giving quotes on jobs

[tylertown]

I was recently asked to extend a small mud hole basically into a pond quoted $2500 price may go up if problems occur or takes longer.. I'm thinking 30-40hrs worth of work. Is this fair or to low?

 

[jenkinsph]

That is hard to answer without more information. How did you decide how long it would take?
How much dirt do you have to move in cubic yards? Do you have pumps for dewatering and a way to pack the pond bank as you build it up? Just a few of the things you need to know before you bid. The 62.50/hr is okay as long as you don't need a helper, have to get your feet wet to get some experience.

 

[whistlepig]

The price per hour is yours to decide. The price of your equipment and your time is known only by you. If it is a tractor task that I can not determine the time involved to complete up front the onus is on the buyer of the service. If you do good work, and have good equipment, then charge by the hour. It's your equipment, your time, your hard work, and your maintenance. His bargain won't be yours.

 

[Recoveryhill]

I'll never forget asking an old mountain hand with a dozer that was working a road near me to push out a marsh area so I could have a small pond. He said, "Mister, you're looking at a dozer setting thar. Once I put it in that mess you're looking at a monument".

I'd advise getting into that "small mud hole" with a probe to see if it has a bottom before I drove my tractor into it.

 

[jenkinsph]

I agree about the mud hole and hope he has time to pump it out and dry it for some time first. What I was wondering is how he plans to move the dirt far enough with a mini to do enough good building a pond.

 

[newbury]

tyler -
You should have asked here before giving the quote and provided us some pictures. If it's anything like your trailer escapade it's liable to cost you $2500.

About the cheapest I've heard around here is $75/hr for backhoe or dozer work and that includes travel time WITH AN ADEQUATE TRAILER AND TRUCK.

 

[RDrancher]

Without seeing the job I couldn't tell you if it will take 30 hours or 30 days, but $2500 for 30-40 hours of operating time isn't expensive by any count. Have you ever figured actual cost per hour for your machine, fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc? What about replacement of the machine after a given number of hours? Do you have that figured into your hourly rate? You can't just throw numbers at a job and expect to be around very long.

And...How are you going to move the dirt once you've hogged it out with the mini? Another machine? Did you figure that in?

 

[Gary Fowler]

My brother in law had a small pond dug using backhoe and dozer and I think the final cost was over $6000. It is 100x60 in size x max depth about 8feet below ground at the deep end tapering to 0 at the upper end with a 6 foot dike wall.

 

[creekbend]

I can only give this advice. Check out ALL aspects pertinant to the Job. The idea is to make some Profit. Equipment can be damaged and then you're worse off. Best wishes.

 

[tylertown]

The price per hour is yours to decide. The price of your equipment and your time is known only by you. If it is a tractor task that I can not determine the time involved to complete up front the onus is on the buyer of the service. If you do good work, and have good equipment, then charge by the hour. It's your equipment, your time, your hard work, and your maintenance. His bargain won't be yours.

thanks I told the guy 85 an hour and its not very big at all im going to attempt to do it in a week if the weather allows it. going to rent a skid steer to move the dirt or a buddy with a tractor and a loader he just wants it spread through the yard in low spots. its not very big at all.. wish I had pictures but forgot to take them.... I will upload some tomorrow. I plan on starting in the morning. he doesn't really care how deep it is. he just wants some water to look at its in the corner of the yard kind of in the woods going to try to do it all with my mini ex but ill see how it goes he mainly just wants me to bring the bank around. not so much depth just a good look on the surface of the ground from his porch haha... my first actual job for a stranger.. but don't tell him that!