[matt]

i cannot see a proper pic either

BUT

i can see the front, i guess by the looks of its, its a big glass building ( so the rear will be the same )

1 day for the outsides with WFP

then they will do the lower bits inside everytime and the higher glass inside will get done every 6 months ) they might even use a dry brush on the higher insides to get rid of the cobwebs

500 quid doesnt look so bad now does it

[simon knight]

That was my point exactly, just because someone is cheaper than you it doesn't mean that they're cowboys; maybe they're just better at pricing than you!!

So if I price 20 three bed houses at £25 each and get half of them thats £250. So lets say you price another 20 at £10 each and get them all, thats £200, and double the work!! Does that make you better at pricing? I think not!!! 

Yeah but what if you and him were both competing for the same 20 houses? Here's the result:

Miscontractcleaner: 20 jobs and earns £200
Groundhog: Sweet Fanny Adams

[groundhog]

That was my point exactly, just because someone is cheaper than you it doesn't mean that they're cowboys; maybe they're just better at pricing than you!!

So if I price 20 three bed houses at £25 each and get half of them thats £250. So lets say you price another 20 at £10 each and get them all, thats £200, and double the work!! Does that make you better at pricing? I think not!!! 

Yeah but what if you and him were both competing for the same 20 houses? Here's the result:

Miscontractcleaner: 20 jobs and earns £200
Groundhog: Sweet Fanny Adams

And he would be welcome to them! I guarantee that I would find plenty of others willing to pay my prices!! I know this because I already have over 400 of them on my round!!!! And also just because someone is cheaper dosn't mean they will automatically get the work, earlier today I priced up 3 houses in a small cul de sac, they already had a window cleaner, but weren't happy with his work, a friend of theirs recommended me to them, I priced up each house at £25 (my min price) and I got all three, their now sacked cleaner used to charge them £10 each!!!!  Work smarter Simon, not harder!!!!!

[foxy]

that is the biggest job i have ever seen and i would not know how to price it, probably whoever came in very cheap doesn't know either.

[Klean07]

I wouldn't touch it. The hardest part for me would be the inside roof unless you have a scissor lift it could turn out to be a very tricky and time consuming job.

[ftp]

Groundhog, are you still using a trolley and a Harris pole?

[AuRavelling79]

Groundhog makes a good point - you have to work faster (and less thoroughly) at low prices. Some custies don't mind paying for quality and diligence.

[ftp]

Are you less thorough on poorer priced jobs? I offer the same service on every job i do i.e. the best i can. Maybe i shouldn't.

[AuRavelling79]

Are you less thorough on poorer priced jobs? I offer the same service on every job i do i.e. the best i can. Maybe i shouldn't.

No I'm not less thorough on my poorer priced jobs - none are that poor! The illustration showed pricing differences of £25 to £10 for the same property.

But... if I have a well priced job and the custy is in then I do a bit of "unnecessary extras" like wiping the cills with a towel at the end or the brasswork on a door, even tho' I know that they will dry perfectly clear.

[ftp]

Yes it's a bloomin pain if they are in - you have to clean in slow motion. 

[groundhog]

Groundhog, are you still using a trolley and a Harris pole?

A trolley!??? You must be joking!!! I have a van mount, and a fantastic Harris pole!! 

[Chameleon]

  Lost another customer today... "Just a little note to say, your services are no longer required, due to my financial situation! :

I reckon she's been on this site, looked at this thread, worked out it's me and seen I am too expensive 
 

[groundhog]

Plenty more were she came from!!! 

[seandyer2003]

That was my point exactly, just because someone is cheaper than you it doesn't mean that they're cowboys; maybe they're just better at pricing than you!!

So if I price 20 three bed houses at £25 each and get half of them thats £250. So lets say you price another 20 at £10 each and get them all, thats £200, and double the work!! Does that make you better at pricing? I think not!!! 

How close together will you get them though??  I f you have to travel youd be better with 20 £10 houses one after the other, still only a days work ! If you get them at £25 close though then that s cool, wish it was like that somewhere here

[seandyer2003]

It seems the £3 a house brigade are in commercial too, quoted a huge conservatory inside and out a few weeks back, you can see it here -

www.bents.co.uk

I quoted a very fair price and never heard anything back so i got in contact to see what went on and recieved a nice email

"Hi Sean,

Thanks for your email. Our existing window cleaner won the contract in the end, purely down to finance
Your quote was the most detailed and particularly tailored to our needs, thank you for the attention to detail that you gave, it was very much appreciated. I really don’t think there would have been anything else that you could have done to secure the deal to be honest. Yourself and the other contractors that I contacted came in mostly at the same price, our existing window cleaners price I really don’t think could have been matched at £x00.00.
If this wasn’t down to cost then I feel certain that it would have been Dolphin that would have got the deal, your professionalism was outstanding compared to the other companies, you emailed the quote speedily to me and followed it up, certainly the service that we here at Bents expect.
I have kept your details on file and in the future should an opportunity arise either we will contact you again.

