Commercial job Pricing

[JDH]

hi all,
I just wanted some help on pricing for a commercial job - I currently have a job that takes me roughly 7 hours, it requires external and internal work.
I currently charge £400 (around East Anglia)
have been doing it a while and was debating putting up the price as I felt it was too cheap.
Just wanted advice on whether you think that is cheap or reasonable.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Pjj]

hi all,
I just wanted some help on pricing for a commercial job - I currently have a job that takes me roughly 7 hours, it requires external and internal work.
I currently charge £400 (around East Anglia)
have been doing it a while and was debating putting up the price as I felt it was too cheap.
Just wanted advice on whether you think that is cheap or reasonable.
Thanks in advance.

It’s difficult to say without seeing the building , is that 7 hours total work time on your own or 14 hours with two guys ?
Must be some huge place if it takes that long , and it does sound very cheap, to me

 

[JDH]

It’s difficult to say without seeing the building , is that 7 hours total work time on your own or 14 hours with two guys ?
Must be some huge place if it takes that long , and it does sound very cheap, to me

Just on my own. So externally (all pole work) takes me around 4/5 hours then internal work takes around 2 hours.

 

[Dave B]

Need pics to have a rough opinion and even then it’s different when you see it in person
I’ve had a quote accepted provisionally for cladding and windows in and out on 2 buildings totalling around 130000 sqft and 40ft high for around the same as someone would earn all year in a minimum wage job but looked a lot less from pics we got sent
Had to go there and have a proper look and assess access etc
Just waiting for the go ahead from the powers that be
2 of us can do it in 2 working weeks though
Just got to get my ipaf renewed for boom lift and cherry picker so a day off work and £200 to pay

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

How regular do they have it cleaned?If it’s monthly can you or would you want to drop a day.
Every thing needs to go up at some point and most will expect it but £400 a day is still very good money in my opinion.

 

[JDH]

How regular do they have it cleaned?If it’s monthly can you or would you want to drop a day.
Every thing needs to go up at some point and most will expect it but £400 a day is still very good money in my opinion.

Yes it’s monthly

 

[Part Timer]

2 questions, 1st one can you afford to lose it. 2nd one, if you do lose it can you replace it with better work.
If the answer to both of the above is yes then put your price up

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

You also have to ask yourself how much are you going to put it up by?
Most businesses will allow for a 2-5 or 6 % increase but start going 10% and it may get pulled up and put out to tender.

 

[Pjj]

How regular do they have it cleaned?If it’s monthly can you or would you want to drop a day.
Every thing needs to go up at some point and most will expect it but £400 a day is still very good money in my opinion.

£400 for a days work is good but commercial work should bring in considerably more than domestic ime also guessing it’s higher than a house so again should be charging more as it’s harder work and more expensive kit needed so for that reason feel it’s it’s cheap , but it’s not a bad days money working on your own . Each of us has to decide what we are happy with there is no right or wrong .

 

[Pjj]

You also have to ask yourself how much are you going to put it up by?
Most businesses will allow for a 2-5 or 6 % increase but start going 10% and it may get pulled up and put out to tender.

It’s not worth the risk putting it up by 2-5 % as the extra is neither hear or there it would be better leaving it as it is .

 

[Part Timer]

It’s not worth the risk putting it up by 2-5 % as the extra is neither hear or there it would be better leaving it as it is .

I've just put up my big contract by 3%, if I didn't then how much would I need to put it up next year to make the same margin I did 2 years ago.

My experience is working with companies that understand costs will accept inflation type price rises.

Those that don't will always be price shoppers so you will either end up working for nothing or losing the job anyway.

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

£400 for a days work is good but commercial work should bring in considerably more than domestic ime also guessing it’s higher than a house so again should be charging more as it’s harder work and more expensive kit needed so for that reason feel it’s it’s cheap , but it’s not a bad days money working on your own . Each of us has to decide what we are happy with there is no right or wrong .

