Commercial pricing help...

[dpaull 80]

OK so I've never priced a job this big and could use some help with what to charge. Supplies aren't an issue, the guy that owns the properties is going to give me a credit card to purchase everything.

In total, 5 properties scattered about a 3 mile radius in a lower class end of town. The measurements break down as follows:

Flooring: 1179 sq. feet

Rails: 617 linear feet

Steps: 47

Lattice: 30'

Fence: 232 linear feet

(108 sq. feet of that flooring is going to be solid)

(56 linear feet of the railings will be solid)

(and 11 steps solid)

Now I come up with right around $9,000 if this was just standard residential pricing...

Water hookup is a problem at three of the locations...as there is no outside supply. So I'll have to port my own h2o around. Won't be a problem filling as I can fill it up at one of his other properties when I run out.

So what kind of discount do you normally give commercial customers for a good bit of work like this? Keep in mind I'll be so busy for a week or two that I may lose a couple of residential jobs that need something quickly.

Also keep in mind, this guy owns about 450 properties...so repeat business is probable.

Feel free to PM me or give me a ring at 412-901-2880. Thanks! - dp

[MMI Enterprises 289]

OK so I've never priced a job this big and could use some help with what to charge. Supplies aren't an issue, the guy that owns the properties is going to give me a credit card to purchase everything.

In total, 5 properties scattered about a 3 mile radius in a lower class end of town. The measurements break down as follows:

Flooring: 1179 sq. feet x $1.25 - $1.75 clean and stain

Rails: 617 linear feet x $3.50 - $6

Steps: 47 per sq. ft. or $5 -$10 each depending on length

Lattice: 30' per sq. ft.

Fence: 232 linear feet per sq. ft. ($.49 - $.65)

(108 sq. feet of that flooring is going to be solid)

(56 linear feet of the railings will be solid)

(and 11 steps solid)

Now I come up with right around $9,000 if this was just standard residential pricing...

Water hookup is a problem at three of the locations...as there is no outside supply. So I'll have to port my own h2o around. Won't be a problem filling as I can fill it up at one of his other properties when I run out.

So what kind of discount do you normally give commercial customers for a good bit of work like this? Keep in mind I'll be so busy for a week or two that I may lose a couple of residential jobs that need something quickly.

Also keep in mind, this guy owns about 450 properties...so repeat business is probable.

Feel free to PM me or give me a ring at 412-901-2880. Thanks! - dp

Confused... is the flooring a total of all 5. I ask as the ln.ft. of the railing and steps seems as maybe a total?

[bigchaz 157]

If its a three mile radius than just treat them like residentials, which im assuming they are. Its not like you are parked at one spot doing 10 decks.

Each is a seperate job. Price them all seperate and submit the bid that way

[dpaull 80]

OK yeah I am definitely going to price them all seperately and submit 5 bids.

Yes, the flooring is a total of all the decks. Two of the properties make up a good bit of the flooring, the rest are small, and there are some railings that are on concrete pads.

I was going $2.00 / sq. foot

rails at $6 / lin. foot

steps at $9.00 each

lattice at $7.00 / linear foot

and fence at $6.00 / linear foot (roughly the same when I calculate a sq. footage).

I will go with your pricing Kevin to get a rough guide of where I should be.

==========

Do you think the owner of these properties would rather see for example:

200 sq. foot at $1.50 = $300

100 lin. foot railings at $6.00 = $600

Total: $900

OR

200 sq. foot at $2.00 = $400

100 lin. foot railings at $7.00 = $700

Total: $1100

Minus multiple property discount at (18%) -$198

Total: $902

[bigchaz 157]

Your pricing structure sounds spot on. Fences are a bit high in my opinion, but if you can get it, def charge it. Dont go any lower on the surface or deck rails.

I wouldn't price it with the discount. Then you set yourself up for expectation of discount in the future. Treat it normal and do something like throwing a bench or picnic table if they have those for free. I might have said to do the fence for free, but 200 feet is a bit big to be giving away

The pricing Kevin listed looks like its from the delco website, so dont use that as a guide.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

In considering future work that maybe only one at a time, I'd say the first option. Everything about it looks lower to the HO...The simpler the better.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Chaz, no those figures I listed are not from a site persay. They are from figuring my known costs and personal labor time involved and then what I want to make for that time and effort expended. There is also a dose of respect to both the desire to keep faces fed and what my competition charges of course. The ranges I gave are due to the respecting what others are able to get elsewhere or for complications. Realize it aint for heavy strip of an acrylic lets say....

Delco was mentioned recent but so was contractor.com...couldn't tell ya off top of my head what Delco list says for decks right now.

[bigchaz 157]

O ok your pricing just seemed low to me.

[dpaull 80]

OK well I think I'm just going to submit this like I normally would to a regular homeowner. If there is a problem, I'll talk to him about it and see if we can work something out.

Yeah I hear you on the pricing thing because it isn't like a large sq. footage job, as it's a bunch of smaller jobs...I'm not sure how many companies are bidding, but I don't think anyone that would undercut a job like this would even bother submitting a bid...it is a good bit of work and each site has their fair share of obstacles that need dealing with.

He is requiring proof of insurance -- which should knock out the under cutters right there anyway.

[bigchaz 157]

Nice to see someone actually requiring proof of insurance. Good for you since your right, that probably eliminates most of the lowballers anyway