Priced out my first york rake job today...

[screamin400]

Got my tractor about a month ago and have been advertising to see if I could make a few bucks on the side with it. Why not? Finally got a call and went and looked at the project. Not very big and had recently been cleared. I figure I could be done in an hour. The drive is 45 minutes each way. I priced it at $200. I figured he wanted it done right away so asked him that and he says not until end of Sept. Says he will call me in the next couple of days. If he does he does. Was I about the right price do you guys think? Pretty small job but I cannot see me doing it for less and travel there. What do you guys think?

 

[countrybumpkin]

Seems a bit cheap by the time you figure in your insurance ( you do have insurance ), travel expense, and such.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not exactly raking in the money yet!

It seems a bit cheap to me too. Here they say it costs .55 CDN a KM to drive a 3/4 ton and guys charge eighty something (plus) with trailer loaded. The contractor, I hired to do my roof, also charges his travel time (at regular rates, there and back.

I live in the country and often work in the City. A five or so hour round trip. Friends get mad at me and say I should charge travel, to which I reply, that's it's not the customers fault, where I choose to live. They would just hire someone else. I guess one could do it, if you had the market somehow covered.

Some people just have more talent for making money than others, I guess.

 

[paulfun9]

Not exactly raking in the money yet!

It seems a bit cheap to me too. Here they say it costs .55 CDN a KM to drive a 3/4 ton and guys charge eighty something (plus) with trailer loaded. The contractor, I hired to do my roof, also charges his travel time (at regular rates, there and back.

I live in the country and often work in the City. A five or so hour round trip. Friends get mad at me and say I should charge travel, to which I reply, that's it's not the customers fault, where I choose to live. They would just hire someone else. I guess one could do it, if you had the market somehow covered.

Some people just have more talent for making money than others, I guess.

Yes living A bit far out can be a disadvantage BUT you can always use an average distance that is reasonably close to that area. Say the distance that the other companies around that particular customer base would be in and charge at least that for travel. This way your making something and still being competitive.

 

[screamin400]

I think I priced it a little on the cheap side but also wanted to get our name out there. Probably will never hear from the guy. If he does not need it done until end of Sept. maybe I can get something else in his area.

 

[Zebrafive]

The customer will not this as too cheap. He will see it as $200 for an hours work. I'll bet he does not call back.

 

[PJSprog]

Too cheap? No, I don't think so. As Zebrafive noted, the customer sees this as a $200/hr rate. I've read other guys here charge from $50-70/hr including travel time. That formula would put your rate at $80/hr.

 

[screamin400]

The contractor that did the clearing called me this morning. It ends up it was a buddy of mine. He bid the job at 500. He asked me if I was nuts at 200. I don't think so.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I did some rock rake jobs with my Harley. I always found the problem to be, when is the job finished? We have lots and lots of stones. You could rake forever and not be done! Plus, I like to sit in a tractor seat, not crouched on the ground picking stones (for someone else). I do that enough around here. You (almost) can't pay me enough to do that.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I wouldn't load my tractor up and leave my property for $200.