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  Andy November 20, 2015 at 11:39am

  Those charging £5 an hour are imho fools. This is less then minimum wage and I believe it's impossible to even break even let alone make a living. Pricing is a personal thing you should work out your costs insurance depreciation vehicles tools etc etc then add a % for rainy days and then add to that a price you feel is suitable for you as a living wage. That's your hourly charge. It varies enormously from place to place person to person. It also depends on if your domestic or commercial...., around here east Anglia and (very) north London it varies from £15 upto £30 but I know those who charge more and those who charge less.
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    Bryn Dunkerley > Andy November 20, 2015 at 11:49am

    Hi Andy, rather than charging per hour would it be better to charge per job/task

    I was thinking of charging

    £15 to cut front and back lawns

    £35+ hedge trimming

    £20 to tidy flower beds/weeds
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      Paul McNulty > Bryn Dunkerley November 20, 2015 at 12:08pm

      So hard to be that specific: every job is different.
      
      A lawn can be any size, have easy or awkward access, remove waste or leave at site, is it sloping, waterlogged, do they feed it so it grows like mad?
      
      I'd suggest pushing your qualifications and aiming at more professional clients. Once you mention "CRB checked", for instance, some people will immediately think of you differently from the bloke in a dirty old estate car.
      
      Price every job when you've seen it: never give a price on the phone. Apart from getting it wrong, meeting the client and selling yourself to them is half the battle.
      
      Never compete with the cheapest, you can't possibly beat them, but just aim at clients who want the best service, not the cheapest.
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        Bryn Dunkerley > Paul McNulty November 20, 2015 at 12:21pm

        Hi Paul, I see what your saying, those prices I stated were a minimum price as I understand all those different factors that you said.

        I seem to get every job I quote for, so I realise that I must be to cheap that's why I was asking for advice.

        I would like to get some businesses on board but don't know how to go about this.

        I have 1 contract at the moment but they contacted me.
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          Andy > Bryn Dunkerley November 20, 2015 at 12:30pm

          If your getting every job yahoo! But it's one of two things too cheap or your reputation is excellent. It could be both. Price where you feel comfy. Business contracts can be a bugger to get. There's a lot of work involved they don't come to you (generally) make contact with the estates manager offer to quote and have a good contract. Sell yourself well but don't prostitute yourself just to get the job!
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      Andy > Bryn Dunkerley November 20, 2015 at 12:25pm

      Hi Paul has some great points. Again IMHO don't charge a flat rate for lawns. I mow one lawn where it takes longer to get the mower out the van! And another that takes my upto 5 hours! In this instance based on your £15 charge is charge £15 per lawn less than an hour and 13.50 per hour for bigger ones. 10% discount for bulk! Use your judgement. Hedge cutting again depends tall ones short ones fat ones thin ones easy access poor access waste clearing and disposal.....it all effects you and your time. To start and keep it simple I'd probably charge £15 an hour and discount or increase according to difficultly. Beds are tricky again I'd go hourly to start as each job varies...,It's hard to price sometimes but beware the Colombo moment... "Just one meet thing..." as your packed up and ready to go! Customers love throwing those in. Charge em as if it were a new job and the meter has started again.
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        Bryn Dunkerley > Andy November 20, 2015 at 12:34pm

        Hi Andy, I don't charge per hour I charge per job.

        the £15 to cut front and back garden is a standard size lawn, that can be done in 20mins, so if you had 3 jobs like this near each other, that would be £45 per hour, clearly this wouldn't happen every hour of the day.

        if I had a small front lawn that like you say takes longer to get your mower out, then I would charge £10
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        Richard Gadsby > Andy November 20, 2015 at 7:25pm

        How big is the lawn that takes 5 hours?:-)
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          Andy > Richard Gadsby November 20, 2015 at 8:28pm

          Huge!!!! And its on a ride on! You should see the compost heaps!
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            Richard Gadsby > Andy November 20, 2015 at 9:07pm

            How bigs the ride on?
            I'm sat here wondering how big the places must be. Is the mower not too small for the job?
            My big ride on would cut about 24 acres in 5 hours!!
            It's a long time to sit on a mower!!