd floor £2.50...and so on.

Charge for leaded much as you would charge for georgian.

Have a minimum charge too!!

My own is £8.00...though I do 2 accounts, front only, 3 windows per account, ground, 1st and 2nd floor. and I only charge them a fiver each.
As they are next door to each other, the pair of them take not much more than 5 minutes.
So I guess you minimum can vary now and then!

But as a general rule, have a minimum charge. You will get people ask you for a price, you can at least say it won't be less than £££
Also of course you get to know your estates and the kind of houses they have on them, so you can at least give a ball park price when asked in the street or on the phone. Adjusting it accordingly when you actually get there.

But to recap, sort out what you think is a standard size window and have a price for that unit. Then break down the windows as you count them up.

15 windows? If you are going to charge 75p per window then its straight forward to simply multiply up, then either round it up or down to keep it to nice round figures.

Ian
Ian. ISM CLEANING SERVICES

The Fox

Re: pricing formula?
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2006, 02:55:53 pm »
Thanks for the information. I am starting to get an idea how I will price in the future. I just want to keep it as simple as i can but fair for the customer.
I am still trying to work out the best way to price bay windows and French windows but with the information you have provided I will get their.

THANKS