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Post by irjasen on Mar 6, 2006 10:30:37 GMT -5
First I would like to thank anyone for sharing all their knowledge and experience with others. Hopefully what goes around, comes around, and you may get as many contracts as you can handle ;D Now to my wish, so to say. I read many of these postings, but none explains it in detail. I think many would benefit, especially including starters like me , if one of these great or people here, could take time and write down, in very specific detail, how they go about at a walk-through, me , and rate estimates, a double . Something like: What goes in your mind, and what you look for when you go to view the commercial site.
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Post by logan5127 on Mar 6, 2006 11:13:02 GMT -5
On a walk through. 1. Get all info such as client or contractor contact information. 2. Do a fast walk through with client 3. Go back and do a slow walk through , usually by myself. 4. I start at first room and estimate how long this room will take. I count the windows the sq feet of floor if it needs cleaning or waxing. I write on paper room #1 entrance or what ever that room is. Same for each room . restrooms , kitchen, halls and so on. I try to look at everything that needs cleaned. Light fixtures; hand prints; window seals; desk; shelves; amount of debri to remove and so on. 5. I add up all the minutes i have estimated and then add a few to just make sure. 6. I take total time of all cleaning and multiply it times my hourly rate, which at this time where I live is $25 per man hour. 7. I have on my list number of windows and sq ft of any floor that needs carpet deep cleaned or tile that needs finished or sealed. These items have a separate charge. For windows it is according to size and condition such as how much debri has to be removed. We start at $10 to as much as $25 a window. Also charge extra for large amount of debri to be hauled off. 8. I Write out a detailed proposal on a three part proposal sheet. One for office; one for cleaning crew and one for client. 9. Leave proposal sheet and business card with client or set up time to do job. 10. Some charge by the square foot. This is only my process. Hope that helps a little. Dan
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Post by irjasen on Mar 6, 2006 11:19:19 GMT -5
Thank you Dan, It gives a better insight. How did you get to 25/h, what did you include. Could you also make it explicit, step-by-step. And again Thank You, Thank You and Thank You
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Post by logan5127 on Mar 6, 2006 11:27:08 GMT -5
My average employee with payroll taxes and w/c cost me around $15 an hour. It usually does not take a lot of supplies to do a construction clean. More so use of towels and vacuums. But if I figure $4 an hour to cover cost of supplies and equipment use then that leaves $6 hour. take out 20% for income taxes that leaves about a $4 to $5 an hour profit . So if it took 50 man hours to do a job that would be around $200 to $250 profit. This is not counting the profit made from windows ; hauling off debri or any extras such as the deep carpet cleaning or floor finishing. These are my rough estimates. Not an exact science at least for me. Prices vary from one region to the next. In your area they may differ greatly.
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Post by Grizzly on Mar 6, 2006 11:38:51 GMT -5
Consider using a digital camera to take pictures of areas if client will allow. ALWAYS ASK FIRST, SOME HAVE PROPRIETARY ISSUES. Might also consider, laser measurer, to estimate, once you get experience can pretty well judge. Most clients do not have a written list of specs, they just want you to clean. MAKE SURE YOU ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF THEM. Specify you clean only CLEARED desk area or realize you will have to add time for moving stuff on desks. We specify we do not touch CPU'S ,CABLING OR KEYBOARDS. Otherwise you will get someone wondering why the sauce on their k key wasn't removed. We generally do the same as Dan, however, most times we will make recommendations for additions or deletions to their list of specs. Make sure you specify how often you want high dusting of diffusers this kind of thing. Everything adds time , costs you money , you need to be paid for.
Bill
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Post by irjasen on Mar 6, 2006 11:46:46 GMT -5
You guys rock!!!!
What do commercial site require you to have, it probably varies (anyone from Tampa Bay, Florida?)
Workman's comp (how to get it) Liability Ins (how much coverage to get) Bond Ins Any other types
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Post by logan5127 on Mar 6, 2006 11:58:19 GMT -5
I am sorry , On my list I was thinking this was construction clean up walk through but most part of it still applies. Window cleaning would be considerably less. I would also make sure if they have a dumpster on site for trash. Thanks Bill for your input that made me realize this. Hourly rate is also a little less depending on volume of hours this job will produce each week.
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Post by sparkles on Mar 10, 2006 3:44:24 GMT -5
Dan,
That is a great pricing breakdown. The sq. ft concept is good to an extent. But no two places are the same, even if they're built just alike. With the sq. ft. method of pricing it's very easy to under price or over price your work. Also with your concept it provides a basis for explaining how you arrive at the final price. It also allows the client to see what he's saving if you decide to negotiate.
I've been thinking about this concept of pricing for the last couple of days. I'm in a delema with a once a week cleaning of a 4500 sq ft house. I posted earlier that I don't like to do occupied houses. Problem is, I clean the business property for this client.
Ideally, I'd like to get $25.00 per hour for my services. This will allow me to pay my future employees $10.00 per hour and $5.00 per hour toward administrative and cleaning supply replenishing fees. Administrative fees cover the cost of marketing, human resources and the bills that the business incurs. The final $10.00 would be for my pay as well as continued growth of the business.
