help on Pricing jobs

Hi all I know this question has been asked a lot but I need some help to compare to my own pricing

So what would you charge for a 3 bed semi, a 4 bedroom detached. How much extra do you charge on a first clean.

I am just finding it really difficult to give a quote that is both fair to the customer and to me. I only do jobs that want the full service ie the glass,frames and doors.

What would you say is the average price for a maintenance clean across the uk. I know its hard to say because people could have extensions conservatives so there will be more windows. because i have some jobs that it is a front and a back no conservatory and getting about £15. if anyone could give me some tips or advice on how they price it will be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

Josh Foster said:

Hi all I know this question has been asked a lot but I need some help to compare to my own pricing

So what would you charge for a 3 bed semi, a 4 bedroom detached. How much extra do you charge on a first clean.

I am just finding it really difficult to give a quote that is both fair to the customer and to me. I only do jobs that want the full service ie the glass,frames and doors.

What would you say is the average price for a maintenance clean across the uk. I know its hard to say because people could have extensions conservatives so there will be more windows. because i have some jobs that it is a front and a back no conservatory and getting about £15. if anyone could give me some tips or advice on how they price it will be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

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Hi Josh, it's very hard to suggest an average as it can vary so much depending on the area, travel time, if its near other work, frequency of clean.

For example, I am in Yorkshire. I have 3 bed semis ranged  from £6 to £22 for regular cleaning. I have 4 bed detached from £8 up to £20.

Despite the price difference, I earn the same hourly rate on all of them pretty much.

If you have an old style 'run' where you clean most of the street and know the work well, you could charge £8 and £10 for simple 3 bed and 4 bed houses respectively and be earning a good £40ph. (You could charge more and loose a percentage but your lower prices keep the work compact and that allows you to get through alot of work fast)

On the other hand, a lot of modern rounds are small pockets of houses or individual houses that require a lot of travel. The sky is the limit with this kind of work as you don't care about it being compact so you don't worry about not getting quotes accepted. This means you can go in high and net the cream of the work available. You could be charging for the same houses  £20 - £30. But.. you may be charging 3x more but you won't necessarily be earning 3x more per hour.

The best way is to figure out what you want per hour and price based on that. Also you can aim for so much percentage of your quotes being accepted. For instance, if you only secure 10% of your quotes you're probably too expensive (unless you only want the top 10%), if you get 95% of your quotes accepted then you're probably too cheap.. So you can use that as a guide for your local area as the average price varies across the country, but the top prices can be achieved anywhere with patience.

Edit: Oh and I charge double on the 1st clean.

Yep as said many variables, but down here in Bournemouth, your average 3 bed semi (3 windows & front door, 2 side windows, then 3 windows & French doors on the back) I’d be look at £17/£18 depending on if it’s my 6 weekly area or 8 weekly areas. 

1st clean, If they’ve not be done in about a year but not too bad (just very dusty & cob webby) is charge £25ish for 1st clean. 

4 bed detached- £20-22 regular clean. No conservatory. 

Google "Window cleaning price list" & you'll get an idea.

While your trying to build your round it a good idea not to charge more for a first clean, I still dont 10 years in.

You'll catch more custom that way!

Josh Foster said:

Hi all I know this question has been asked a lot but I need some help to compare to my own pricing

So what would you charge for a 3 bed semi, a 4 bedroom detached. How much extra do you charge on a first clean.

I am just finding it really difficult to give a quote that is both fair to the customer and to me. I only do jobs that want the full service ie the glass,frames and doors.

What would you say is the average price for a maintenance clean across the uk. I know its hard to say because people could have extensions conservatives so there will be more windows. because i have some jobs that it is a front and a back no conservatory and getting about £15. if anyone could give me some tips or advice on how they price it will be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

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you price what you want for the job.........there is no set standard price for window cleaning anywhere in the country!

RWCleaning said:

Yep as said many variables, but down here in Bournemouth, your average 3 bed semi (3 windows & front door, 2 side windows, then 3 windows & French doors on the back) I’d be look at £17/£18 depending on if it’s my 6 weekly area or 8 weekly areas. 

1st clean, If they’ve not be done in about a year but not too bad (just very dusty & cob webby) is charge £25ish for 1st clean. 

4 bed detached- £20-22 regular clean. No conservatory. 

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you must be raking it in at them prices.......i only work part time hours these days and my turnover is around £45k a year at present and i charge nowhere near £17 for a 3 bed semi!some of mine are just £8 but very compact so i can clean 5 or 6 an hour......4 bedders are nearer your prices(£20-£24)..i do clean a fair few larger jobs at £40-£60 a pop too though....

how do you justify to the customer that cleaning a 3 bed semi job that takes 10 mins to clean for £17-£18 is a fair price?

I quoted a 4 bed detached at £32 the other day, she said was well surprised as her previous ( who has gone awol) was £20. Well, I explained that I could do 3 little semis at £12 or more a pop in the time it would take to do hers. Glad I didnt get it really as £32 was too cheap, one of those lots of little squares jobs.

Josh Foster said:

Hi all I know this question has been asked a lot but I need some help to compare to my own pricing

So what would you charge for a 3 bed semi, a 4 bedroom detached. How much extra do you charge on a first clean.

I am just finding it really difficult to give a quote that is both fair to the customer and to me. I only do jobs that want the full service ie the glass,frames and doors.

What would you say is the average price for a maintenance clean across the uk. I know its hard to say because people could have extensions conservatives so there will be more windows. because i have some jobs that it is a front and a back no conservatory and getting about £15. if anyone could give me some tips or advice on how they price it will be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

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You need to look at what people are charging in your area. A quick Google or facebook search will give you some idea. You don't want to be the cheapest but you don't want to be the most expensive. I reckon @dazmond will be somewhere in the right ball park as he's only the other end of the M62.

