How much less per SQFT f/commercial work?

Frank P.

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About how much less per sqft do you charge for cleaning commercial carpet all things being equal?

Frank P.
 

Desk Jockey

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With commercial we try not to get too caught up in sq/ft price as much as how much a production hour do you want to make.

Lets say your target is $120.00 an hour, the job is 3000 sq/ft and you can do it in 3hrs.

We would take the $360.00 divided by 3000sq/ft which would equal .12
sounds cheap but you're making $120.00 an hour, if that's not enough raise your target.
 

John G

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Most commercial work is done at residential prices, however when it gets over 100,000 square feet we go as cheap as .16 a square foot.
 
G

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I totally agree with Richard on this one.

We try to complicate this question.. and issue.

Its all about what you need to make per hour.

I hear. well I charge this for tile and grout.
this for commercial.
This for residential.
This for moving furniture and t/lanes.

bullshit.
What do you want and need to make per hour.

I go that route. Its all about getting paid for your time.

why a buck for tile and grout.. when its easier than carpets and I charge .30 (midwest rates).. for carpet.. for the best quality, handsdown.. in AMerica. I'll wedge that bet against anybody. so all of a sudden.. because tile cleaning is a newer idea of sorts.. I should charge 1.50 for it..
no way.. and that price is going to drop like a bad wildfire in years to come.


I make money per hour.. and if it means upholstery, so be it
IF it means tile and grout.. cool. (which ceramic and porcelain isn't specialty work at all).. But thats a whole different theme and thread.

If it means residential, moving furniture or lanes only.. or if it means commercial work.. even better. I appreciate the work .

And I have said it.. i say it again.. you take cc'ing away from about 99.9 % of this industry.. and they would be making 10.00 tops.
Fair and square. And i'll give you another 11 months to get a crowd @ Connections.. and I'll say the same thing in front of every single cleaner there.
No offense or fingers pointed at anybody individually.. but its the truth.
Its a rag bag industry.. trying to clean 150 per hr.. and doing minimum wage work.

I did a job yesterday,, cimex.. 3500 sq. ft.. maintenance plan style.. (e/o month).. and it was 300 dollars. Easy work. Came out perfect.
doing the math. that was about .08 cents psf.. To have done that for my residential rate of .30 would have made it 1500 for that job.

I look at the hours.. multiply it by my rate that I need/want to make.. and if it comes to .08 like this one.. or .20 or higher.. so be it.
Let that latter number fall where it may.


and I made 150.00 per hour.. when 100 or so is always my target goal. I could have charged less.. and felt great about what I made.

but again.. I was right on for my hr rate.. (a little over)..
and because it was commercial work it neither added or subtracted to my rate or end price.


Bottom line.. dont categorize your cleaning work. Make wha tyou need/want to make.. and appreciate the work. Because high rate guys are expendable. Esp if I'm around.

Be fair. Focus on nothing but the highest of quality.. and the numbers will always fall on your side.

Dobs
 

John G

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My question would be, actually how much cleaning do you do Dobs?

We do this for a living and we make our money by giving the best quality, however, some we make 100 an hour others 500 an hour per machine, it all works out, but working cheap is just not good for the industry.
 

Frank P.

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Oct 28, 2006
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Commercial/residential prices

The reason I asked is there is a big difference in how much stuff you have to move in a resi job with furniture, customers to talk to, junk to get out of the way, pets to have secured etc... vs commercial. Also commercial carpet in my opinion is easier to clean and you can clean faster.

At certain price points ie. .30/sqft for resi will work out just fine but that would be too much for commercial. Nice job if you can get it but probably not. Just for argument sake, if your resi price was .30 and that provides enough to meet your hourly goal, how much less per sqft would you charge given you can clean more in less time? Put another way, on average how much faster can you go on commercial. Taking the average we could figure out a per/sqft charge for commercial based on residential cleaning again at .30 sqft.

Frank P.
 

John G

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Oct 16, 2006
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911
Of course depending on the carpet in question, commercial work will pay the same rate per hour doing approx 55% more carpet in an hour.

This varies, but is fairly close with what we do.
 

Ed Hartman

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Oct 7, 2006
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I don't know about you Frank, but I told my clientel upfront "Make sure you have your magazine racks, dog bones and anyother stuff moved out of the way." They always did. Im a carpet cleaner, not a furniture mover. You want me to move furniture all over the joint, the price goes up
 

Frank P.

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Oct 28, 2006
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Furniture moving

Ed I agree furniture moving should not be what we have to do except the big items but we all have seen the dumb look on Mr or Mrs Jones face when they say "Oh I didn't think to pick up all my over indulged kids toys off the floor...sorry". Now what do you do... ask them to pick it up or do it yourself?

Two days ago we were cleaning an air duct system, (we have not started cleaning carpet again yet), and the entire finished basement had toys from hell to breakfast. Where there weren't toys there were boxes. At times I think some homeowners think picking up their junk is our job and they can't be bothered. I sometimes add in the PITA surcharge, (pain in the **S), when things get out of control.

Frank P.
 

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