[robertphil]

the last 2 years about this time iv had some guy ring me up with a witheld number asking me if im intrested in doing several schools over 2 counties .  last year i cant remember what was said but this year i just told him im too busy on the houses to even think of it . then i pointed out im trad only he just said buy a wfp for the high stuff ,at that point i said we havnt the time and he left it at that
   just out of interest what sort of firms do schools/ any of you lads do em ?// commercial only ?  id think ude have to be established with a crew if your going to take on several schools  
 the sort of schools he was on about are 4 or 5 storey typical big state schools

[deeege]

I do 2 schools and a large college/university. The schools take 16 man hours and 32 man hours and the college takes around 60 man hours. Usually get them all done over a week and a bit in July. Good paying jobs and a nice change of pace from cleaning houses.

Gotta price them high though because low cleaning frequency = filthy windows / frames.

[robertphil]

thats intresting deege . a feather in your cap so to speak

 i spose once you do it once you are sortof tied in for the following year ,so you must keep a space for it all.

part of me wishes i had got the space but i simply havent.  just so i could say i could hack doin several schools over 2 counties  as much as anything.

[Spruce]

thats intresting deege . a feather in your cap so to speak

 i spose once you do it once you are sortof tied in for the following year ,so you must keep a space for it all.

part of me wishes i had got the space but i simply havent.  just so i could say i could hack doin several schools over 2 counties  as much as anything.

You aren't always guaranteed that you will get the job the following year though.

My advice is always stick to your core business. I wouldn't be going wfp just for a few schools you may or may not get. If you get them, subcontract them out.

[Harry Callahan]

Hi we had 31 schools on the go 5 years ago now down to 8 due to lack of funding and people willing to do them for very little money , luckily we kept our domestic work running alongside , my advice would be keep your regular work on time and if one of these jobs comes along price high and take it as a bonus , they are hard work due to they are filthy lots of greasy fingerprints , seagull mess due to wasted food strewn everywhere , chewing gum blue tack you name it , double your day rates you can burn a lot of time

[G Griffin]

Deeege, is right, they are usually filthy.
I used to help a lad out on one and he tradded it. He was wfp but said it took too long. It was a new, low level one, though.
Being the hired help, I did insides and ground floor.
There's more graft than you think.

[Soupy]

Don't forget you are likely to need all your H&S documentation in order, along with anything else the FM company dreams up, environmental policy etc..

[Clever Forum Name]

Not done any huge ones. But yeah windows on the inside are not fun!!!

[PoleKing]

I do 10, primary, secondary & college.
Up sold a few to February out and August in/out.
A few years ago, a lot changed to academies and (felt like) they had loads of money so were spending here there & everywhere.
Last year, looks like reality kicked in, as a number of them tightened their belts.
All but 2 dropped the February (half term) clean and I e a feeling I'm gonna lose at least one in August.
It's easy work (outside) and aggy (inside)
On the + side. If they're only getting cleaned once a year I tell them not to expect perfection and they seem ok with that.
Done some of them for 6 years.
Prices haven't gone up as they were very well priced back then. Still good now.
H&S was needed but they aren't warriors with it.
Usually paid up by the end of September.
One we got cause the guys they did have we're playing football in their playground at lunch.
One we got cause the firm before us fell off ladders and lots of sueing ensued.

In short-go for it!
You don't need to be WFP. If you're happy trad, you can fit them in (perhaps your customers wouldn't mind you being a week or so late) and fancy the extra moolah, go for it.
The highest school I've got is 30'.
College is 70' (obviously if you're at that height you'd need to be poling) you could sub the high stuff or sub outside and your lads do inside...
You've got options bobby...

[bobplum]

did one last year, 8 weekly, if i could get the caretaker, it ended up being more like 12 weekly and then in september when it was due "leave it to spring" so wont be getting involved with that one

Had an opportunity to price a very large secondary in Chester last year, my wife works there, the impression was quite simple, no budget they wanted the cheapest and because they had a presentation in the September, it was cleaned in the summer, i had to go back and "tidy up" any windows the kids may have dirtied  prior to the presentation, declined the chance, and the people who did it made a right mess of it........but thats what you get at the price they charged

stick to domestics and has been said if they come along price high and dont promise anything, some of these schools are done once a year if your lucky