A ? for you PROs on bidding jobs!!!

[mowoodchopper]

I saw this same ??? on the chainsaw forum, and am very curious to the diff prices and bidding you guys use. I have a small tree service, myself and my brother in law. We have a bucket truck and pickup and trailer we haul off with. Also use a loader some to load big stuff. What I am curious about is what you guys would charge for a operation like this. I basically bid by how long I think the job will take, 1 hour min. So much for the truck,and so much for myself and partner. We are trying to stay as cheap as possible to be competitive but still make some money.

 

[jomoco]

The industry average is about 60 bucks per man hour. So a 2 man crew for 8 hours should be about 900 bucks, a 3 man crew around 1,400 bucks.

jomoco

 

[mowoodchopper]

The industry average is about 60 bucks per man hour. So a 2 man crew for 8 hours should be about 900 bucks, a 3 man crew around 1,400 bucks.

jomoco

We are below that by quite a little but were in a small town in the midwest .

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

price

If you have been doing this for awhile? (2-3yrs) You should have an idea what the other companies are charging. If you dont know. Find out!
Sixty to hundred a man hour is good. If your area can support that.

 

[mowoodchopper]

If you have been doing this for awhile? (2-3yrs) You should have an idea what the other companies are charging. If you dont know. Find out!
Sixty to hundred a man hour is good. If your area can support that.

I guess thats probably why I asked the ???? To find out! I thought I made that clear! :monkey:

Sorry for insulting you by asking a ?????????

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I guess thats probably why I asked the ???? To find out! I thought I made that clear! :monkey:

Sorry for insulting you by asking a ?????????

Your asking guys a question which is contextual to geography. Hourly rates great vary due to different places having different levels of costs and incomes and the population, competition, seasonal variation, travel range, local laws, dumping availability and costs etc etc etc. Its like asking about babysitter rates, how do we know how much your neighbourhood kids want?


Heres how you find out (you cant try asking your competition to get an idea)

Quote your jobs at 60 bucks an hour for a couple months.

If you get flooded with work, but cant seem to keep any $ in the bank due to costs, then your to cheap.

Quote your jobs at 100 and hour, if you drop your accepted jobs so your only have 3 days work a week but are putting money in the bank, then your getting close to getting it right.

If changing your price, how hard you work, advertising, market research and everything else has a completely random result week to week
Congrats, your now a typical tree company.

 

[Blakesmaster]

If changing your price, how hard you work, advertising, market research and everything else has a completely random result week to week
Congrats, your now a typical tree company.

lol. Rep for that line.

 

[Blakesmaster]

####, they won't let me rep you again.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Yeah, 60-65 per man hour if not an emergency. Sometimes you can bid it a certain man hour and get it and then use less guys and your man hour comes in much higher. Knowing how the competitors are bidding helps alot.
Jeff

 

[mowoodchopper]

If changing your price, how hard you work, advertising, market research and everything else has a completely random result week to week
Congrats, your now a typical tree company.

Heck I guess I already have it down cause thats exactly what I get!

 

[mowoodchopper]

Yeah, 60-65 per man hour if not an emergency. Sometimes you can bid it a certain man hour and get it and then use less guys and your man hour comes in much higher. Knowing how the competitors are bidding helps alot.
Jeff

The trouble around here is , small towns , 2-3 competitors , but very hard to find out what they are charging, everyone knows who you are and who you are talking to if you know what I mean.

 

[jefflovstrom]

The trouble around here is , small towns , 2-3 competitors , but very hard to find out what they are charging, everyone knows who you are and who you are talking to if you know what I mean.

Same here Bro, just a different town.
Jeff

 

[outofmytree]

####, they won't let me rep you again.

I got TM for ya.

Random results... Sounds like my week sometimes...

 

[Rftreeman]

you're on the right track, the key is to make sure you're on the right hourly rate, it's like others said, if you're busy but no money after expense then you're to low on the rate..

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

knowledge is power

The trouble around here is , small towns , 2-3 competitors , but very hard to find out what they are charging, everyone knows who you are and who you are talking to if you know what I mean.

Wake up dude. Go hang out at the coffee shop. Mingle with the public. If your afraid to ask the homeowner or client what other bids are. Your not going to get very far.
I can tell ya stories of how high the competition is. I mean way up there. Some times being the 2nd or 3rd bidder is to your advantage. All of this mean nothing if your afraid to ask!! One of the local competition has ripped off the public for thousands and hes still doing. Sad part is neighbors just dont talk to neighbors. But this can be used to your advantage! If your asken your clients for information. Knowledge is power. Or your not going to last long in the biz. Ya want to make money or just limp by??
Set up some client for your competition to bid. It does work!
I've given out bids to the competition! It all goes around!

 

[mowoodchopper]

Wake up dude. Go hang out at the coffee shop. Mingle with the public. If your afraid to ask the homeowner or client what other bids are. Your not going to get very far.
I can tell ya stories of how high the competition is. I mean way up there. Some times being the 2nd or 3rd bidder is to your advantage. All of this mean nothing if your afraid to ask!! One of the local competition has ripped off the public for thousands and hes still doing. Sad part is neighbors just dont talk to neighbors. But this can be used to your advantage! If your asken your clients for information. Knowledge is power. Or your not going to last long in the biz. Ya want to make money or just limp by??
Set up some client for your competition to bid. It does work!
I've given out bids to the competition! It all goes around!

Apparently you think KC is like a small town, notta you can hang out at the coffee shop all you want and when everyone in town knows you and the competitor you only find out so much. I know what the competitor charges here , Im curious about other towns same type of area.