How interested would you be?

[Russ T.]

Large property manager interested in having us maintain their common areas. Almost 1000 square feet of CGD per floor in 2 and 3 floor buildings. Cimex would be used in halls after prevac. 20 large stairs (@ 6 feet wide) per flight would be cleaned with my Truckmount. These buildings are only about a year old and I want to be smart on how to approach this. Any suggestions on pricing and frequency? Maybe some kind of incentive? They have been considering doing this "in house" but want me to bid. Thanks.


The Clean Machine

 

[jcooper]

One thing I'd do for sure is give him two quotes, one encap, one hwe.

Sooner or later somebody is going to have to rinse out the encap. Let him know ahead of time.

 

[Desk Jockey]

ALL OVER IT.

Easy work, the only hard part is carrying up the Cimex.

Don't you have a 175? I'd get a pad driver if you don't already have one, vacuum very well, spray it heavy with your favorite encap juice. Hit it with a damp pad as your rinse, flip the pad every 400 feet or so and go steam the steps.

The hall might take you an hour but probably less .12 x 1000 =$120.00 X 3 =$360.00 per building.

Steps suck but the soil is on bull nose & treads more than the risers. I might discount some off your regular step price but not much.

No discount for frequency but a quick pay discount 5-7% if paid in 10-days

 

[Shane Deubell]

Awesome job!
What richard said ^^^^^^

Also would give 2-3 options encap only, encap- 1 hwe, hwe only.
This way nobody can outflank you, have all bases covered.

 

[Russ T.]

Richard, I do have a 175 machine. Would you use that rather than the Cimex? I have both.


The Clean Machine

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yes only because I can tote a 175 up a flight of steps (I'm a big fooking gorilla). The Cimex while not much heavier is much more awkward, I can't carry it alone.

It will also dry faster, less product is used and will still look great.

Plus your Cimex won't help you much more with production being that the hall is small in width. Large areas I'd lean more to the Cimex, smaller areas an OP or 175 will do just as good.

 

[Russ T.]

Yes only because I can tote a 175 up a flight of steps (I'm a big fooking gorilla). The Cimex while not much heavier is much more awkward, I can't carry it alone.

It will also dry faster, less product is used and will still look great.

Plus your Cimex won't help you much more with production being that the hall is small in width. Large areas I'd lean more to the Cimex, smaller areas an OP or 175 will do just as good.

Good point. I think I could muscle the Mex up, step by step, by standing above and pulling by the handles but the way down is a little SCARY. There isn't an elevator in this particular building but there IS in most of their buildings. I think I better get comfortable doing encap with a 175...never done it before. Actually the only thing I use my 175 for is stripping VCT. I KNOW ITS WAY VERSATILE MIKEY, I'm gettin' there!


The Clean Machine

 

[Desk Jockey]

Use a long bungee to keep control of the head. Still a bear to handle but safer to roll around strapped with a bungee.
One of Shorty's ideas, that does work well. Thanks Shorty!

 

[Russ T.]

Big Yella does like to wrestle!


The Clean Machine

 

[Russ T.]

Well...I bid him at .12 cents per foot and he said "someone else came in quite a bit cheaper". They can have it! This is why our push is for higher end resi. I can't believe what some companies will do for a buck. I guess we're very fortunate to not need to go after this stuff. I guess Big Yella will have to find somewhere else to play.


The Clean Machine

 

[Desk Jockey]

Hope I didn't steer you wrong.

You can clean for a lot cheaper but there is less margin for error and if you have other work then this is not going to be as profitable.

At .08x1000 you'd have had a lot better shot at it but you'd be making $80.00 an hour. Nothing to sneeze at but if something takes longer or you have a problem you can drop really fast.

$80.00 an hour sucks if it's just one hour but if you're at one location and not jumping around town, you can still make some decent money if you're there for 4-5 hours.

I'd suggest when you're slow, bidding a few jobs cheap to get a comfort level of your productivity and so in the future you'll know what kind of SQ/FT you can turn when pressed.

