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I was called to give an estimate to clean the gutters on 10 condos on a 3 acre area. For houses this size I would normaly charge $65.00. I'm thinking about giving an estimate of $400.00 since it's 10 condos for one person in one area. The guy also said that the roofs can be walked and gutters blown out with a blower. If the gutters can be cleaned out with a blower the job should be pretty easy. Do you think $400.00 would be to much or not enough?
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That seems too cheap @ $40 per building. My minimun charge on a single story house is $120; and it goes up from there. Even if you can walk on the roof and can blow out the gutters, do you have to clean up the mess you just created on the ground?
In my estimation, anything that requires ladders and roof work requires danger pay. I hope you have good health and accident insurance for the "unthinkable". I know from recent, past experience that there is a high rate of broken bones from ladder/roof accidents. Don't sell the job too cheaply; I broke my left calcanus in Dec03 from a ladder accident coming off a one story roof.
If you use "fall protection", there is a cost to that also. -
Because they are all clumped together, $450-$500 would be okay. Are they single story, or easy to get to 2 story buildings?a.k.a.---> Erich
www.avalawnlandscaping.com
Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
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These building have both single story and 2 story levels. The 2 storys look like they should be easy to get to. I would like to get $500 for cleaning the gutters but that seems like a lot of money and I don't want to bid too high and not get the job. Because I haven't been getting many calls the last 2 months. The guy also said he has blown the gutters out him self in the past.Comment
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I gave the guy an estimate of $450.00 for cleaning the gutters and he said it was way to much. Then he wanted me to tell him how much I charge by the hour. I told him $35.00 per hour and he said that was to much.Comment
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After you said he has done the job himself, I knew he wouldn't go for even $400. I bet he would have thought $200 was high. He figures one guy making $200 even if it took all day would be a good wage. Honestly, in his position, I may think the same thing.
Having said that, I don't think your price was out of line. I wouldn't feel bad at all.a.k.a.---> Erich
www.avalawnlandscaping.com
Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.Comment
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This guy probably would have liked to hire me to blow out the gutters at $20.00 per hour and had it all done for under $60.00. Which is less than I charge to clean the gutters on one house. A few weeks ago I blew dry leave out of gutters on a house bigger than his buildings and got $65.00 and it took less the 15 minutes. So I knew if I did his gutters by the hour he would be getting them done for almost nothingComment
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The problem is not that your bid was "too high", but that you weren't willing to work for "slave" wages. I personally feel that the bid was too low; after all, any work that takes you off the ground should be billed at a higher rate thus reflecting "danger pay". If ladders and roof walking were as easy as hiking on the ground, then everybody would be doing it. Tell him to go screw himself.
This is the difference between PROFESSIONAL RATES AND a "homeowner" or shoestring business. OSHA AND FALL PROTECTION is a big consideration here. Even if its just you, as the owner of the business, you need to build that into your bid. Obviously, your health and safety isn't the owner's biggest concern, and it should be!!! Keep an eye on this guy, and if he has a scrub up there without fall protection, call OSHA.Comment
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