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How much to charge for 20 foot high conny roof with difficult access?

sambo

Active member
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126
I need to quote to clean a 1st storey conny roof, hipped plastic roof about 20' by 10' The roof is about 20' from the ground. The ground on the front is grass, but the right hand side is slippy sleepers and shingle.

The left hand side is brick wall and can access no probs, the right hand side is all windows but can rest ladder against house wall and do from there. I should be able to clean the hipped end of the roof from the right hand brick wall with a ladder standoff.

My gut feeling is to quote £100, mainly danger money as would probably have quoted £50-60 if ground level with no awkward access issues. I am just starting out though so have no idea Is this too high or too low?

 
I turned a conny roof clean down this week. It was a 4 sided glass roof with no access at all on the one side and absolutely no way of getting a ladder into the garden! It was also about 20' high. Do you have any pics @sambo? If it's glass charge more always. Are you using WFP to clean it? How much do you want to earn an hour? Think how long it will take and add a bit on. When I quote, I get a figure in my head and 9 times out of 10 I'll think **** it and add another £10/£20 on /emoticons/biggrin.png

 
Cant upload the pic because lost my camera wire! Using WFP but a bit worried about the slippy floor on the right so might charge a lot and hope he turns me down! How long do roofs normally take for a smallish conny?

 
Cant upload the pic because lost my camera wire! Using WFP but a bit worried about the slippy floor on the right so might charge a lot and hope he turns me down! How long do roofs normally take for a smallish conny?
If it's poly carb it should take about an hour. Glass will take longer due to getting the rinsing right.

If the job is dodgy tell him and he could possibly foot your ladder?

 
I take it this is the type of thing you mean

View attachment 3614

I need to quote to clean a 1st storey conny roof, hipped plastic roof about 20' by 10' The roof is about 20' from the ground. The ground on the front is grass, but the right hand side is slippy sleepers and shingle.
The left hand side is brick wall and can access no probs, the right hand side is all windows but can rest ladder against house wall and do from there. I should be able to clean the hipped end of the roof from the right hand brick wall with a ladder standoff.

My gut feeling is to quote £100, mainly danger money as would probably have quoted £50-60 if ground level with no awkward access issues. I am just starting out though so have no idea Is this too high or too low?
 
Myself I find most on the ground can be difficult enough to do so sod that 1st floor malarkey.

 
tricky jobs like that only pay off if you can get a repeat booking

dragging out the quote [by asking for more info such as who made it or who last cleaned it ] is how i play it . dont rush in with a price ,

praps you need to go in on a saturday midday recce for a closer look,

if theres a bit of to-ing and fro-ing and eye contact you can get an idea of just how important this roof is to them. it wants to be important for you to get a repeat cleaning arrangement set up at a fair price. if they are looking for a cheap price [ you can tell in the to and fro period] then its not important to them so price it skyhigh as itll be a 1 off, or back out of it completely. iv found using the phrase "you are messing me about,i dont like that" is a good way to back peddle out once you know they are only intrested in a low price

 
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tricky jobs like that only pay off if you can get a repeat booking
dragging out the quote [by asking for more info such as who made it or who last cleaned it ] is how i play it . dont rush in with a price ,

praps you need to go in on a saturday midday recce for a closer look,

if theres a bit of to-ing and fro-ing and eye contact you can get an idea of just how important this roof is to them. it wants to be important for you to get a repeat cleaning arrangement set up at a fair price. if they are looking for a cheap price [ you can tell in the to and fro period] then its not important to them so price it skyhigh as itll be a 1 off, or back out of it completely. iv found using the phrase "you are messing me about,i dont like that" is a good way to back peddle out once you know they are only intrested in a low price
Hmm good process.

They are a new regular window customer and asked for a quote for the roof as well but I said id have a think cos if access. The chap who lives there said he cleaned it once. I imagine he decided it was too risky.

 
Risk assessment wise you can't really work safely from ladders waving poles about doing 1st floor roof like that. Better option would be to work from a scaffold tower or erected scaffolding than a ladder at that height. If there is no access from both sides to do the back of the roof then it will be a pig to do.

The box gulley against the wall/s will also probably need clearing out too. That in itself is a difficult task to do on a ground floor conservatory let alone trying to do it on a 1st floor conservatory.

Myself I would be looking at really silly money including scaffolding to even attempt a job like that. A cherry picker could also be another option depending on access, ground condition etc

 
Makes you wonder when they install, thinking about maintenance costs, or not thinking. I'm planning my shed, I'm planning on how I'm going to access around it and maintain it. Shall I stick it on stilts next to a high wall and a pond, with satellite dishes on it ;-)

 
Having said that, if I had the money for house your pic smurf, I wouldn't worry about that I guess, I'd have enough readies for the cherry picker

 
Trying to do a job as safely as I can is the most important thing of any job I go to quote now regardless of cost. My life is worth a bit more than a few poxy quid that’s for sure.

I would rather turn jobs away rather than risk my neck having to take shortcust for the sake of keeping the price low just to please customers. **** em I say and let someone else struggle and risk their neck to earn next to bugger all.

 
I used to say **** em at work when they wanted a cabinet moved or light bulb changed, in the rare chance I pulled a muscle or worse, they wouldn't pay more than a week or too sick.

I'd move a chair and that's about it ;-)

 
Risk assessment wise you can't really work safely from ladders waving poles about doing 1st floor roof like that. Better option would be to work from a scaffold tower or erected scaffolding than a ladder at that height. If there is no access from both sides to do the back of the roof then it will be a pig to do.
The box gulley against the wall/s will also probably need clearing out too. That in itself is a difficult task to do on a ground floor conservatory let alone trying to do it on a 1st floor conservatory.

Myself I would be looking at really silly money including scaffolding to even attempt a job like that. A cherry picker could also be another option depending on access, ground condition etc
Ended up offering to clean it from their third floor window but they weren't too keen. Heyho

 
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