asking for some pricing help PLEASE

[CHAMOS 14]

I have what will be my 1st comm. job. The GC. is a friend and has ask me to spot clean a stocco on block building.It is 25 ft high with gutters around the top and downspouts every 30 ft.the building is 400x 180 there are black stains from the gutters leaking and the gutters themselves have to be cleaned. The amount of the job I say that will be washed is 30% of the walls plus the gutters and spouts. how would you guys look at this? There will be no recourse from the painter for the whole job not getting done before paint. I'm pricing it as directed by them. any number help and chem. suggestions would be very helpful.I will do the job for the experience but don't need a kick in the teeth just comming out of the shoot. thanks in advance. troy foster

[Celeste 341]

Seems that if you clean the top 30%, you'll have to clean the bottom 70% because of gravity?

Celeste

[Tegrey 121]

Chamos,

As with all contracting, you need to know your bottom line. How much does it cost to run your business? What extras do you need. Employees, insurance and the final cost to run your business, what profit you want to make all add up. Getting kicked in the teeth is what we did for three years. It will only help you grow your business when you know how to run your business. No one can give you your price, only theirs. I know this doesn't solve your dollar amount now, but if you want to survive and be profitable work long and hard at running your business. Thank You.

[Don EMS 14]

Troy tell us a little about what kind of equipment you'll be using. Are you saying that after the building is cleaned its to be painted?? If he just wants it spot cleaned before paint $80 per hour plus $1 per ft on the gutters. Call a supplyer like sunbrite and tell them what your cleaning, thay'll take care of you. Or mabye some one else can chime in and give you a few names who to contact ...

Good luck

[PressurePros 248]

I am not sure I understand what you have to do. Is this a paint prep? My next question would be.. how do you propose to spot clean the top of a building. You have to bid this as cleaning 100% of the walls.

Do you know what the stains are and do they need to come out as much as possible including shadowing or again, is this paint prep?

Have you performed a sample cleaning to see what you will need for the job?

Do you have hot water? (makes stucco cleaning faster)

Is the roof flat and/or walkable? (makes gutter cleanout easier)

29,000 s/f of stucco for paint prep, I'd lowball it at $2500. If I had to clean it for curb appeal the price would be about $4500. If it is a walkable roof (flat), I would add the gutters in for another $1000.

So this time of year between $3500 and $5500 depending on the scope.

[Don EMS 14]

Spot clean it, hit the gutters and let the painters paint it.. 2 days $2200. Easy in and out.

[CHAMOS 14]

Thank you for the replies ment to help. Maybe I wasn't clear on the stains. Where the guttters seem to but togeather, the black runs down the wall about 18 inches wide from top to bottom. and as far as cleaning the gutters it's the outside of them not whats in them. It is getting painted this is a prep. I was not asking for anyone to give me MY PRICE I thougt by seeing what other people had done I could compare. Thank you again to those that ask questions and offered thier expertice...troy

[Don EMS 14]

Troy good luck on you upcoming job. Check out the gutters and see how bad thay are, gutter zap works good for them. Also try a house wash and see if it'll get the stains off the wall. Like I said I would spend tops 2 days at that sight, make it easy, dont get to involved in details if there just going to paint it the next day. And dont under charge

[TNT Pressure Washing 14]

Good luck Troy. A great gutter cleaner you may want to check into is the Gutter Grenade (F-13) that Pressure Tek has. It works good.

[Curb Appeal 14]

I vote for gutter grenade too. Brush on, rinse off.

I usually charge $.75 to $1 per linear foot depending on how dirty...

[Doug Dahlke 114]

Chamos,

I'm still a newbie myself but I'll add my $.02 anyway. Sounds like the GC is being penny wise and dollar foolish. If this building is being prepped for paint the entire surface needs to be cleaned. If there is a film of dirt between the new paint and old paint the new coating could fail prematurely. The GC saves a few bucks now but repaints the bulding again possibly years before he would need to if it was done right the first time.

If the majority of the cleaning you are asked to do is at the top of the building then cleaning the lower part is not going to take too much extra time. You are doing the hardest part already. Your fixed cost for getting to the site, setting up, etc is the same wether you wash 1 square foot or 5,000 square feet. I would quote a price that you feel comfortable with for washing the entire building. Then if you get the job wash it all and tell the GC you went the extra mile to prep it right for the paint even though he didn't ask you to. The GC thinks you're great and the painters won't be cussing when they show up. If the GC doesn't want to pay that much let someone else do it. Then you aren't in the finger pointing circle when / if the paint fails early.

[PressurePros 248]

Darn good advice for a "newbie". Troy, don't let it fall on deaf ears or you may regret it.

[Don EMS 14]

Thats some good advice Doug, but I would not walk away from a job and let someone else do it (never leave money on the table). It sounds like the GC is a friend of yours and your going to have to try to do whats best for the both of you..Again we dont know the whole story, he might be selling the building as soon as its painted, or he might be planing on painting it again in 2 years... Figure out whats going to work best for you and your customer and do it.... Its as simple as that.

[CHAMOS 14]

Thanks for the answers guys. Don you are right on the head and I am listening to all. Doug is also right.The owner is the guy saying what he wants and has been told the right way to do it , but I guess can't.He will be able to fix it when it's screwed up thogh!The gc. is a friend and we are trying to do what makes sence for us. The experience is what I'm lookig for so one day I may have an answer here. good niGht all TROY

[Don EMS 14]

So Troy, what ever became of this job?????

[jetstream1 18]

I say wash it then paint all in one job ...bid on both ends