Charge for helping water extraction only??

[BradFenstermaker]

I have been asked to help with extraction for over 50 occupied apartment units. Friend handles all there cleaning needs.

I have only worked about 15 hrs total when I could get there to help.

Want to see if I can get some response on how to bill my friend. We have an agreement but curious if I am high or he is low.

Waterline in attic's of building froze and let loose after warmed up. Some on ground floor have taken couple hrs with water claw and moving what we could of contents within the apartment.

Some on second floor where only a hall or corner of a room.

Used my truck and equipment on my own.

What do you think is fair for an hourly rate for a TM and Technician to help you??

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/24390703/bursting-pipes-damage-at-least-54-apartment-units

Truck is famous too.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We bill $95.00 a hour for a TM $38.50 hour for a lead tech, $32.50 Assistant. Not sure if that's high or low but its what we would charge for something like that.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Thanks Richard! I started my clock when I drove on the property. I have not considered the Technician as additional charge.

To be honest my friend doesn't even know what he is going to charge per unit or hour yet. Kind of a confusing mess.

Atleast I am only in for 15 hrs. Some of these tenants waited up to 3 days for there extraction. Bad communication all the way around.

Also with a loss the big do you waterclaw or just do slow wand passes and move on to the next unit??

Think final count is at 75 units. Corporate even called in other trucks and told them to do a 30 min extraction per unit. What a mess.

 

[Chris A]

Ive been doing 150/hr daytime, 250 after house with a one hour minimum each. Its worked pretty well so far.

 

[Desk Jockey]

These type of jobs can just blow up on everyone. We try to prevent that by communicating the cost before we get any time into it. Unfortunately at this point you guys are really at their mercy having already completed all the work with them having no idea what the rate would be. Plan on them balking at the price....no matter you charge. Decide how low you're willing accept before you speak with them and then hold firm at that price. Don't let them make you work for pennies, its hard work and deserves a fair rate.

Did they keep the carpet or toss it? If they were tossing it out we would light wand, just enough to lighten the load when its bagged and carried out. If it was being saved we would Waterclaw (we use a Rover) to get as much water out physically so your equipment can dry faster.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We charge time & half after hours up til midnight then double to 7:00 am then back to time & half until 8:00

Our machine rate remains the same regardless of time. We charge an On Call Surcharge for any calls After 4:30 and before 8:00 Am.
Most of which is given to the tech's.

 

[Chris A]

Most of ours have been under the umbrella of the company we work for. The rest have known the rate before my ass left the couch. Still have to get paid though, of course.

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's the best way to stay out of trouble and get paid. Some customers don't want to talk about money, force them to.

Fear those that say "Well it has to be done anyway" even if you tell them its expensive, their idea of what is expensive and your idea may not match up. Rather than doing free work or doing things for an after the fact negotiated lower rate give them a ball park of costs. Written is best, text and email will do, verbal can be crawled out from under when someone either on purpose or due to the emotional tragedy of the loss, doesn't remember or remembers incorrectly.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Well we where not told if replacing or leaving. No dry equipment to be had.

Property Mngr acted like the sky the limit. Get as much out as possible.

Corporate never talked to them or us. My friend dropped the ball on how much cost IMO.

He and I agreed for me though.

 

[Desk Jockey]

It may be no big deal and they pay you what you ask. A responsible company would, a weasel company would take advantage to the lack of communication.

Ask what you feel is fair and fight if they balk at it. The reality is if you weren't there, you could have been somewhere else doing extractions.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Hay thanks for the reply everyone. All I can do is pass my advice along. I am still young at 10 yrs and my peers here local don't usually take my advice I learn from here. LOL
I have gotten him to raise his price a few yrs ago on residential. He does mostly apartments. Oh yeah and how to get Red out too.

We are residential focused or Commercial. I usually turn down WDR. No equipment to do it right.

 

[TomKing]

We have a real crisis in Indy. We got hit hard.
We started doing extraction only Thursday after all our equipment was gone.
Most companies are telling people Monday Tuesday before they can get out.

Here is what you can take from xactimate
1. ESRVD - Emergency Trip charge
2. EXTW - Extraction of carpet sf price
3. GRM - Spray Benefact, Milgo or other product sf price
4. BLK> - Furniture manipulation room charge
5. MN -Hourly rate for travel minimum

you can look all these up in xactimate

We are quoting before we start and getting payment up front.

We are also having each customer sign a partial mitigation waiver and telling them we have them on a list for equipment. We are encouraging them to call other companies who might have equipment available before us.

wish we had more equipment. Nothing to be rented in the city.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think you're making the best of a difficult situation.

What you're offering is still a valuble service. Mitigating damage, contents are blocked & tabbed, the water is removed, its prepped for drying and microbial growth is in check until equipment arrives. It the best you can do, hang in there!

 

[Mikey P]

pretty cool Tom..

What's the average ticket for your Happy Meal service?

 

[hogjowl]

Ok, now that they're all telling you the same things I told you over the phone, will state listening to me now?

 

[BradFenstermaker]

YES FATHER SUTLEY!

I know I have learned a valueable lesson on communicating. A few times I have not done that well over my 10 yrs. Mostly on expectations not price.

Last chat on Thursday friend still hadn't decided what to charge, many around here seem scared to ask what there worth. Some aren't worth much. LOL

Thanks Everyone, you first Marty

 

[hogjowl]

Always

Taco second

 

[tmdry]

This may not be the best advice but I'd say that after the hours you spent helping out your friend to just remove water, you could've done one small to medium size job to get yourself into much better money and have 100% control of the job, and get paid directly from the homeowner and or insurance.

I do pay local competitors $.35 to extract the bulk of the water, I'll pay a lil more if it's afterhours.

You do not have to pass jobs if you run out of equipment, there are people calling 20 companies at a time, if you have a few jobs w/ equipment on day 1-2 than you know you'll have equipment if you schedule for the following day for extraction, than the following for removal, you get the picture. The customer is fine w/ waiting, what other option do they have? They're just glad they found someone to do the work.