Sq ft or Room Rate?

[Travis Sonderegger]

Greetings,

What do you guys charge, per sq. ft or room rate?

And how much do you charge? I understand things are different for different locations depending upon competition and other things also. Please be honest in your responses also. If you are worried about someone else in your area seeing how much you make just dont reply.

Thanks Guys!

Travis Sonderegger

Also, if you could share what equipment you clean with (TM or porty)

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

I charge .25 per sq ft. I am cleaning right now with a Bissell Big Green piece of crap. Here at the end of April I am going to get a Ninja from John Olsen and start using it. I think I will keep my pricing the same. I think I will also have a $100 Minimum. Is that too high?

I like the .25 per sq ft because I can still give people like a 10% discount (For example I will be running a spring cleaning sale here shortly) Then with the $100 Minimum I can be sure if I have to get all my stuff out of the garage and load it in the trailer its worth my time (Still freezing at night here). With my spring cleaning ad I will advertise a 10%-25% off if you clip this ad. Everyone gets 10% off and I will also lower the minimum to $75. If someone has a $75 job, they will have saved 25% off the $100 minimum, so that is how that works. It will be valid to the end of May. (It will be run in the paper). I am going to see if I can line a bunch of jobs up so when I get my ninja I can pay it off quickly. If they want cleaned before that I can tell them I will just use the Bissell.

Give me some feedback on this...

 

[hogjowl]

What's your favorite prespray?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It doesn't matter.

I use truckmounts. I have a sqft rate in mind when I price, but I usually don't need to "measure".

I'm more concerned with rate per time unit, typically from $2 to $3 per minute.

Yes there are local lurkers...but that doesn't matter either.

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

What's your favorite prespray?

When I started with my bissell I had a bunch of bissell chemicals I bought whilst building up my business before I discovered the real side of carpet cleaning with TM's and Porty's. I really had no idea until I met Olsen. I had several hundred dollars of chemicals purchased at that point and I have been trying to use them up before I get my Ninja so they dont just go to waste. They have done a decent job for me. I have been using the Ultrapac Trafficlean. I have only used it a few times though, couldnt tell much of a difference between it and the bissell. I think the new machine will work well with it though.

 

[Desk Jockey]

$0.35 a sq/ft

$150.00 minimum

We've been at that rate for several years, it will probably go up a little before summer.

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Do you also charge for travel or no?

 

[Mike Draper]

Travis, I live in northern utah. Our demographics are similiar in my valley and income per family as well. I think your price of .25 a foot is right in line with where you should be. I dont have a travel charge, but have a higher minimum the further I go. I dont think people take well to a travel surcharge. We charge .28 for the first 350 sq. ft. then .34 after that. WE use a truck mount and many different types of scrubbers and speed dry carpet as well. most cleaners in my valley with tm's charge between .8 to .17 a foot.

 

[Mikey P]

http://mikeysboard.com/forum/index.php?threads/per-foot-or-per-room-debate.277209/


http://mikeysboard.com/forum/index....rge-by-the-square-foot-or-by-the-room.228223/

 

[Desk Jockey]

Do you also charge for travel or no?

I prefer to clean local. In general we just can't charge enough to make windshield time a worthwhile venture.
We have a $250.00 out of town minimum which limits a lot of that work.

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Travis, I live in northern utah. Our demographics are similiar in my valley and income per family as well. I think your price of .25 a foot is right in line with where you should be. I dont have a travel charge, but have a higher minimum the further I go. I dont think people take well to a travel surcharge. We charge .28 for the first 350 sq. ft. then .34 after that. WE use a truck mount and many different types of scrubbers and speed dry carpet as well. most cleaners in my valley with tm's charge between .8 to .17 a foot.

Nice dude, I like that you charge what you do. I run into the same problem, there are a few other guys with truck mounts within about an hour from where I am that charge around .17 so it sucks.

 

[steve_64]

residential by the room, commercial by sq.ft.

price starts at $60 first room $30 for each additional room, i consider one room about 150 sq. ft. so a family room dining room combo is typically two rooms or more. that price can vary depending on issues such as stain or odor removal. moving furniture is extra unless its just a matter of pulling out a couch to clean behind or something like that. would you like me to come by and give you an exact price at no charge?

thats pretty much my phone spiel.

commercial varies depending on what they want. like Lee, i have an hourly price in mind when im quoting jobs.

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

I will do wall to wall pricing as well, but there are a few exceptions. A tiny bedroom with a queen bed in it, there is like 30 sq ft of floor space in so I wont charge wall to wall in there. Other rooms with some furniture in them like couches or a bunch of crap I have to work around I will charge wall to wall. I am currently doing $2 per step as well.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We are $3.50 normal steps and $4.25 for large

Steps are hard work and take a lot of effort to look good. Good money but its earned!

