Working all day then waiting a week for payments

[Davy G]

Have you put your prices up this year?  I'm charging roughly 20 percent more now.  So a  £25 job is now £30, a £40 job is £50, a £100 job is £120 etc.  I was always on the high side anyway but they're paying more now.  If I was in your position, which is a great position to be in, I'd be whacking the prices up as you can afford to lose a lot and still be full with work.  

I have slightly increased the price of most new jobs in comparison to my existing jobs of the same type/size. I do this year on year. Existing jobs are increased gently through the years.

Especially gutter emptying. These, I charged at about £3 per metre when I started 7 years ago. About £18 a run on a 3 bed semi. Then after a couple of years £20. Last year I made it £25. Now I'm charging £30~£35, occasionally £40 if they only want one run emptied. Larger jobs are priced accordingly. I can't recall anyone challenging me except once, a rental landlord about three or four years ago. He was given the simple, straight choice. We got the job at our price.

 

[Pjj]

I have slightly increased the price of most new jobs in comparison to my existing jobs of the same type/size. I do this year on year. Existing jobs are increased gently through the years.

Especially gutter emptying. These, I charged at about £3 per metre when I started 7 years ago. About £18 a run on a 3 bed semi. Then after a couple of years £20. Last year I made it £25. Now I'm charging £30~£35, occasionally £40 if they only want one run emptied. Larger jobs are priced accordingly. I can't recall anyone challenging me except once, a rental landlord about three or four years ago. He was given the simple, straight choice. We got the job at our price.

I priced up a 3 bed semi with an extension today to vac gutters front and back all downpipes had plants 18 inches high in them gutters full to the brim with silt and looked like soil and plAnt growth , back was on a slope and about 40 feet height quoted him £200 he said that was double what others had quoted I said better bite there hand off then , as we wouldn’t do it for  any less , it would have been a difficult job I hope who ever quoted him £100 knows what they are doing or they are going to struggle to make any money on it .?????

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I priced up a 3 bed semi with an extension today to vac gutters front and back all downpipes had plants 18 inches high in them gutters full to the brim with silt and looked like soil and plAnt growth , back was on a slope and about 40 feet height quoted him £200 he said that was double what others had quoted I said better bite there hand off then , as we wouldn’t do it for  any less , it would have been a difficult job I hope who ever quoted him £100 knows what they are doing or they are going to struggle to make any money on it .?????

I was quoting for 3 large house gutter clears, so I went in at a ton thinking I would get them, never got one of them. Priced one today a bit lower and I got it right away. I reckon £80 is the fulcrum point going by my experience. 

 

[Pjj]

I was quoting for 3 large house gutter clears, so I went in at a ton thinking I would get them, never got one of them. Priced one today a bit lower and I got it right away. I reckon £80 is the fulcrum point going by my experience. 

£80 is ok when it’s a normal clean but not with an extension and half the amazon jungle growing in them and a 40 foot high back ???

 

[scottish cleaning service]

£80 is ok when it’s a normal clean but not with an extension and half the amazon jungle growing in them and a 40 foot high back ???

Look on the bright side, he saved £500 over the years. There's usually a reason the guy want's them cleared out now and it usually involves his insurance. I had a Rab C Nesbit guy calling me to clear out gutters and I mentioned the tree growing out of the side of the chimney. He wasn't bothered about the tree just the gutters because insurance wouldn't pay out to fix his loose tiles because his gutters had plants growing out of them. ? I didn't get the job as I quoted £200. ?

 

[Jamesmarshall]

Gutter clearing in my area is done by roofers mainly and it’s £80 minimum to get the ladder off and get up there just to have a look

I did a new build terrace probably 4 metres length front and back £40 one climb each side , spent more time taking ladders off than doing the work. Tenant didn’t care as landlord was pleased at price and was reimbursing her 

gutter clearing easiest and most lucrative job IMO before we had replied to her she had rang another firm who wanted £100 ?

Some people are taking the mickey. It’s a wonder where they find these brain dead customers.

as a bonus as the landlord was paying her back he’d asked tenant for my contact details and has sent a list of 8 clears for more for me to do.

great karma - be nice to people and you’ll get it back 

Ripping folks off with ridiculous prices is ok till they ask other people and find out they can get the same service for probably around half the price ?

 

[Chris34]

I have slightly increased the price of most new jobs in comparison to my existing jobs of the same type/size. I do this year on year. Existing jobs are increased gently through the years.

Especially gutter emptying. These, I charged at about £3 per metre when I started 7 years ago. About £18 a run on a 3 bed semi. Then after a couple of years £20. Last year I made it £25. Now I'm charging £30~£35, occasionally £40 if they only want one run emptied. Larger jobs are priced accordingly. I can't recall anyone challenging me except once, a rental landlord about three or four years ago. He was given the simple, straight choice. We got the job at our price.

Yeah sorry I didn't make it clear in my reply to PJJ, I mean't putting up the prices of new jobs not the existing ones.  I'm leaving my existing ones the same price until about March next year as that will be my 3 year point.  The new jobs are way better paid than some of my first customers now though.  Like some of the first jobs that are £15, well new customers are paying £25 for the same amount of work, same type of house.  

I'm now finding myself cleaning my first customers smiling with gritted teeth, lol.  It's funny though, £15 felt like loads of money 2 years ago, I don't know whether it's just me that's got used to it or it's actual inflation but it feels like peanuts now.  I'm almost certain that I couldn't have got £25 two years ago though.

Agree with you on gutters.  I've not done that many jobs with mine as I've not really pushed it, but I haven't been turned down on any of the quotes.  I just charge £3 a metre but if one side is say 9 metres I round it up to 10 [£30].  If it's a detached house with gutters all sides I'm looking at £120 upwards.  I only offer to clear to the top of the downpipes and nobody has complained.  Done some big jobs with mine.  Think the highest was a £230 job.  The best I find is 3 jobs that are relatively straight forward for less money.  3 easy £80 to £90 jobs and life feels good.  When you're out at 9 and made nearly 300 by dinner time, really good feeling.  It wasn't long ago I made that in a full weeks work being a caretaker for a local primary school.