Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: pablomorias on December 15, 2010, 08:47:10 am

Title: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: pablomorias on December 15, 2010, 08:47:10 am
Hi guys,
It's my first post here so bear with me.

I'm about to take on my first carpet and upholstery cleaning job, and I wonder if you could give me some input on quotation and pricing.


Its a member club and restaurant and bar.

-Its about 417 sq. meters of carpeted area, wool, wooven, muilt-colour, and I believe it shrunked from previous clean.
-8 flights of stairs wool, wooven, muilt-colour.

-280 sq. meters polypropylene carpet tiles 
-3 Rugs 14 sq mt each (muilt-colour, wooven)

They also want the upholstery done:

-Armchairs               6   leather -
                                21 fabric
Cushions                 37
two seated sofa      12
Chairs                      125 (leather)

I'm quoting this job for around £2,600.00 could anybody give me an idea of on going rate for the items above?

I bought an Prochem Steemproo Powermax, just hope it'll be good for the job. Now I am looking for a Supplier for chemicals.

Any help will be very much appreciated

Paul
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Colin Day on December 15, 2010, 09:04:16 am
How many days do you expect it to take you?

What's your absolute minimum you are prepared to work for on a daily rate?

That's how I would work it out... For instance, If I was happy making £400 a day and it was going to take me a maximum of 4 (8 Hour) days, I'd calculate 4 X £400 which of course would equal £1600

Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: pablomorias on December 15, 2010, 09:33:36 am
Well I'm not sure how long it will take me as it's my first job apart from my own house of course.

The carpet needs corrective cleaning, and the upholstery are all mix fibres, Im not sure yet but I believe will
have to dry clean some of them which I will have to do by hand.

The rugs are very expensive rugs, so they say, and it's very dirty as well.

I'm Really struggling on this quotation.
I thought I would work out a price per sq. meter and per piece of furniture.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: chrisjohn on December 15, 2010, 12:01:05 pm
Thats a damn big job to be taking on as your 1st real job.

Only an idea but what about calling on a more experienced CC to help you.

Chris
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Helen on December 15, 2010, 12:39:31 pm
Thats a damn big job to be taking on as your 1st real job.

Only an idea but what about calling on a more experienced CC to help you.

Chris
My thoughts exactly!
Too many "ifs" and "maybes" in the details for anyone experienced or not. Upholstery that "may" need dry cleaning, carpets that already "shrunk" with previous cleaning. Leather upholstery to be cleaned.....what leather is it? Can it be "just" cleaned or does it need restoring!
Get this wrong mate and you could be out of business before you start!  It needs an experienced eye to look at it and to deal with the customer as I suspect they may be after a "cheapo" job.  Do they want it done before Xmas, cos that would strange for this sort of establishment as they should be booked solid for Xmas do's. So watch out for that aswell....can only be done between the hours of 2.00 a.m & 8.00 a.m....good luck you're gonna need it.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: james roffey on December 15, 2010, 01:32:21 pm
Not a good one to start with, the suggestion of sharing it with another more experienced guy is a good one.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: mark joyce on December 15, 2010, 01:54:06 pm
go and look again mate would not think the stairs would be wool in a high use club !!!

try and find some one as said above to share the job with you dont get this wrong but dont run before you can even crawl this sort of work is a nightmare to do (I know I do a lot of it)  I think your well off with the price as well it will take you 2 days to do just the 12 2 seater sofas dont forget they will be soaked in beer at some point and the more you extract the bigger the stain, chairs are the same, if you have a contact in club ask what they paid last time or what the have in mind?  the more you clean some areas the dirtier it will get.  honestly If I was you I would say thanks but no thanks perhaps next time you get it done but at the moment Im not ready or get someone in with you    these places do not get any work done till its wrecked then expect miracles what have you said about odd stains? who is signing it off do the want it brand new again?   insurance??      be careful 
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: robert meldrum on December 15, 2010, 05:04:04 pm
Are you really taking such a job on as your FIRST JOB....................
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Hilton on December 15, 2010, 05:05:46 pm
Firstly very well done for getting a chance to quote on such a big  job as this. If carried out professionally and to an acceptable standard it could propel you very quickly on your way to leaping over the heads of many a professional who has been at it years.

But and its a big but... this is far to big a job to do on your own ( thats if you are on your own) with Steampro and in my opinion you have under priced it.

