help with a quote please ?!

If I was your potential client Robin, I would want to see a fixed price to complete the job to a clearly defined standard of finish rather than being given an hourly rate and the uncertainty of how long it will take. It’s a bit like being in a taxi after a night out with only limited cash in your wallet – you keep looking at the metre and thinking when do I ask the driver to pull over and have to get out and walk the rest of the way!

Personally I would be tempted to quote the price of 1 or 2 days for the work (you must have an idea as to how long it will take?) plus cost for waste away and disposal (again you should have a pretty good ballpark figure for this?). The day rate should include all cost of fuel your and any employees pay plus profit.

Explain to the client not how long it will take but what will be completed for the money, for example this could be to leave the garden in a fairly good state but would require an few extra hours to really finish off the borders etc. Set the expectation of what can be done for the money and gauge the clients’ reaction.

If you are worried about “unknowns” – factor these in as caveats and again explain why these may cost extra.

Basically you are giving the client a clearly written quotation of what can be achieved for the money.

As you can gather, I am not a big fan of hourly rate and I have found most clients appreciate a fixed price job in order for them to make an intelligent decision. Hourly rates and the “I don’t know Gov how long it will actually take, may be day or two” etc. doesn’t cut it for me.

i agree ,
i said 2 days (depending on how it went / weather etc) - could be a week@5hrs/day . and would be for some but same price anyway. the grass is bad swards /flat !! and look like they were 1ft but now dry and flat !!
going to take some strimming and mowing after who knows.

at £150 a day for either me or me+1 probably + £150 for big trailer = £500
so i said £350- £500 depending on how well they want it done ? my cleaners boyfriend said ''properly'' so i said £500 and explained what tools i have . ( land-lord is paying & its in cheshire)
i did say i would meet owner/them today and e-mail written details !!

going out of my way (again) and no-response today !! another £5.00 diesel for nothing and half a day broken into maybe ............ah well good job i like to drive and research gardens !!!!!!!

Pro Gard said:

Labour @ 150 pd plus a large skip @ £150 I would add leeway onto the above and add £100 or so as profit/ contingency. A site visit would confirm the amount of time to be quoted for.

I price the same way as Graeme and would give a fixed pricewith a written quote. As with all clerance jobs take before and after photos to cover yourself and keep transfer notes for the waste.

Replies

Dan Frazer Gardening October 23, 2009 at 11:40pm

I don't think that's enough info...how clear and tidy should it be? Are the two areas all grass? Sounds like possibly 1 (or could it be 2) days work including some heavy digging. And perhaps 2-3 trips to the skip with a trailer or van.
Graeme @ BGS October 24, 2009 at 9:43pm

If I was your potential client Robin, I would want to see a fixed price to complete the job to a clearly defined standard of finish rather than being given an hourly rate and the uncertainty of how long it will take. It’s a bit like being in a taxi after a night out with only limited cash in your wallet – you keep looking at the metre and thinking when do I ask the driver to pull over and have to get out and walk the rest of the way!

Personally I would be tempted to quote the price of 1 or 2 days for the work (you must have an idea as to how long it will take?) plus cost for waste away and disposal (again you should have a pretty good ballpark figure for this?). The day rate should include all cost of fuel your and any employees pay plus profit.

Explain to the client not how long it will take but what will be completed for the money, for example this could be to leave the garden in a fairly good state but would require an few extra hours to really finish off the borders etc. Set the expectation of what can be done for the money and gauge the clients’ reaction.

If you are worried about “unknowns” – factor these in as caveats and again explain why these may cost extra.

Basically you are giving the client a clearly written quotation of what can be achieved for the money.

As you can gather, I am not a big fan of hourly rate and I have found most clients appreciate a fixed price job in order for them to make an intelligent decision. Hourly rates and the “I don’t know Gov how long it will actually take, may be day or two” etc. doesn’t cut it for me.
Lawncare-4u.co.uk October 24, 2009 at 11:20pm

i agree ,
i said 2 days (depending on how it went / weather etc) - could be a week@5hrs/day . and would be for some but same price anyway. the grass is bad swards /flat !! and look like they were 1ft but now dry and flat !!
going to take some strimming and mowing after who knows.

at £150 a day for either me or me+1 probably + £150 for big trailer = £500
so i said £350- £500 depending on how well they want it done ? my cleaners boyfriend said ''properly'' so i said £500 and explained what tools i have . ( land-lord is paying & its in cheshire)
i did say i would meet owner/them today and e-mail written details !!

going out of my way (again) and no-response today !! another £5.00 diesel for nothing and half a day broken into maybe ............ah well good job i like to drive and research gardens !!!!!!!

Pro Gard said:
Labour @ 150 pd plus a large skip @ £150 I would add leeway onto the above and add £100 or so as profit/ contingency. A site visit would confirm the amount of time to be quoted for.

I price the same way as Graeme and would give a fixed pricewith a written quote. As with all clerance jobs take before and after photos to cover yourself and keep transfer notes for the waste.