 

[Spurlington]

I know youre curious and I know youre concerned about what the other guy in your area charges .. It shouldnt matter what others charge. Youve gotta figure out what your costs are, add in the profit youre looking for then come up with a price you need to collect. If Joe next door charges .17 psf and you think youre gonna get the job because youre .16 psf then you realize its not enough to pay the bills - youre working for free.

So dont compete by price. Sell a better cleaning.

I give ball park estimates on the phone then give the actual price before I start the cleaning. Otherwise Id have to charge more for the job to cover the cost of the trip for an estimate.

Pricing by the room gets you to closing on the phone faster. Charging by the square ft gets you more for the room.

Id love to charge by the hour like a plumber. $2 - $3 a min would be great. (What Mrs customer .. you want me to go over that again .. sure !!) Redos would count in the rate by the minute cause you charge by the min.)(What - you want to talk about what your neighbor did to your lawn .. ding ding ding.)

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

We are $3.50 normal steps and $4.25 for large

When you talk about steps, are you talking about doing the entire step or just the part the foot hits? (This question kind of goes for everyone)

 

[Desk Jockey]

Both the Tread, the part your foot hits & Riser, the vertical part that gets little wear.

Tread only steps are infrequent and we would discount those some.

 

[PrimaDonna]

By the room. Room to us is area not to exceed 250 sq. ft (approx 15x16), if it does, then it's a double room or area. $180 first two rooms, $80 each additional. $5 per stair, $20 per landing, Standard hall (up to 10-12 ft) $55, large hall $70, double hall $110, walk in closet or foyer $35. $150 min. charge. Scotchgard $35 per room, $3 per stair. other areas price accordingly. Maxim protection $55 per room, $5 per stair other areas priced accordingly.

Includes moving furniture, spotting treatments or heavy soiled traffic lanes. Only charge extra for pet damage that we use water claw on.

 

[hogjowl]

You win the "most like Mikey" pricing contest.

 

[PrimaDonna]

You win the "most like Mikey" pricing contest.

Who, me?

 

[QDCC-Barry]

Minimum charge for communities near me is $120 - which does up to 3 rooms. Room is up to 15x15 =225 sq/ft. Lots of rooms end up being smaller but we don't discount unless it's small like 100 sq/ft and then I take off $5.00 only. It's just to say I give a discount for small rooms. Clean 5 for $200 -6th free. Stairs =$45. No travel charge but like mentioned above I have a higher minimum charge for my farthest out areas.

I'm really battling a lot of the cleaners out here who are working for peanuts. Many are advertising the same prices they were back in 1994 when I started in the biz. But I refuse to lower my prices. I know my quality is higher and I refuse to cut corners to compete. I just have to weed thru the cheapskates and keep the customers who appreciate quality. I also only work Monday thru Friday.

 

[PrimaDonna]

But I refuse to lower my prices. I know my quality is higher and I refuse to cut corners to compete. I just have to weed thru the cheapskates and keep the customers who appreciate quality. I also only work Monday thru Friday

Amen! Sounds like us.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

What do you think when someone does GREAT work at a better price?

 

[hogjowl]

I'd rather not say.

 

[Cleanworks]

gotta figure out what your costs are first, the add enough profit so that you are happy with the money you are making. Doesn't really matter what Joe Blow down the street charges.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

What do you think when someone does GREAT work at a better price?

I'd rather not say.

If you are already ready have a relationship with that customer, then why would they want to take a chance and change a good thing?

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Okay, I changed a few things. Running a different ad in the paper than I originally planned.

I mentioned that the new steam cleaning equipment will be in this month
$20 off for each friend you refer.
fully insured
satisfaction guaranteed

Then to the right of all of that there is pretty much just a copy of my business card, thats it for the ad.

As far as pricing is concerned, I will not be charging for travel anymore.

With my new equipment I will charge .30 psf and have minimums as follows:

Monticello/Local $100
Blanding $125 (About 25 minutes of travel)
Moab/Cortez $175 (About an hour of travel to get to each of these towns)

 

[PrimaDonna]

Moab/Cortez $175 (About an hour of travel to get to each of these towns)

So you are willing to spend two hours traveling (1 hour each way), gas, wear and tear on vehicle, your time and materials at the job, for $175? Let's say you have two hours travel, 1.5 hours of work you're at $50.00 an hour with out taking in to account gas, supplies, insurance and other operating costs. Sounds way too low to me.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Different demographic Meg.

Plus, he's paying his dues...

 

[Lee Stockwell]

After he's built up a clientele base in those perimeter markets he will be able to cluster jobs to be more efficient.