job bidding by sq.ft.?

Hello,
Has anyone here ever bid a job by the square foot? If so, what price do you charge per sq.ft, and what is the advantage of doing it. Does it help with getting the big commercial accounts?

It would help if we knew where you where.<img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle>

chuck,
sorry about that. I,m from Kansas City, MO

i bid jobs by how much trimming is involved and how much open space there is cause open space mean faster speeds on lawnmower

Leone Lawn

Like Leone Lawn, I look at total time spent as a guide. I do measure to help me estimate, but do not price by the square foot. If it is a corner lot where more edging is invloved or a lot of intricate landscaping in the backyard that will require more trimming, I charge more.

Rob
Taybritt Lawn and Landscape Services

Hello Everybody:

You Need to Measure not only by the Square Foot of Grass but also the Linear Foot of Trimming & Edging, Surfaces to be blown & etc...

Go ahead & get a feel for the Square Footage of Concrete Surfaces Too. It will not Help much in residential, unless long driveway. But it will give you an Idea of How Long it takes to do the Job.

Make yourself a Cheat Sheet, with a Chart it Takes this Long to Mow 1,000 Sq.Ft. with Walk behind & Up to how ever many Sq.Ft. you would Push mow, Then do the same thing for Big Rider, Trimming & Edging Linear ft.

This way you can Bid Accurately on Every Job, after your Measurements, It should Take but a few Minutes to Come Real Close to How long it will take you to do the job. Then you decide on How Much You want to make an hour.

If it's a 5,000 Sq.Ft. Lawn with 1,000 Linear feet of edging & Trimming & another 1,000 Sq. ft. of Concrete Surfaces to be Blown OR...

Even If it's 10 Times that size Lawn you Should easily come within a few minutes of How Long it will take you to do the Lawn. Then you Figure your Time, with your Chart & then decide on How Much you want to make an hour!

Yes, You got to Figure Extra for Excessive Trees, Slopes & other Things in the Way. Plus How Tall & How Thick the Grass is, But that will all come to you Quick once you have your Measurements.

You might even have Regular Cut, Heavy Cut & The Jurassic Cut. Me Personally I would just Come up with regular Cut & then come up with a Percentage to add on to it if it's Heavy Growth or the Jurassic Park Lawn! :) I Live By Percentages all the time!

I always Measured Whole Lot & Kept a Record of it, Even if I didn't get Lawn. Because they might call back 6 months later for Lawn Service or, They Might want me to Give Price on Fertilization, Mulching & Aeration. I Already Took Measurements of Lawn & it would save me a trip & Really Make me Look Like a Pro?

Besides when you get Bigger & Time is Precious, You could Give a Ball Park Figure over the Phone, If they Live in Same area. This way You Can weed out the Price Shoppers & Pre-Qualify Customers over the Phone! Yes, There's Some Guessing to it & to an Extent it's
a Little Dangerous over the phone, But if You overloaded with Work, It will save you a lot of time!

It's All About Making Money.

<b>GrassMaster
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