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Eric Sparks
Posted: Jul 15, 2008 05:45 PM
charging extra
do guys stick to your price per square foot, board foot or do you charge extra for crawl spaces, scaffolding work and ect.
thanks
Posted: Jul 16, 2008 09:31 PM
sparky...
yes,,,& no....kinda depends....
example..
a few weeks ago we did cathedrals that went from 30' at the sides to 45' at the peak...this setup was clustered by a 10x12x10 stone hearth in the center of this large straw bale sided structure,,,and, consider, there where structural decorative beams every 10' at the 30' level,,,
well,,,these folks were building this for themselves, and the chance of future work short of referrals is not that likely,,so,,,i indeed charged them for the scaffold work,,,there were many sets and resets to shoot this girl...
now on the other hand...
i spray for a builder,,everything he builds,,,he likes the tall(frequently 32' to peak),,,large greatrooms,,with cathedrals,,or vaults,,,or barrels,,,or,,,well any way...we play well together in the sandbox..
many times he leaves scaffold set for me to use,,,most times all prep work is done,,and done correctly,,like blocking of the heels and transitions to tall sidewalls or flat lids,,,
he gets this work done for less than i "charge per square foot" in consideration for the magnatude of the job overall,,and for his volume of work,,you know,,,our future relationships...

tell your customer that this is a price for "uncomplicated sidewalls up to 10ft" if you need to give the nibblers and fishers some chum...

hope this helps

'dude :)
philip mullins
Posted: Jul 18, 2008 03:11 AM
i myself, dont have a board foot price. i look at a job and figure how much chemical and supplies will cost, how many guns i wanna put on it, and how long i will be thier. i usualy back up my numbers just to see what it is per board foot. but every job is different. i think that some guys who charge like the suppliers tell them too will find thier prices way too high on a crawl space that has little or no clean up. or worse yet, losing thier butts on a 3800 square foot single story with a 10/12 pitch.

i heard the usual pricing scenario's from several suppliers when i was researching this buisness. and while i am still new at this, i have learned enough to doubt that any of these salesmen have ever sprayed a house. taken some classes, sure. played around with the trigger a little, maybe. actualy shout a house...
Eric Sparks
Posted: Jul 19, 2008 02:35 PM
thanks for the replys guys, i have seen where some guys charge extra if they have to even climb any scafolding or crawl on their backs. can anyone else share their opinions
D. Backes
Posted: Jul 19, 2008 05:18 PM
Yea, what Troutkiller said. I will figure time materials etc separately then I will double check with some very basic board foot prices to make sure I'm where I need to be. I made myself a list of costs that I can refer to but I know most in my head by now. I do have sq. ft. prices on my list but I will never quote from that list for a customer (unless I can see that they are tire kicking and then I might give them upper spectrum prices).
Every job is different and should be priced as such.
I charge for scaffold work because it slows you down - how much depends. If your in a tight space it slows you down - I charge extra because it costs more. Time is money. I don't necessarily tell them this unless they ask.
Don't be lazy and rely on preset prices, If you do you'll end up screwing yourself. Also if you can break down your pricing for your self there is less chance you'll forget price increases and you will understand what it costs YOU to stay in business. I think there are a lot of contractors in this business who don't realize they are not making a living.
I have these "extra" charges figured in my bid price. If I didn't think it through and the job ends up costing me more than I charged I figure I eat it. I do have provisions in my contract for unforseen extras but that's mostly for things beyond my control and add ons etc.

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