[David stewart]

Just wondering what way do you all do your pricing up of houses?
I price 75p per average window and £1 per door, I was advised to price this way by one of the guys who fitted my system into the van.
I've had a few cry offs in the last few days about they think its too expensive and they're cancelling us, just wondering what's your method of tallying up a price?
To be honest if I had to cut my pricing I'd go back to working full time employment for someone again rather than do this for buttons.

[Smudger]

I wouldn't let a few tight wads worry you into lowering prices, there are always those who will never appreciate your time and service and you could half the price and still lose them.

Customers circumstances change, ie job loss, some don't like winter cleans and some work out that you just charged £20 for a clean that takes around 20 mins they then apply (stupidly) a theory that you now earn £60 p/h x 8 hrs a day 52 weeks of the year and therefore are ripping them off.

Just continue with what you want to charge ( which is very reasonable - I'd charge more per window ). Over time you will get experience and confidence on pricing and this cones across to customers so as time goes on you seem to get less messers, you can also sniff out/sense a bad customer.

A good rule of thumb for pricing is you get 2 out of 3 quotes - if you get everything you are far to cheap,  less than 50% and you are pricing on the top end and in danger of stalling though lack of work.

Darran

[James Bulton]

The pricing of 75 p and one pound is fine if it was  Dec 2000. When fuel was 50p a liter and your weekly super market was 20 quid. I charge more like 2 quid a window and more in some cases.

[David stewart]

I wouldn't let a few tight wads worry you into lowering prices, there are always those who will never appreciate your time and service and you could half the price and still lose them.

Customers circumstances change, ie job loss, some don't like winter cleans and some work out that you just charged £20 for a clean that takes around 20 mins they then apply (stupidly) a theory that you now earn £60 p/h x 8 hrs a day 52 weeks of the year and therefore are ripping them off.

Just continue with what you want to charge ( which is very reasonable - I'd charge more per window ). Over time you will get experience and confidence on pricing and this cones across to customers so as time goes on you seem to get less messers, you can also sniff out/sense a bad customer.

A good rule of thumb for pricing is you get 2 out of 3 quotes - if you get everything you are far to cheap,  less than 50% and you are pricing on the top end and in danger of stalling though lack of work.

Darran

Cheers for the reply darran  
Yes I am going to stick with how I price. I think the main part of the problem is since I've recently started out, a good part of my customers I pick up are going to be other windys messers who have either been dropped or have dropped their windy and then decided after a time they need them done again.
It'll just take a good while longer to get to the stage where I've a round that I'm completely happy with but onwards and upwards  

[David stewart]

The pricing of 75 p and one pound is fine if it was  Dec 2000. When fuel was 50p a liter and your weekly super market was 20 quid. I charge more like 2 quid a window and more in some cases.

Where you based at mate? Think if I tried them prices in NI here I'd be in the house most days, maybe cause a good swathe of us are descended from the scots lol

[dazmond]

i dont price per window i price on how long i think the jobs going to take me to hit my hourly rate.

i get around 8 out of 10 jobs i quote for usually.

i very rarely get it wrong as i know how long most types of jobs take.

regards


dazmond

[PurefectWindowCleaning]

Yep, im with Daz.

Price how long you think the job will take.

Getting the hose to the furthest window can be a right pain in the a** sometimes due to gates, flower beds etc so you must price accordinly 

[David stewart]

Will have to look at pricing by estimating the time it should take as I gain experience, thanks for the input lads

[geoffreyspecht]

where do u live

[gary999]

£1 a window then i add 25% on at the end to cover myself

50% more on top of regular clean price for first cleans

[David stewart]

where do u live

Mid ulster area in Northern Ireland mate. I would assume pricing here is similar to northern England.