I do agree that commercial should get more than domestic but as a one man band which I’m guessing he is £400 is good money for you to say it’s not bad isn’t reality for most.
£400 a day as an average(Some days more,some less )with 6 weeks off a year is 92k I don’t know any one man bands doing 100k on the tools scrubbing glass.

I’m full commercial and have a very small business compared to most but I mix with some of the big boys and it’s cut throat out there these days and only about to get worse.

small % increase regularly is the best way.It all comes down to how much you need the job and want it.
No one’s irreplaceable some one would snap that up for less.

 

[Crystalalan]

I do agree that commercial should get more than domestic but as a one man band which I’m guessing he is £400 is good money for you to say it’s not bad isn’t reality for most.
£400 a day as an average(Some days more,some less )with 6 weeks off a year is 92k I don’t know any one man bands doing 100k on the tools scrubbing glass.

I’m full commercial and have a very small business compared to most but I mix with some of the big boys and it’s cut throat out there these days and only about to get worse.

small % increase regularly is the best way.It all comes down to how much you need the job and want it.
No one’s irreplaceable some one would snap that up for less.

Yes 400 for 7 hours work is very good but I would still increase the price on a yearly basis Maybe by 15 to 20 pounds so as not to scare the custy too much.

 

[Pjj]

I've just put up my big contract by 3%, if I didn't then how much would I need to put it up next year to make the same margin I did 2 years ago.

My experience is working with companies that understand costs will accept inflation type price rises.

Those that don't will always be price shoppers so you will either end up working for nothing or losing the job anyway.

I here what you are saying I do work for a large company they expect the price to go up each year by the rate of inflation, but some smaller firms might not like it and cancel it’s not worth loosing a decent job for £20-40 , but I agree prices do need to keep up .

 

[Part Timer]

I do agree that commercial should get more than domestic but as a one man band which I’m guessing he is £400 is good money for you to say it’s not bad isn’t reality for most.
£400 a day as an average(Some days more,some less )with 6 weeks off a year is 92k I don’t know any one man bands doing 100k on the tools scrubbing glass.

I’m full commercial and have a very small business compared to most but I mix with some of the big boys and it’s cut throat out there these days and only about to get worse.

small % increase regularly is the best way.It all comes down to how much you need the job and want it.
No one’s irreplaceable some one would snap that up for less.

We gave up our Cambridge work 2 years ago, I asked the PM companies managers that look after the sites we did what the prices were now and was very surprised that some of the jobs we were doing are now getting done at half the price we were getting.
Now they were well paid but are now no better than residential back home

 

[Part Timer]

Yes 400 for 7 hours work is very good but I would still increase the price on a yearly basis Maybe by 15 to 20 pounds so as not to scare the custy too much.

2.5% is a £100 a year, after tax. If you don't put it up you're effectively £100 a year worse off.

 

[Jaygti]

£400 for 7hrs work is decent for domestic work, but I’d say it’s a little shy for commercial, around here in the south east.

 

[D. W. S]

I do agree that commercial should get more than domestic but as a one man band which I’m guessing he is £400 is good money for you to say it’s not bad isn’t reality for most.
£400 a day as an average(Some days more,some less )with 6 weeks off a year is 92k I don’t know any one man bands doing 100k on the tools scrubbing glass.

I’m full commercial and have a very small business compared to most but I mix with some of the big boys and it’s cut throat out there these days and only about to get worse.

small % increase regularly is the best way.It all comes down to how much you need the job and want it.
No one’s irreplaceable some one would snap that up for less.

130,000 sq ft roughly should be around £480-00 to £520
So with it only being £400
Bit of a hike in price but a fair rise would be £40-£50 this yr then the same next year then you be where you want to be, the company should understand for a building that size , but look at the stats how long as it been £400 how long have you worked on it, I've put all work up 10% the last 4 years now as it needs to be where it should be and most customers understand gd luck