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woodsy2k8 · 3 Apr 2008

Hi to all,

First of all

Having recently started my own business in landscaping(just into 2nd year) I've been using these forums for reference/advice & clarification on jobs I wasn't 100% sure of,so just want to say thanks to all the regular posters who know their stuff.

Anyhow, I was after some advice from those in the trade as what happens in my situation.I have priced for a large turfing job(materials and labour)but only priced for an 8 yard/ton skip as I thought this would be sufficient.Having started the job at the agreed price its now clear I will be needing another skip.Do I talk to the customer and try to work out a deal or do I put it down to experience and bear the cost myself.Maybe I should have stated in the quote that skip costs may be higher?

Thermo · 3 Apr 2008

ahh welcome to the real world!

If youre doing it at an agreed price then its down to you. As you get more experianced you will be able to judge it better. Skips were one of my worst underestimations when i first started up.

bear in mind there are other options avaliable to skips such as grab and tip which can be cheaper, although you need to make sure that it doesnt get messy!

breezer · 3 Apr 2008

the probelm with a skip and soil is that the soil aerates, for example, dig a hole now try and put the soil back and have it flat as before you started, you cant unless you compact it as you go, but i am sure you knew that, same with skips etc, unless its compacted as you go it isnt going to fit.

I would suggest you swallow the cost and chalk it to experiance, it keep s the customer happy (no arguments) and it was your error, not theirs, but i do sympathise with you

look on the bright side, next time quote for 3 skips, use 2 keep the change

WabbitPoo · 3 Apr 2008

Been there, done that. Still do, from time to time.

If you are going down the fixed price contract route, you are morally entitled (in my opinion) to up your quote to cover such unexpected eventualities. Get an extension built, and your builder would do the same. Or, offer a lower estimate but make the wording clear that the final cost may be more.

Some customers choose one route, some choose the other.

In your case, try to drop it in to conversation. Some customers will volunteer to pay for the extra skip. I have had a few. One lady even paid for two extra skips, once we had found how many bricks were in her lawn!

Thermo · 3 Apr 2008

i do always state that we cant cater for the unexpected, ie if we uncover a victorian rubbish dump or an air raid shelter. in other words if you could have reasonably forseen what was there then its down to you. DOnt worry though, its swings and roundabouts, youll make it back on another job.

did one before christmas, priced to rip up a very large deck and replace the boards. Now timber is apain in the arse to get rid of, so i priced on two 8 yard skips, on the road with permits....not cheap. Telephoned a local rubbish removal company we had just started using, and they came and priced it at a quarter of the price. Suffice to say they dropped the ball on that one.

Any other advice you need always feel free to send me a message, its handy to build up a network of people in a similar trade

noseall · 4 Apr 2008

if you can, use a grabloader.

we have just shifted 5 loads and are expecting another two more, bearing in mind that a grab wagon can take 2.5 skip loads in one hit.

best thing ever invented.

woodsy2k8 · 4 Apr 2008

Thanks for all the replies guys ,much appreciated,Ive decided I'm gonna take it on the chin and put it down to experience,I suppose keeping the customer happy and avoiding arguments is the main thing here ,money can buy a lot of things but a good rep ain't one of them and I intend to be in it for the long haul

As for the grabber I think I'll be trying that route next time

Thanks thermo I'm sure you'll be hearing from me soon

Thermo · 4 Apr 2008

grabbers are great, providing youve got the room to put the stuff, and you clear up, or put boards down before you shove stuff on them. Very easy to **** the neighbours off when theres a great heap of stuff in the road, and a big mess left after youve gone. When we use them, we tend to use them on bigger jobs. We normally use a skip as a storage and then get the waste grabbed from them

^woody^ · 4 Apr 2008

Ask, well more specifically, mention it to the customer to see if they would pay or contribute for another skip.

Its the way you ask that will do it.

In future, I would put something in your quote like ".... based on 1 skip for removal of soil. If conditions dictate use of further skips, then this will be charged at cost.

Or use the opposite approach and say that you have allowed for 2 skips and if you only need one, then the price will be reduced.

As long as the customer can see that you are not trying to rip them off, then most are happy to pay. Thats where a fully itemised quote comes in handy.

What I tend to do is keep as many of the unknowns as possible out of any fixed price. Separate them into provisional items, which will or wont be charged as necessary

noseall · 4 Apr 2008

fully itemised quotes are fine, provided people want to pay.

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breezer

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