Nice wee boost to the price there Gary, how you explain that one if they ask for a break down in costs? Lol

[Simon Mess]

I am terrible at pricing jobs!. I try to price based on how long it will take me to do, but invariably underestimate. I took on a new customer about 6 months ago, a friend of my brother. It was an innocent looking bungalow with a conservatory, i told her £15, or £20 with the conservatory roof. Quickest i have managed to do it was an hour and a quarter!. Problem is the large tree's nearby.....(i should have guessed!). I have since made my excuses and stopped doing them (working on the assumption she wouldnt be too keen on paying £40-£50 )

[PoleKing]

I am terrible at pricing jobs!. I try to price based on how long it will take me to do, but invariably underestimate. I took on a new customer about 6 months ago, a friend of my brother. It was an innocent looking bungalow with a conservatory, i told her £15, or £20 with the conservatory roof. Quickest i have managed to do it was an hour and a quarter!. Problem is the large tree's nearby.....(i should have guessed!). I have since made my excuses and stopped doing them (working on the assumption she wouldnt be too keen on paying £40-£50 )

Extra fiver for the roof???!!!
I don't bother for less than a score alone on the easiest of roofs.
It's all down to how much you need the $ Simon.
Keep plodding on. As soon as you don't need the money your pricing will come right.
You'll get there.

[dazmond]

i picked up a bungalow with a conny the other week £12.on regular monthly cleans the job will take 15 mins max.

she wanted the conny roof cleaned so i charged her £50.

in my experience conny roofs take around an hour to clean unless you have to get the ladders out then an hour and a half.charge more.

lack of experience on the timing of jobs can count against you if you price on time.better to price per window

[Clever Forum Name]

You can't price a house on the window amount.

I always say to myself "SAFE" when pricing. Something I thought of.

Style of window.
Access.
Frequency.
Earnings.

10 window house, Georgian windows, access via roof and every 8 weeks is £10 at a pound a window.

10 window house, normal glass (no top openers), access via always open gate and every 4 weeks is £10 at a pound a window.

.............

[Smudger]

So basically £10 whatever house you do 

8 weekly cleans are between 20 and 40 percent dearer than 4 weekers. And first cleans 2x over the 4 weekly price

Darran

[Clever Forum Name]

So basically £10 whatever house you do 

8 weekly cleans are between 20 and 40 percent dearer than 4 weekers. And first cleans 2x over the 4 weekly price

Darran

Lol - Those two houses could be £10 vs £30

[Simon Mess]

I am terrible at pricing jobs!. I try to price based on how long it will take me to do, but invariably underestimate. I took on a new customer about 6 months ago, a friend of my brother. It was an innocent looking bungalow with a conservatory, i told her £15, or £20 with the conservatory roof. Quickest i have managed to do it was an hour and a quarter!. Problem is the large tree's nearby.....(i should have guessed!). I have since made my excuses and stopped doing them (working on the assumption she wouldnt be too keen on paying £40-£50 )

Extra fiver for the roof???!!!
I don't bother for less than a score alone on the easiest of roofs.
It's all down to how much you need the $ Simon.
Keep plodding on. As soon as you don't need the money your pricing will come right.
You'll get there.

Yeah, but i have been doing this for over 4.5 years now, you would think i might have the hang of it by now

[PoleKing]

I am terrible at pricing jobs!. I try to price based on how long it will take me to do, but invariably underestimate. I took on a new customer about 6 months ago, a friend of my brother. It was an innocent looking bungalow with a conservatory, i told her £15, or £20 with the conservatory roof. Quickest i have managed to do it was an hour and a quarter!. Problem is the large tree's nearby.....(i should have guessed!). I have since made my excuses and stopped doing them (working on the assumption she wouldnt be too keen on paying £40-£50 )

Extra fiver for the roof???!!!
I don't bother for less than a score alone on the easiest of roofs.
It's all down to how much you need the $ Simon.
Keep plodding on. As soon as you don't need the money your pricing will come right.
You'll get there.

Yeah, but i have been doing this for over 4.5 years now, you would think i might have the hang of it by now

Each to their own on pricing bud, my opinion would be your very cheap at that price though.
Are you getting every single job you quote for? Again, IMO, that's too cheap.
The forum taught me to get 2/3 quotes. Less work for more money for me.
If you're happy though, crack on, all the best.

[Smudger]

Is that could or should - bl⛔️⛔️dy iPads hAve a lot to answer for.....


Simon - charge what you feel is right, there is no right or wrong, if it's a conny roof clean every month then your not going to get 20 to 50 quid and they usually take no longer than doing 3 or 4 windows

A one off clean with all the plastics, well that's a different matter intirely...

Darran