Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: ag on November 18, 2007, 12:09:43 pm

Title: builders clean
Post by: ag on November 18, 2007, 12:09:43 pm
Hi all

Normally dont come ito the widow cleaning section as my area is more the commercial and carpet side of things, but I am hoping to get some advice from you.

A builder rang me yesterday - he has 18 3 bed houses, the windows have the usual stuff on  them plaster, adhesive etc and wants them cleaned - I havent got a clue what to charge for windows alone?We normally do fully inc. builders cleans.
I was thinking about 5 quid per window. Im going to see them tomorrow morning.
Do you think I might be better off subcontracting this out ot prof. window cleaners?
Pricing advice really welcome.
Many thanks
Agnes
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: LWC on November 18, 2007, 01:57:49 pm
its time consuming mate. if your not confident get someone who is.

windows are easily scratched when cement is present. dont scraper off cement, try and wet it off as much as you can and be careful. get some sticky label remover Tygris do a good one.

CHECK ALL THE WINDOWS FIRST BEFORE YOU START FOR SCRATCHES so YOU are not liable.

as far as money goes. you may get 3 - 4 done a day. your looking at around 3 - 4 days work in my opinion. (depending on the state theyre in)

if it was me. if there is 10 window on the house, i would usually charge £10. builders clean i would charge for outs, £10, then in another £10 and another £10 for the time youll be there. £30 a house. £540 for the lot

£550 for you trouble  ;)

hope this helps
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: ronnie paton on November 18, 2007, 02:42:03 pm
i would charge between 4 and 6 times the clean so if one house has 8 medium size windows it would be between £32-£48 thats just outside.

They can be hard work and a pain but if you have the time then why not have a try thats wot i did, i would get a waiver signed and satisfaction recipt when finished signed.
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: LWC on November 18, 2007, 03:33:29 pm
it would be between £32-£48 thats just outside.

so almost £100 a house?  :o

no chance im sorry, especially when theres so many of them. could just imagine the builders reaction no

"yes the price will be £1800"

"*?@*?%* off"

my price is low end i suppose, i reakon you could scrape £700 tops...but that pricing is ridiculous, im sory but i dont usually tell someone theyre ridicuolous...but that is
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: ronnie paton on November 18, 2007, 04:25:11 pm
lwc do you reckon, i know that i would and can get theses prices cause i have done.
There hard work and can take longer than expected so you need to get good money for them.

Doubt me all you want but i can send a purchase order of e reciept one if you would like :-X
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: ronnie paton on November 18, 2007, 04:32:00 pm
if you ask most would say 4-6 times a normal clean so how is my price ridiculous
?? it would be between £64-£96 per house if they had 8 medium sized windows.

your rididculous with your CRAP pricing, were you from?? i could proberly sub some out to you and still get a very good return 8)
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: LWC on November 19, 2007, 05:44:58 am
im not meaning to fall out with you buddy. but i do alot of builders cleans and dont charge the prices you do. maybe im doing something wrong...but i cant see almost £100 a house for a first clean. i charged that for a new shop and their windows were huge in and out. about 25 of them
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: barry woodward on November 19, 2007, 08:56:01 am
We finished a builders clean a few weeks ago, they only wanted the outside done and i got £50 per house they were all 3 bed detached with 11 windows per house, the insides had a film cover on all windows to protect them which they removed themselfs, we are based in Buckinghamshire.
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: ronnie paton on November 19, 2007, 05:35:38 pm
no harm done LWC just thought being called ridiculous was trying to doubt what i was saying, its obvious that we all price differently has when someone one ask for help with a quote prices can have such a massive range!
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: LWC on November 20, 2007, 06:45:44 am
 ;)

think im gonna have to move where your you live lol!

no sorry if i came across like that, but not you being ridiculous just impressed with the prices you guys get...think im gonna have to up mine lol!

id be happy with £50 a house inside and out
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: maddog on November 20, 2007, 10:32:29 am
3 times regular price for a cleaning company, 4 times regular price for a builder. Don't undercut yourself. If somebody will do it cheaper, he will realise once he has started that he has made a mistake, Don't let that be you.
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: Small but perfectley formed on November 20, 2007, 05:42:35 pm
What area are you in south/north different rates in ?.Here £40 per plot would be about average(S.yorks)
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: cherubs cleaning on November 20, 2007, 08:32:11 pm
b/c £60.00 in/out


sparkle clean £30.00 in /out



regular clean outs only £12.00


jerry
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: Sir Squeaky on November 20, 2007, 08:55:19 pm
Oh, for god's sake. ::)

You can't price these accurately.
Neither Ronnie or LWC may be right.
You could get caught out or look ridiculously OTT.

