? on mowing bids

[BrettC]

Any help would be appreciated. How do you guys figure a price on mowing lawns? By the square footage or by the hour? I know there are many variables and any examples would help. I go and look at the job and figure how long it will take me and then charge by that. Most of my bids are fairly close on the smaller jobs, its the bigger jobs that give me trouble. Any help would be appreciated. I have learned alot on this site. Keep info coming.

Thanks

[Stephen M.]

I run the numbers on both methods and take the most advantageous number that might get the bid. It's a crap shoot and trying to second guess the customer. I'll usually take the higher number unless I think the lower number will get me the job and still be profitable for me.

[Stephan Schwebke]

Brett C: I used to think that bidding by the sq ft was the way to go, but it's by the TIME on the job. You're selling time here. Say a small 4,500sq ft lawn takes you 20 min w/ a 48" mower, and you trim, edge & blow. Yes this job only took you 20 min. (plus driving time, don't forget to factor in driving time to each job...) so let's say 25 min total. Let's say your hourly rate is $35 for residential (slightly higher for commercial). You do not charge $15 because it's only 1/2 hour. For these jobs, which take less than an hour on site, set a minimum drop gate fee. Mine is $30 (up from $25 last yr.) and I'm usually outta there in half hour! Quick jingle in my pocket!

For larger accounts, 12,000 sqft and up, with tons of trees and berms. With one man, it'll take you a good hour or so (depending on deck size, speed, skill, etc.). So figure the driving time in there too, and if the total job time is 1hr & 10min. I'd charge $42 - 45.

I hope this helps you a bit. I just got the hang of bidding correctly last fall, and now I'm raising prices on existing customers!! Cheers!

[valerva]

? bids

1. I Call 3 or 4 other well known lawn care services in your area and I either ask a price on a specific task or ask them if they could mail you a price list for their services. I add the 4 single tasks together divide by four and I have an average (price). 2. Then I will Price below that. 3. And/Or overhead, etc.. 4. I give senior discounts. 5. Then I price fairly accordingly by what I feel I'm worth and how hard I think the job would be or is by past experience. 6.Or stay tuned with the consumer reports in the industry you are in. It Works for me. 7. I bought a pricing book on pricing residential and commercial. That really helped me. Good Luck! I wish you all the success.

Valerie

[mdoehling]

For me it's a combination of both. The amount of area you have directly impacts how long you will be on site. So for me the only way to get a good idea on how long you will be there is to measure the area. I ussualy do this in sq. ft. because most fert & Chem. application rates use sq. ft. as the measuring stick. Not acres.
Now granted there are other factors that you must also consider. Is the area flat, small pieces or one large area, how much trimming ect. These are things that are not so easily measured that impact how much time you will spend on site. For me it was just a learning curve of experience that everyone must go through to learn how much time these tiems will take to complete.
Another thing to consider is operator skill. Experienced help will be much faster than new guys.

[jaycat26]

Bids and Pricing

Someone mentioned a book to help them set pricing. What is the name of the book?

[WDrennan09]

? on bids

Okay i am a beginer......yall are talking about putting out bids on a certain area......i would like to get involved in this......how do you find out about the bidding ??

[Stephen M.]

Someone mentioned a book to help them set pricing. What is the name of the book?

Go back to the main web page and click on C.O.M.S. I recommend buying the whole works; but if money is an issue then at least get "Job Pricing Guidlines";
"Labor Time Data Handbook";Maximizing Profits in Mowing"; "Grounds Maintenance Estimating Kit". These are the top 4 to get you started onto profitability and professionalism.

I've been in lawn cutting/landscaping for 17+ years when I bought the works a few weeks ago. I'm learning how to turn in better bids. I"m Phils best salesman for the program and he doesn't have to advertise for it!!!

REMEMBER THIS: YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY!! GO GET 'EM.

[dennis]

1. I Call 3 or 4 other well known lawn care services in your area and I either ask a price on a specific task or ask them if they could mail you a price list for their services. I add the 4 single tasks together divide by four and I have an average (price). 2. Then I will Price below that. 3. And/Or overhead, etc.. 4. I give senior discounts. 5. Then I price fairly accordingly by what I feel I'm worth and how hard I think the job would be or is by past experience. 6.Or stay tuned with the consumer reports in the industry you are in. It Works for me. 7. I bought a pricing book on pricing residential and commercial. That really helped me. Good Luck! I wish you all the success.

Valerie

This is the funniest way I have ever heard of pricing a job. How in the world does this help you on pricing a job that these other services don't even do. And most lawn care services will not give you honest prices over the phone anyhow. The best way is to figure out what your job cost are and then figure your time from that. I you rely on other peoples prices you will become broke. Good luck.

[rubberbows]

The way im going to price is square feet for large jobs, lets say 100 by 100 feet you get 10,000 sq feet divide that by 1000 sg feet you get 10. times the amount of time it would take to do a 1000 sg feet, which I heard was 7 minutes but I decided to put 10 minutes since im slower, so you multiply ya average time by 10 , 10 x 10 minutes . you get your 100 minutes, you are charging by the hour so you want to convert into hours so 100 minute divided by 60 minutes you get 1.6666666 . now you multiply your hourly wage which im charging 30 a hour so 1.6666666 times 30 I get 49.99, thinks thas reasonable, you can do this for ya weeding and blowing and add all of it together. so If weeding takes 10 minutes and blowing 5 minutes just put 15 minutes to the 100 . 115 divided by 60 . 1.9166666 times 30 , you got 57.00 for the job . if you think its a little high just change the minutes it take you to do 1000 sq feet and put 7, and add ya 15 minutes for weeding and blowing, you get $42.00 , always look at your monthly charge so times it by 4
168.00 sounds more reasonable than 228.00, so 7 minutes per 1000sg feet might be wiser, hope this helps, get ya self a wheel measure