Thank you for helping me clear this up in my mind. What do you think about it?
Sparkles
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Post by logan5127 on Mar 10, 2006 8:48:48 GMT -5
Price still depends on region and area you live. $25 sounds good for my area as well. Remember that when paying some one $10 per hour the actual cost to you may be around $15 per hour. Also you can be flexible on pricing a little according to amount of hours being paid for each week. We range from $19 to $35 a hour. On commercial jobs that are only 1 to 4 hours a week , I usually charge higher end. I also try to always get commercial jobs to furnish cleaning supplies and equipment. This will cut down on your overhead a lot.
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Post by daabebe on Mar 26, 2006 16:40:45 GMT -5
Consider using a digital camera to take pictures of areas if client will allow. ALWAYS ASK FIRST, SOME HAVE PROPRIETARY ISSUES. Might also consider, laser measurer, to estimate, once you get experience can pretty well judge. Most clients do not have a written list of specs, they just want you to clean. MAKE SURE YOU ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF THEM. Specify you clean only CLEARED desk area or realize you will have to add time for moving stuff on desks. We specify we do not touch CPU'S ,CABLING OR KEYBOARDS. Otherwise you will get someone wondering why the sauce on their k key wasn't removed. We generally do the same as Dan, however, most times we will make recommendations for additions or deletions to their list of specs. Make sure you specify how often you want high dusting of diffusers this kind of thing. Everything adds time , costs you money , you need to be paid for. Bill
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Post by daabebe on Mar 26, 2006 16:44:20 GMT -5
Bill,
What kind of questions you ask your clients. i just want to konw so i can ask my prospect clients.
David
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Post by Grizzly on Mar 26, 2006 19:04:43 GMT -5
The questions you ask depends a lot on the level of specifications the client may have, the type of premises, how bad it is and what is involved. For example. we have EXAMPLE COMPANY that has requested a quote for cleaning services. They have 50 people , working , a mixture of carpet and VCT flooring, a number of partitions, a kitchen, and 2 washrooms. They have no list of specifications. ON the site walk through I would explain that it businesslike to have a complete understanding of the work to be done, and that everything costs money so that after the initial estimate they may want to adjust their specifications. Then we would proceed throught the walkthrough with a standard list of specifications that I have. Questions or comments may be, I notice your diffusers are very dusty, do you want to include a cleaning on them once per year, do you want to discuss a quarterly maintenance program on your VCt, do you want to include an annual carpet cleaning in your program or do you think you need it done quarterly. You understand that we only do cleared desk area, do you want us to move all your paperwork at an extra charge, we can supply your garbage bags at an extra charge, who handles you hygienic items in the washroom. As you can see there are inumerable questions to be asked as you do your site inspection to give you an opportunity to make extra dollars or to get a clearer picture of what exactly the client wants.
Bill
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Post by laniorcleaning on Apr 15, 2009 7:50:16 GMT -5
Good morning Dan;
I'm a new member from Tampa Bay Florida, I have been doing commercial cleaning for about 2 1/2 years with a franchise, but now I'm starting doing my own commercial cleaning estimates and jobs, I'll like to know how do you estimate 1 time per week service, 2 or 5 times per week, with you $ 25.00/hour? can you explain how to get a final monthly amount? Thank you.
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Post by logan5127 on Apr 15, 2009 9:42:11 GMT -5
Its simple. The more times you clean a week , the easier it is to clean each time. The fewer times you clean a week , the harder it is to clean. Example: Lets say I did a walk thru. By my estimates it will take two hours to clean a place. Once a week - two hours= $50 I want to entice them into doing it more often. It will also take less time. So I will do it two times a week for say $40 time thereby giving them the second cleaning for only $30 more than once a week cleaning. What if I did it three times a week for say $35 time. A total of $105 a week thereby giving them two more cleanings a week for only $55 more than the once aweek. Ahh, now they are seeing a value. What if I did it 5 times a week for $30 a time. It would probably only take an hour since we do it every day. It would only cost them $150 a week. So that for an extra $100 they get 4 more cleanings. How could they turn that down. If you did get the 5 days a week and it ends up only taking you one hour a night because it is so clean to start with then you are making $30 an hour. So you have actually went up on your hourly rate. The customer is happy, you are happy and all wins.
This is just an example of how you can lower your price per cleaning and actually make more per hour. You can play around with the figures on any particular job.
There are several ways of coming up with different prices for the amount of times you are cleaning. If it starts out at a maximum amount of hours , say 5 days a week at 2 hours a night, then you should lower your hourly rate some to start with. Say from $25 lowered to $22 an hour. The more hours the lower the hourly rate. IF it were 40 hours a week I might be as low as $20 an hour. Everyone charges different. Different areas, different situations, different levels of clean and so on. You will have to figure out what works for you. All this post is my opinion and is most likely different then a lot of members. Keep that in mind and learn from all you can.
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Post by laniorcleaning on Apr 16, 2009 8:42:17 GMT -5
Dan; Thank you so much for your quick answer. This information It's been very helpfull for me.
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