How will you be cleaning all those leather chairs ?

The 2 seater sofas will take you most of the day on their own,

You have been warned the carpets were shrunk on last clean are you sure they are not BW, I suspect not in a Private club but make sure and the stairs probably are wool (contract wilton or axminster ).

Do you have sufficient and the correct type  cover in the event it all goes wrong ?

I suggest you get some help at least with the survey before you go any further, there are plenty who will offer to help you and also to assist in the job its self given the right amount of notice.



Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: clinton on December 15, 2010, 05:09:08 pm
Am sure there will be someone to help you,what area do you live in .
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: pablomorias on December 15, 2010, 06:29:47 pm
Hi guys,
It's my first post here so bear with me.

I'm about to take on my first carpet and upholstery cleaning job, and I wonder if you could give me some input on quotation and pricing.


Its a member club and restaurant and bar.

-Its about 417 sq. meters of carpeted area, wool, wooven, muilt-colour, and I believe it shrunked from previous clean.
-8 flights of stairs wool, wooven, muilt-colour.

-280 sq. meters polypropylene carpet tiles 
-3 Rugs 14 sq mt each (muilt-colour, wooven)

They also want the upholstery done:

-Armchairs               6   leather -
                                21 fabric
Cushions                 37
two seated sofa      12
Chairs                      125 (leather)

I'm quoting this job for around £2,600.00 could anybody give me an idea of on going rate for the items above?

I bought an Prochem Steemproo Powermax, just hope it'll be good for the job. Now I am looking for a Supplier for chemicals.

Any help will be very much appreciated

Paul
[zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Paul Heath on December 15, 2010, 06:32:40 pm
Well done for getting a chance of quoting on such a job.
Would be worth teaming up with a Trucky......not starting this debate again....just thinking of your machine and you.
It will be hard work and having someone doing the large areas while you concentrate on the samller ones and upholstery will get the job done quicker impressing the custy.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Neil Williams on December 15, 2010, 06:43:19 pm
1. I'm about to take on my first carpet and upholstery cleaning job,
2. I bought an Prochem Steemproo Powermax,
3. Now I am looking for a Supplier for chemicals.

As no-one else has really picked up on it I just want to shout STOP.
With all due respect do you really know what you are doing?
It would take some doing to naff up a carpet in the enviroment that these are in BUT upholstery is something most of us on here don't like doing, and there's good reason for that.
Then there's the leathers. Do you know what type of leather they are because a bit of soap and water could have disaster zone just around the corner, if they are waxed or analine variations.
Keep the job in your name by all means, but get someone in there who will price it up correctly and help do it. You will learn more that way than thinking Big Bucks It's all mine.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: pablomorias on December 15, 2010, 07:27:09 pm
Thanks you all for the comments and advice.

By no means I  intend to pocket all the big notes for my self, would if I could,
but I know where I'm standing.

Besides, this customer is my regular customer, we provide them regular contract cleaning. I have no intention to
loose them, they are really nice people so I said yes I also provide carpet and upholstery cleaning.

If I can find somebody willing to take part in it, I'll be more than happy to share the job.

I took a carpet and upholstery cleaning course few weeks ago but still, dont feel confident just yet.

I had to turn down jobs before so if I get somebody to help me out, we can organise
something for the future as well as I dont feel that carpet cleaning will be my field, really.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: peter maybury on December 15, 2010, 11:13:13 pm
quick calculation without seeing job would quote about £2,000 myself.
Peter
peter@queensland-uk.com (http://peter@queensland-uk.com)
www.truckmountcarpetcleaner.co.uk (http://www.truckmountcarpetcleaner.co.uk)
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Jim_77 on December 15, 2010, 11:30:10 pm
This would be a very big job even for a seasoned professional to take on.

You're out of your mind if you think you can do this without the years of acquired skill and knowledge that some in our industry have!

Sub-contract the work to someone who knows what they are doing and add a % on for yourself.

You could always attend the job as a free helper to your sub-contractor.  Doing that would give you an invaluable insight into the scale of the job you are talking about and you'd learn a lot.