Just give them a really rough guide, then price it per day.
If you want £150 a day and it takes 2 1/2 days, then charge £425.
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: cherubs cleaning on November 20, 2007, 09:04:18 pm
Squeaky Clean.

do you do many b/c

in my opinion you can not price b/c on a day rate


jerry
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: Sir Squeaky on November 20, 2007, 09:34:35 pm
No, I hate them.
They're never right, and they're too fiddly and knackering.

Why not price per day?
That's the most accurate way.

You know what you want per day, so charge that.
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: cherubs cleaning on November 20, 2007, 09:47:20 pm
Squeaky Clean.


because when you go on site to do plot 1/2/3/4/ b/c


the paint  and decorator is still in there  :'( :'( :'(

i have been there so many times and i absolutely pucking hate it



jerry


Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: L.J.Thorpe on November 20, 2007, 10:52:59 pm
builders cleans are a nightmare if you dont get the pricing right if you have been caught out once you will always remember it and if smart LEARN from it .They always take a lot longer than you think i price like this ;outside x3.5 inside x2.5(usually they are not as bad) plus 10% in case. So a £10 house is charged at £66 so £1188 for the lot this may sound steep to some but buildcleans are NOT regular window cleaning they can be a right womans wee thing and anyway the builder can afford it so dont sell yourself short
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: Helen on November 27, 2007, 10:26:12 am
you all seem to be talking windows only, do you not get asked to do gutters/fascia and soffits, porchways etc? All the builders cleans we have done were inclusive of these items and priced accordingly. Have never known a builder yet clean these items.
We don't take a lot on now as the builders leadtimes were getting ridiculous and as already said, we were catching up the other tradesmen still working on them :)
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: cherubs cleaning on November 27, 2007, 05:16:09 pm
yes helen we do and they r a nightmare too

B/Cs r a pain in the bum




jerry
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: windowwashers on November 27, 2007, 05:20:05 pm
Squeaky Clean.

do you do many b/c

in my opinion you can not price b/c on a day rate


jerry
Never price on day rate, unless its triple time
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: cherubs cleaning on November 27, 2007, 05:22:34 pm
well said ian ww
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: Helen on November 27, 2007, 06:04:15 pm
yes helen we do and they r a nightmare too

B/Cs r a pain in the bum

jerry

Not half...especially when you put a bit of pressure on gutters and they come down, because they have not been fixed correctly......we don't take them on anymore ;D
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: xxmattyxx on November 28, 2007, 08:03:38 am


if it was me. if there is 10 window on the house, i would usually charge £10. builders clean i would charge for outs, £10, then in another £10 and another £10 for the time youll be there. £30 a house. £540 for the lot



I dont get that.

Im not saying you havent done your fair share of builders cleans, but your saying essentially, apart from the extra tenner for being there, you'll still charge the same rate per pane for builders cleans as you would for normal maintenance cleans, £1.00 a throw??

Surely thats not right?

Anyway, for me as a guide for a builders clean Id put a price in at somewhere around £8.00 a window for inside and out. IMO and experience they take time, they need to be done carefully and considerately to save damage etc. Scraping cement, mastic, window stickers off takes time.


I did a clean for a builder this week, not a builders clean as such, but for a building company anyway, a problem propert, custys wernt happy. It was just an outside clean, wipe frames over too, quick dry-wipe of gutters and some of the fascia (not all, but to be seen to be making an effort): 8 windows anyway in total ......£65.00.

The contracts manager said 'Is that all?'


Matt
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: Dean Aspects on November 28, 2007, 12:19:15 pm
I have just done one this morning havent done one for ages forgot how time consuming they are i thought i had over priced it before i did it ...how wrong i was i charged £60 should have been £100 lesson learned  >:(

Dean
Title: Re: builders clean
Post by: LWC on November 28, 2007, 03:39:28 pm


if it was me. if there is 10 window on the house, i would usually charge £10. builders clean i would charge for outs, £10, then in another £10 and another £10 for the time youll be there. £30 a house. £540 for the lot



I dont get that.

Im not saying you havent done your fair share of builders cleans, but your saying essentially, apart from the extra tenner for being there, you'll still charge the same rate per pane for builders cleans as you would for normal maintenance cleans, £1.00 a throw??

Surely thats not right?

to be fair i do usually get the wrong price on builders cleans, and i do alot of them!

for me though if they weren't horrendous, there 18 houses, i would take around 3 days to do them. ok £550 is cheap. the most id charge is, i dunno £700 - £800, about £40 - £50 a house.

but for me, be in the same place for 3 days, if i came out with £600 for 3 days and havent had to drive round all day...i see that as good...but thats just me. if i got £800 id take the rest of the month off...lol  :P joke  ::)