[michael papworth]

I'm trying to work out a simple-to-understand formula for pricing up the longer jobs. One that I can undrstand and one that I can explain easily to the customer.

For window cleaning is's simple enough. It's £1 a window and a bit added or subtracted for difficult/ easy access.

Ideally, for longer jobs I'd like it to be based on time - charging by the hour.

I was thinking of something like £30 for the first hour and then £20 per hour.

So for a two-hour conservatory clean, for example. I could explain to the customer that it's a two-hour job so that's going to be ... £50. For a full guttering job, conservatory and windows where I might be spending four hours, that's £30 + 3 x £20 = £90.

What do others do?

[R W C]

Why £20 for the 2nd hour, Id keepit at £30.

Chris

[martinsadie]

Why £20 for the 2nd hour, Id keepit at £30.

Chris

cause hes not a robber 

[michael papworth]

The actual figures aren't that important. It's the principle of ...

"It's a  X-hour job so it's going to be £Y"

And you can easily explain this to the customer. Most people can appreciate that a this job will take this long and that job will take that long.

[Mike 108]

Wally

I don't understand your problem - you've already explained the pricing process in an 'easy to understand' way.

Mike

[Nathanael Jones]

I never mention how long it will take,.. they agree a price for the job and thats it. If they're happy with the price before I start, and happy with the results, why should the time it takes matter?
I've invested in equipment to make cleaning quicker, why should my prices drop as a result?!

[GWCS]

charge per time personally..

Anyone that phones up and says

"i have this window, that window a window blah blah.."

I just reply its priced per time taken on the job, minimum for an appointment starts at £15.

All other trades you get priced per hour on the job (and then some) so why not window cleaning?


I have my own formula for working out how long guttering/fascia takes so i can price that per metre and i can price a conny by how large it is, and both are fairly accurate for the time it takes.

[Chris Cottrell]

I wouldn't tell any of your customers it £30 per hr as most of them don't earn that and they will probably resent you for it so just give them your price and thats it you don't need to explain yourself or justify your margins to them

[jonnyald]

if its a long job i always think of the absolute bare minimum id want to do it without going  stupidly low ,then double it and   confidently tell the customer the price.never start explaining your price otherwise you might start dropping it and then you will look dodgy  like arthur daley. 

i never say how long the job will take as its a lottery and u might then have to hang around  pretending to scrub to justify the hourly rate u told them  if the job turned out to be a breeze