If you even think about trying to do this yourself you are a fool :)
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: richy27 on December 16, 2010, 09:56:20 am
in short too much for your lack of knowledge and experience even myself would be concerned 3 years into my journey.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: nevil on December 16, 2010, 01:10:24 pm
I would be concerned about the shrinkage that has occurred in the past . Have they been refitted properly. If not you could be walking into a nightmare situation. The potential for  shrinkage over that type of area could make cleaning extremely hazardous. I don't think I would want to take it on if the carpet wasn't well fitted to the gripper. If you intend to go ahead check the fitting around the edges very carefully. As others have said it's a lot to take on for your first job. Make sure you find out everything you can about the fibres, backings and materials you intend to clean and research them well so you can swerve any issues by selecting the appropriate methods.   
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Jamie Pearson on December 18, 2010, 04:05:17 pm
Powermax will do an adequate job.

 You will need a few shifts though even with a team of 2-3 working. Drying time will be the main issue with the access times  Split the job into sections and clean some of the leather for the last couple of hours of each shift. Hire or buy yourself an air mover or 2

Heed the advice above they are all very important points raised.

Feel free to call if you would like to discuss best way of going about this.

I used this very machine for years doing exactly this type of work.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Jim_77 on December 18, 2010, 04:30:16 pm
Must have been a similar sized job if it took you years :D
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: robert meldrum on December 18, 2010, 07:44:25 pm
Anyone who knows how could deal with leather while you were doing other parts of the work. Ditto the upholstery.

There must be plenty of operators around the London area able and willing to take on some of the contract by negotiation .
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: jasonl on December 18, 2010, 08:11:33 pm
I would not sub this out , even as a beginner , it is an Elephant of a job , just do it as you would eat an Elephant , a bite at a time , just be sure to agree timescales you are comfortable with and make sure you have plenty of supplies and a couple of helpers to hand
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: pablomorias on December 19, 2010, 09:35:26 am
Thanks guys for all your help.

well, I went to a local supplier and asked for somebody to help. He then introduced me
a guy who apparently has over 30 year experience, I took him to see the job.
He didn't carry out any fibre identification test whatsoever, also he didn't seem to be
worried about the shrinkage on the carpet.
The Upholstery comes in all types of fibres and sizes: All he did was count them up, didn't even bother
touching or getting near them to have a better idea of fibres conditions.

When I asked him about chemical to clean the leather he said he wasn't sure. Later he
told me that his supplier said that the cheapest way to clean the leather was with hot water and soap.
Does it make any sense to anybody?
But, I remember discussing it with him on the phone before showing him the job, he said that to clean leather
we would probably have to use a solution with a bit of bleach....

I agree that we might need to use a slightly alkaline solution, but bleach?
Can you guys make any sense of it or is it just me?

would appreciate any insights.

Thanks

Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: mark joyce on December 19, 2010, 02:50:25 pm
just get loads of hay and a few carrots for his horse and wear your gun at all times incase them injuns come over the ridge  ;D

if he is going to do the job with you use his insurance as you might get away with it but that will be luck

how did he price it?
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: pablomorias on December 19, 2010, 03:12:39 pm
He quoted about £2,600.00.
Funny enough, his quote seems to be spot on.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: wynne jones on December 19, 2010, 03:38:32 pm
Congrats on your opportunity.

I agree with a lot of guys here. Get someone who does this a lot and take a cut. The experience you get from them will be worth far more in the future than the money you make from this job. Plus, if you c0ck up or don't get it done in a reasonable time frame you will not get paid, you will lose confidence and you have only learned that you should have subbed it in the first place.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus) on December 19, 2010, 03:40:20 pm
Pablo

I left a reply on your other post about leather. The offer still stands, however based on the information provided my price will be more than £2600.
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: mark joyce on December 19, 2010, 04:11:27 pm
Well good luck in the venture

what is the price for sofas each and arm chairs each are you doing this at night as well? work out the man hours you think it will take add a third as every one looks at jobs saying this will take 1 hour blah blah well it does but some times it does not.  When doing pubs and clubs it never goes right all the time how many days do you have to do job in? is there a penalty if you cause place to be closed? please be careful 

I just think your about a 1000 out with price
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: Jamie Pearson on December 20, 2010, 03:48:29 pm
Must have been a similar sized job if it took you years :D

;)
Title: Re: Quotation for carpet and upholsteru
Post by: garry22 on December 20, 2010, 04:37:17 pm
Paul,

If it is a members' club, what time will they actually clear the place?

I do not really remember a night job that started on time (usually about an hour late by the time the "hangers on" have cleared off). Moving furniture can also take ages, before and after.

It's things like this that can really catch (and stress) you out.