Giving a quote for looking after flat 4 hrs a week doing odd jobs

[newhandyman]

I quoted £60 for 4 hrs work/weekly- just quickly said this over the phone to a lady (off the top of my head) Is this reasonable or should I ask for a bit more? say £80? I have public liability insurance. The thing is it will be a 30 min drive each way as well. A guy just called me back and left a message so they're obviously interested. They like the fact I have insurance.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Under prised, why not say £60.00 was for the actual time on premises plus the travelling time and mileage on top, so depending on how many trips per week, add your mileage allowance at HMRC rate, plus half 1 hr travelling per trip.

 

[Mottie]

Well, I know what I'd tell someone who wanted to charge me 'travelling time'! Does anyone here charge travelling time? What if your car breaks down and you have to walk or rely on public transport - will you charge more? If you're self employed, your travelling time is your problem - you should have included that in your quote if you feel the client should pay that. Looks like you've just started out - weren't you the one asking for someone for you to watch put a fence up the other week? Just learn by your 'mistake'. You're just starting out, aren't you? You might have just got a regular customer - be grateful, do a good job and that will lead on to further work.

On the other hand, if that's your way of pricing a job, why not charge them for a squeeze of toothpaste, breakfast, lunch, laundry money for your work clothes, tax, mot and car insurance plus a bit of servicing and wear and tear on your car while while you are at it?

 

[Diver Fred]

Your've made your quote, if you want the job then stick by it.

You priced your time on a day rate of 120 quid (which is cheap when paying overheads) so if the quote if for 4 hours on one day then it isn't to bad. If the quote is for 1 hour a day for 4 days the you are well under and you are effectively working for free...

 

[purpleroad]

Your've made your quote, if you want the job then stick by it.

You priced your time on a day rate of 120 quid (which is cheap when paying overheads) so if the quote if for 4 hours on one day then it isn't to bad. If the quote is for 1 hour a day for 4 days the you are well under and you are effectively working for free...

I don't understand. If it's £120 for a days wor which u said is cheap how can £60 for 4 hrs be better?

 

[Mottie]

Perhaps he was planning to charge all other expenses to the poor unsuspecting customer?

OP. You're just starting out. Take any work you can get for now - when you are fully booked week in, week out you can then look to see whether you are charging too cheap and adjust your prices accordingly. You'll just have to suck it up for now while you build a reputation and customer base. However, if you build a reputation of jacking your prices up after you have agreed them, you'll soon see what happens.

 

[Mottie]

I don't understand. If it's £120 for a days wor which u said is cheap how can £60 for 4 hrs be better?

He didn't say it was better, he said it wasn't too bad.

 

[vinn]

If you are going to do service work or small time jobbing work then one method is for you to charge from leaving home or the last job to the time you leave the next job.
ie leave home at 8 o'clock and leave the job at 10 o'clock = two hours
leave for next job at 10 o'clock finish at 11 o'clock = one hour and so on.

 

[Mottie]

....but don't get jobs too far away or during rush hour. You'll definately price yourself out of business.......

Just a question for the OP. Do you pay the milkman or window cleaner for their travelling time from their house to yours? No? Neither do I. What about the paperboy?

 

[newhandyman]

....but don't get jobs too far away or during rush hour. You'll definately price yourself out of business.......

Just a question for the OP. Do you pay the milkman or window cleaner for their travelling time from their house to yours? No? Neither do I. What about the paperboy?

You do, they just don't tell you.

 

[seasickstevie]

You do, they just don't tell you.

Exactly

 

[Mottie]

Yes, exactly my point. Obviously a proportion of your costs are built in to the price of each job but when you price a job, if you quote the customer say, £25 quid to clean their windows and that seems fair, you'll more than likely get the job. However, if you quote the customer say, £15 to clean their windows and they agree to that and you then tell them you also want £5 for travelling time, £3 for petrol, £1 towards your public liability and another £1 for cleaning materials you'll more than likely be told to sling yer hook!

From previous posts, it's clear that newhandyman is a window cleaner and is trying to branch out into other handyman type jobs. That has to be applauded but it seems he has no grasp of pricing jobs and wants to increase the price of a quote before he's even started. He admits to giving a price quickly of the top of his head and he just shouldn't be doing that, it's very unprofessional.

All I was trying to get across to him is that you should get your prices sorted before quoting and once you give a price, stick to it unless something out of the ordinary comes up. Travelling time is not out of the ordinary if you are a jobbing handyman.

 

[garyo]

Which part of the country are you in? It seems cheap to me if you're supplying your own tools. How did you agree who would pay for things like a squirt of silicone or a handful of screws?

 

[mattylad]

Consider it an introduction, you do that job and then they will want more, recommend you to their friends etc.