One of the main reasons people get into business is to make money. Sometimes, however, providing a client with the right estimates can be a bit challenging. Especially in the pressure washing business, there is often a lot to consider before you officially submit a bid for a particular job.
Before the owner of a commercial company decides on the right company to work with, they will often ask any interested parties to provide their bids for any cleaning job that needs to be done. More so if they are looking for a new tenant or the old one left quite a mess behind. Performing estimations for any pressure washing Rome Ga is not quite as straightforward as many people tend to think.
To bid successfully for these jobs, you need to do a few things. They include:
Measuring the space
According to power washing business, one of the most significant factors in creating a bid for a pressure washing job is the size of the area to be washed. It’s better to go to the proposed site yourself to assess how much work needs to be done.
Furthermore, you can talk to the person in charge and ask them if there are any extra services they would like to be done on the premises. Most of the time, the area is measured by square footage. This includes roofs, sidewalks, driveways, garage floors, and even parking lots. You can use a laser distance measurer and note the length and width. The result is then multiplied by 1.35 to gain the approximate square feet.
However, some projects cannot be measured using square feet. In these instances, linear footage comes into play. Linear footage is practical on boats and houses. It’s measured by obtaining the length and ignoring any thickness measurements. As such, square feet are often charged lower than their linear counterparts.
Decide on your pricing stratagem
When it comes to residential jobs, the prices are often dictated by one of three pricing models:
- Per hour
- A flat rate
- Per linear foot or square foot
Using linear or square feet pricing is advantageous because you can make a lot more on bigger structures. Being paid per hour will depend on how long it will take to complete the job.
A flat rate, on the other hand, is for the seasoned professional who knows the prices because of their experience. You can use the square footage as a base and then add your markup. Although you can earn better by using the flat rate, you need to have been in the industry for a while so that you don’t incur losses.
The cleaning equipment and chemicals
Some jobs are more robust to do than others. Because of the material to be cleaned, you find that you may need some specialized chemicals so as not to damage the surface. Other times you need something that’s very strong to ensure that every bit of the dirt being targeted has been removed. In some areas, you might need more specialized equipment than others.
These pieces of equipment might lower or hike the pressure washing bid in Rome, GA. If there is some special equipment you need but don’t have, do not forget to add the cost of leasing such equipment from your bid. If you ignore these expenses, you’ll end up paying it out of your pocket, which might decimate your profit margins.
Availability of water on site
The bid you propose to a prospective customer often doesn’t include the cost of water. In your proposal, it’s best to be clear about who is responsible for the water bill. Since the property owner is often responsible for the water bill, you can show your professionalism by giving them an estimate of how much water will be used for the project. Since many people don’t do that, your bid might stand out for its customer care and honesty.
The expected schedule
Before you place a bid, you first have to find out about how fast the client needs the job to be done. If they aren’t as particular with the timeframe, then you can take your time doing the job even on a skeleton crew.
However, if they need the project done fast, you might have to bring in some extra hands and, on some occasions, even rent out some additional equipment. If that’s the case, then your bid should also reflect these conditions.
On the other hand, if you can do the job in a team of one, also ensure that your bid reflects this. Being transparent in your bid can be a winning trait that gives you the job!
Conclusion
When you have figured out all the above, you can then submit your bid in writing to the prospective customer. The bid should provide specific details of the proposed premises to be cleaned, details of the cleaning you will do, and also the expected deliverables of this work.
Ensure that you also indicate how much of a down payment you expect from them should the bid be accepted and how the remainder will be paid.