Then decide on a NO LOWER than rate and you'll always be fine.

Good luck!

 

[Russ T.]

Richard, I was going to bid higher honestly...more like 15 cents per foot. This whole building was only going to total $360 and it would take a good chunk of the day. Yes, it IS better than nothing but I'm really comfortable not playing the price game. I told him when I submitted the bid that this is my first and best effort at earning the opportunity to help them maintain their buildings. TCM do Iowa presses on...better get to it.


The Clean Machine

 

[Shane Deubell]

That sucks russ, you can still check in with them next year. Good chance its some misfit who does half-assed work.

Commercial market can be rough sometimes.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yea we once bid a 10-story building at .07 and lost it to someone that was doing it for .05.

I was concerned if we would make any money at .07. I know we we couldn't at .05, at least not with the equipment we own.

They were either fools or they had better production systems.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Yea we once bid a 10-story building at .07 and lost it to someone that was doing it for .05.

I was concerned if we would make any money at .07. I know we we couldn't at .05, at least not with the equipment we own.

They were either fools or they had better production systems.

My bet would be on fools!

People have a hard time with math in the cleaning industry.

 

[Russ T.]

We aren't crazy busy right now so it does hurt a little. But when it picks back up, the Kid's too busy to work for peanuts. When I do hire someone (probably Spring) I'd like to be able to pay them well enough to stick around. I think some of these companies have some pretty questionable characters working for them and who knows what type of equipment they are able to run and maintain and profit from these types of prices. I have moufs to feed!! (4, 6 if you include the dogs) ;-).


The Clean Machine

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have moufs to feed!! (4, 6 if you include the dogs) ;-).

Please quit listening to bad advice!

As I've mentioned we fluctuate our rates, somethings we wouldn't even consider in peak times, we are GLAD to have in lean times.

You always have to do what feeds those mouths and don't listen to those "want to be" guru's.

 

[Russ T.]

Just one of those moufs.


The Clean Machine

 

[Desk Jockey]

Cute kid!

 

[Shane Deubell]

I wouldn't become too stuck on sqr ft pricing for commercial work in general.
The production rates can vary from 400 ft hour up to 2000 ft hour depending on method and layout of the space. More then anything you just need some real life experience so you can make a judgement.

I lost one once at .05 sqr .

 

[Desk Jockey]

I agree! Nothing says you have to give a SQ?FT rate. You can calculate your time and give a flat rate for the job. The only care about the price anyway, you/we are the ones that need to concerned how we arrived at it.

Try a pad on your 175 and some good encap solution. Encap store sells most major brands, all of the majors work well.

Once you see what you can do you'll know what level of pain you can endure and what you can't.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Yeah, this week was super crappy...

I would sell my soul for a couple encap jobs right about now.

 

[Russ T.]

I think you guys are right on about not focusing on the sq. ft. Price. I just tried to use it to guide me a little, while considering my time. Because I'm mostly alone, it would require 2 set ups from the van to get steps, plus all the encap in the halls. Easily half a days work for me if I pre vac and do it right. Maybe I just need to get over the idea that I always have to make a ton per hour to be profitable. It would have been a good thing to keep me moving during my down time. It would be challenging, though when I'm busier.


The Clean Machine

 

[mirf]

If you put the larger wheels on the cimex they are easier to roll up and down stairs.

 

[steve_64]

with carpet that new id run an emulsifier, no prespray and knock it out in about an hour and a half, if that, at $75 a floor x three floors including stairs.

this is regular work for me and i do bust my hump but its what i like.

i could easily make a grand a day by myself if there is enough buildings to do.

 

[juniorc82]

something that has helped me score commercial and property management gigs is forgetting the square foot price also.I have learned to price these types of jobs by the estimated hour. Also you must assume if you are putting it on a schedule and the customer stays on schedule it will become easier and easier to clean. I have a bbq restaurant that has about a 1200 sqft dining room. They stay on schedule done in an hour total 150 bucks. that's almost more per hour than you would make doing residential. I use square footage more as a point of reference than an absolute and take many other factors into consideration