Kindest regards and very best wishes"

But i couldnt understand how cleaners got away with such low price!!!  Maybe your on here?? lol IN which case - HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY HAHA

the guy was half my price??

Out of interest what you reckon for that in and out, once every 8 weeks and not including roof

I think the w/c who got the job... was obviously happy with the price!
Good on him!
Customer happy, he's happy, everyone should be happy for him!

I note only one person has had the guts to quote a price £500
NO-One else???
Why are people so scared to offer a quote

Your not going to get the job, it's already gone!

What price did you offer, now that it's immaterial 

That's too big a job for me.
I would need three others helping... and I would be looking for  £1200.
Hopefully do it early morning!

There that didn't hurt now did it? :

Looks bigger than it really is, doesnt include roof.. 2 days inside on picker tradding, 1 outside poling. Lad who got it charged 400 including cherry picker, so was making v little..

Im happy for him, i just cant see the profit in it Would rather clean domestic than work like that, i was only upset as i felt for the first time my quote was bang on, not a guess but based on fact , and i was sure it was in the bag, till i found out how little someone had got it for, but like i say fair enough, if hes happy with his wage and does a good job then fantastic, theres more work out there..... I will get some more commercial at a decent price eventually

[stevekennedy]

200 panes of glass

EXTERIOR
1 min per pane exterior WFP = 200 mins
20 min setup and tidy up

Total 220 mins

INTERIOR
40 cycles trad with personnel lift * 12 mins = 480 mins
20 min to take off trailer and get in position

Total 500 mins

Total Labour 12 hours

Staffing Costs 12 Hours * £10 = £120
Equipment Costs £150 (for personnel lift) less if you have your own one
Van & WFP System £40 (£10 per hour)

Total Costs £310

Guy is taking £90 profit.

This is how I have been advised to price up commercial work if I want to win it.

Some of the bigger companies are happy to make a very small profit. They make it up by getting the Contract Cleaning or supplying the paper towels etc.

Sad but true.

Commercial is WAY more competitive than domestic in my experience. You will almost always be competing and the lowest price usually gets it. You do get the odd stupid company that only gets the one quote. Maybe 1:20 of your quotes will be like this and usually smaller buildings.

My conclusion, if you are a guy on your own, focus on high end domestic as you will make far more per hour IMHO

[Clive McDonald]

brilliant summary, i will try and digest this, and believe you are probably right.

staff and van and scissors and twelve hours labour to make ninety quid isn't good.

[seandyer2003]

200 panes of glass

EXTERIOR
1 min per pane exterior WFP = 200 mins
20 min setup and tidy up

Total 220 mins

INTERIOR
40 cycles trad with personnel lift * 12 mins = 480 mins
20 min to take off trailer and get in position

Total 500 mins

Total Labour 12 hours

Staffing Costs 12 Hours * £10 = £120
Equipment Costs £150 (for personnel lift) less if you have your own one
Van & WFP System £40 (£10 per hour)

Total Costs £310

Guy is taking £90 profit.

This is how I have been advised to price up commercial work if I want to win it.

Some of the bigger companies are happy to make a very small profit. They make it up by getting the Contract Cleaning or supplying the paper towels etc.

Sad but true.

Commercial is WAY more competitive than domestic in my experience. You will almost always be competing and the lowest price usually gets it. You do get the odd stupid company that only gets the one quote. Maybe 1:20 of your quotes will be like this and usually smaller buildings.

My conclusion, if you are a guy on your own, focus on high end domestic as you will make far more per hour IMHO

The guy doesnt do contract cleaning or anything though, form what i understand its just him and an employee...

[stevekennedy]

Then he must be satisfied with a low profit margin and does not value his own time highly enough.

Perhaps he is hoping to make money by building a large business and wants to get volume? Risky strategy.

[trevor perry]

maybe he already owns his own cherrypicker that he uses for other work also then i think it can be done ok for £400 but if he haas to knock out hire charges from this i think he will struggle.