[MaintenanceMike]

Hey Everybody

Need a little help in pricing a job, a customer has Firevine from the base of her outside fireplace extending 2 1/2 stories up and across the edge of her roof, she wants them pulled down and removed along with 8 shrubs and 2 small tulip trees, Since im new to this business im having a problem putting a price on this, any suggestions? Thanks

[Stonehenge]

Hello Mike,

Hard to know what you're up against for those removals without seeing it. That being said, there's really only a couple variables to this equation, so pricing should be pretty easy (and if you're off by a little bit, it shouldn't hurt the bottom line too much, at this stage of the game, with no materials costs involved).

All I can tell you is to try to walk through how long it's going to take to do the job, including any stump pulling, disposal of spoils, etc. Add some money for dumping charges (whatever those are plus a little bit for yourself). Take your estimated hours for the project and multiply by your hourly rate (probably somewhere between $25-45), and you have a price.

Hope that helps.

[cutntrim]

You could tell her a T&M "Not to exceed" price. Something along the lines of $40/man-hour + dump, not-to-exceed $XXX. You may need to rent a chainsaw and stump-grinder as well. Even if you undercharge, you're mainly losing out only on your own labour, and learning from the exercise for the next time you go to price similar work.