[007 or what]

Hi all i've just picked up a really nice3 but big commercial job, not sure how to price it. Do you price it by how long it will take you or do you measure it and price by the metre/feet?

[Ian_Giles]

A little more detail on the building methinks!

rather depends on what you consider to be a big commercial job.
I would personally consider a big commercial job to be one that would take a full day or more to clean.
A medium sized commercial would be one that might take up to 5 hours to clean (WFP, not Trad, if trad then I would consider a medium size commercial to be about a days work)
Big commercials tend to be much tighter on price than medium sized ones, those in charge of the money will think nothing of paying out £100-150, but will think very carefully about paying out several hundred a month.

For the big stuff, break the work down into units that you can charge...say...75p per unit [window]
Whatever system you use that will cover you, and should also be competitive.
Increase that if you are going up 3 floors though [for the 3rd floor of course]
On a medium size commercial you can crank the price up.
For instance I picked one up yesterday that took me 3 hours to clean, I charged them £110.
Hard work this time as it hadn't been done in 2 years. But the next clean will be done in about 2 & a 1/4 hours.
I couldn't hope to match that earning potential on a big commercial job.

On a big commercial I would have to charge a day rate, and providing I was guaranteed payment on completion that would be a minimum of £150. [per person too]
if it is a case of billing and waiting anything up to 3 months to get paid (trust me, it happens) then I would go in with a day rate £50 higher.

Ian

[Trevor Knight]

I'm with Ian on this one.

Big commericials will expect invoice after completion, 28 days credit, followed by another 14 days chasing the invoice to be told you are on the next pay run at the end of the month.

I would charge an hourly rate and add 25% as extras on the total job costing. I would also find out from the client who is responsible for signing off your work. The last thing you want is to wait for your cheque to be told they were not happy with the work. Get it checked and get it signed off!!

Good luck, Trev

[007 or what]

thanks guys

[Chris Cottrell]

Ian / Trevor do you use a particular sign off sheet / slip or job completion card ect, ive tried to put some together but not been satisfied with it yet
Any chance of a look at one?, if you do that is.

Chris

[Trevor Knight]

email me at info@firstcleanservices.co.uk and I will send you one

[Moderator David@stives]

Chris

I have never had a signing off sheet in 8 years of cleaning commercial.

I must be lucky, after the first few cleans you build up trust with the client and if you do a good job they just leave you to get on with it.

I do a lot of commercial at weekends these days for convenience (parked cars etc) and no one ever sees me clean them because the buildings are empty , they just trust that i have cleaned them when they recieve the invoice.

Dave

[Trevor Knight]

Agreed Dave, I have been doing this for 15 years and about 6 years ago I was chasing an invoice from a building company that we had done £7000 worth of work for. They then started to get funny with an invoice for £530 saying we had not had our work signed off even though I never had previously. I made a sheet, got the agent to sign it and learn't a lesson. Granted I have commercial clients who don't bother but for new ones I always adopt this process first.

regards,

Trevor

[Moderator David@stives]

Trevor

You can usualy guage where there may be trouble with payment.

In that case i would be tempted to get a docket signed and for £530 i certainly would or i would make sure the ones who were in charge were happy with my work.

Dave

[Trevor Knight]

Thing is Dave, I had presented bigger invoices than that before with no problem, I think it was more to do with the building work coming to an end and maybe the budgets were running out?

Still, lesson learn't. Now I start off with tickets and if I don't feel they are necessary then I can always drop the paperwork later on.

[Mr. S]

Trevor Knight.

Could you please send me a copy of your signing off sheet/completion sheet too?
craig_riverside@yahoo.co.uk

Many thanks Craig

[Trevor Knight]

Will do it today for you

Regards,

Trev