I have tried all sorts on the first clean. Not charging extra, charging £5, £7 extra etc etc. It will take you longer and as you're working out of a car at the moment it could be much more effort for you so I would charge a bit more. Some lads charge double. I see the value in what @paul alan says but I also find the customer values the first clean a little more if they pay a bit extra for it, less likely to skip a clean afterwards in my experience. 

ks789 said:

I quoted a 4 bed detached at £32 the other day, she said was well surprised as her previous ( who has gone awol) was £20. Well, I explained that I could do 3 little semis at £12 or more a pop in the time it would take to do hers. Glad I didnt get it really as £32 was too cheap, one of those lots of little squares jobs.

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 houses with georgian panes are easy if your wfp(compared to cleaning them trad).....

dazmond said:

 houses with georgian panes are easy if your wfp(compared to cleaning them trad).....

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I find they're prone to spotting though. I go left to right rinsing as I go, then down to the next lot... Not ideal compared to cleaning a large UPVC pane but certainly much easier than trad.

dazmond said:

 houses with georgian panes are easy if your wfp(compared to cleaning them trad).....

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yeh I wouldnt trad them, maybe her previous did and thats why he jacked it. dont reckon she'll find another bloke do it for 20/

When I started I didn’t charge more for first cleans as I wanted and needed the work , but now unless they are a friend or family of an existing customer it’s double the price , I have had lots say they want a regular clean so you give them a price and Do the job then they say I’ll give you a call when I want them doing again I remind them that the agreement was a regular clean , and walk away , when the phone months later and want them doing again I refuse saying we only do regular work . Charging double for the first clean sorts out the messers who only want a one off , people who are genuine realise that the first clean will take longer and that has to be paid for , they also appreciate that you are doing a thorough job .

 that makes sense I think I may have been overpricing some of my quotes. I find quoting the hardest because I want the job but I want a fair price thanks

dazmond said:

you must be raking it in at them prices.......i only work part time hours these days and my turnover is around £45k a year at present and i charge nowhere near £17 for a 3 bed semi!some of mine are just £8 but very compact so i can clean 5 or 6 an hour......4 bedders are nearer your prices(£20-£24)..i do clean a fair few larger jobs at £40-£60 a pop too though....

how do you justify to the customer that cleaning a 3 bed semi job that takes 10 mins to clean for £17-£18 is a fair price?

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I wouldn’t say I’m a fast cleaner, arriving, unpacking, cleaning, packing up & driving away I’d say I would be there 20-22 mins. 

But yeh a very compact round of 2 & 3 bed semi’ is definitely the best paying rounds in my opinion.

what do you guys using for getting customers canvassing,leaflets facebook thanks

Josh Foster said:

what do you guys using for getting customers canvassing,leaflets facebook thanks

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Try anyway you can think of mate and see whats best. Myself, post flyers in doors, put up flyers in shops/notice boards, had add in  local free paper which got some results. I aint done facebook but hear it works out ok for some.

Josh Foster said:

what do you guys using for getting customers canvassing,leaflets facebook thanks

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Recommendation from existing customers is the biggest supply of new customers , website brings in a lot , and sighn written van , along with walk ups while people see you working are good , we don’t use facebook or any other social media , friends that do have said most are messers or want a cheap or one off clean . 

If just starting out I think the best way is to go knocking on doors introduce yourself and try and be friendly and offer the services that you want to sell , leave a buisness card , if in a semi rural location parish magazines are good or the local free papers , some shops still have buisness cards on there boards that people can take , once you get a few good customers they will recomend you to friends and family then work will take off very quickly , or it did for me when I started n never looked back , hope it works out for you .

I dont come accross many messers without charging extra for a first clean.

Its all about communicating your point accross to any potential customer that the first clean is worth more, but your going to put the extra effort in for the regular price. You then tell them that your only doing this in return for their regular custom. Its reciprocation, you do "something" for them, and now they owe you something. It works a treat. I always explain this at the quote stage and then again on the day of the first clean so it sinks in to the customers mind.

The quotation form states that a first clean is double, when I show them and explain I'll do it for them without paying extra and draw a line through it as I say it then the customers feels as though I am giving them something for "free". I always make a point of showing the customer all the worst parts of the windows and explain to them what its going to take to get it clean, then I go around with them afterwards and show them how well it came up, and how I have removed x stain etc.

I also hand them a sheet of paper with our and their "expectations" clearly stating them.

The customer has to see the value in your service, how important their custom is to you, and how important it is for them to be regular. You must communicate this loud and clear, on more than one occasion.

I started this way with one customer, I know turn over £65k for roughly 20-25 hours per week, some weeks a little more. I always have a list of new customers and the ones I do have value my service and tell me so. If I get canvassed or leafleted upon I'm always the first to know as my customers tell me.

Josh Foster said:

 that makes sense I think I may have been overpricing some of my quotes. I find quoting the hardest because I want the job but I want a fair price thanks

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It was once said that if you get every quote you're too cheap: if you don't get any you are too expensive. Depending on where your target is you are about right if you are getting 40 to 60 percent of your quotes.

If your aim is 40 percent then you can expect to loose a few after a couple of cleans as they feel you are too expensive or they find someone cheaper.

If you are looking for work then you might decide to price more competitively and sort them out when your round is more full.

There is a cleaner whose has the little village of Charltons just outside Guisborough sewn up. There are 2 streets of street houses consisting of around 200 x 2 bed houses. He only does fronts of 1 upstairs window, a down stairs window and the front door. He does about 120 of them at £2 a clean. It takes him a couple of hours. The quality of the clean is very poor. Any complaints; find another cleaner.

No one is going to muscle in in his territory at the prices he charges.