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Pricing up jobs

Posted by Peter on May 5, 2014 at 8:59pm

99% of my work is by hourly rate, it works well for me and the regular customers I have. But now and then I get asked to give a price on a job and I really struggle to come up with a estimate in how long it will take and so what to charge people. How do people manage to gauge an estimate in how long a job will take?

I've been asked to give a price in treating some decking, looking at it I have no idea if it will take 2 days or 3 days, and if I quote for 2 days and I'm not finished then I start losing money.

Just wondered how people go about estimating a job.

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  • Andy Kenney May 5, 2014 at 9:04pm

    You only really know how long any tasks take by the experience of doing them. With deck treating factor in weather, state of deck now and how you are planning to clean it. How many coats of oil or stain and work out each process in the task and add up the time total with contingency. I charge a flat rate per sq m on deck clean and 2 coats treating and it works out to be one of the more profitable jobs if the weather is good for two days.

  • Lawncare-4u.co.uk May 5, 2014 at 10:38pm

    Experience , how big is this deck ?? i could build one in 2/3 days !!

    and how do you charge for an hourly rate, as many of you work in the 'rain'? surely this slows the job up AND causes more mess to tidy up , therefore also a 'worse' job than if done in the 'DRY'.( at a possibly cheaper price)?

  • Lawncare-4u.co.uk May 5, 2014 at 10:40pm

    Thats why it is a 'PRICE FOR THE JOB' - it takes you as long as it takes.. X pounds ( 1 or 2 days - its up to you) as long as they are satisfied with price and job.

  • Peter May 5, 2014 at 10:50pm


    Andy Kenney said:

    You only really know how long any tasks take by the experience of doing them. With deck treating factor in weather, state of deck now and how you are planning to clean it. How many coats of oil or stain and work out each process in the task and add up the time total with contingency. I charge a flat rate per sq m on deck clean and 2 coats treating and it works out to be one of the more profitable jobs if the weather is good for two days.


    I haven't measured it but it's a fairly big area with a staircase as well.
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