BIG opportunity...Need genuine opinions here

So I try to refrain from asking the typical pricing questions, because I know it can get VERY old here…However…I have an opportunity to bid on a big project. This is a nursing home attached to a local Hospital. I was approached by the new Administrator to submit a bid…seems their former window cleaner has been MIA.From the sounds of it, he doesn’t have many people giving him bids…Here’s my problem…

I crunched the numbers and came up with a big number…I factored in the price of a boom lift which will make it easier to do the 2nd floor of the front of the building…we can do these with a ladder, but I’ll have to rent a much taller one and we will be moving it a LOT. The rectangular Wing at the top, along the “Tony Pulos Drive” road has about 20 sections with 4 windows each…a picture is included…All ground level with screens on the inside. Many of the windows are larger so I counted them as 2 windows. There s a corridor with windows on each side and I counted them as containing 40 windows…some are large, so I counted as two.

Now, factoring in a 1 day rental of a boom lift and based on counting the windows, I came up with a price of about $3200.00. Seemed a bit high to me…maybe not…These are some mighty windows!..I estimated about $5.00 per window at ground level and about $7.00 for the ones I will need the boom lift for.

Now, I figure I can get this done in 2 days with some help. If I start at a baseline of $140.00 per hour to cover hiring a couple guys for 2 days (10 hr days) and the cost of a lift,I’d be at about $2800.00

Business has been growing at an insane rate the last few weeks!..I am booked out until mid August right now and I have been kicking some major ass…I’m ready for this job…It’s a great opportunity to go to the next level in becoming a well respected and well known service provider in my area…I’m just not sure of my pricing…this will be my first formal Commercial Bid…and I want it to be top notch…and I intend 100%v on it being such!..But my inexperience with the formal bidding process gives me pause on getting the pricing right.

Am I close?..right on?..too high?or WAY too low?..I understand the pictures may not give a full picture…but could be used as a guideline… The front of the building is going to be the biggest work…the ground level will just simply take time, but it will be super easy. (lot’s of windows)

This is exterior only…

2 Likes

I may have missed this but is it outside only?

I am not seeing where the lift is needed? maybe just preference

Will the lift be used on grassed area?

Seems you have a well thought out plan for your bid

2 Likes

Was about to ask the same ^

Yes…Exterior only…Yes, the boom lift for the grassy area…There’s about 10-15 feet of flat ground then it’s a steep hill to the road side…that’s the only place that has two levels…and I could get away with using a ladder…I think the boom lift will save time…

A boom lift will sink about two feet into the grass

6 Likes

That’s some hard ground up there…that whole area is extremely hard clay…I grew up less than a mile from there…My poor Dad could never grow a garden lol…and it’s some very hard ground.

But then again…you would probably know better than me,I’m sure you have used them before :slight_smile:

What do you think about bidding based on an hourly rate rather than counting windows?

1 Like

No you could try it just be aware how heavy those are. If the ground is hard you might be able to juggle plywood under the tires and get it done.

needs to be priced high to cover you doin it solo if you cant find decent helpers. even if you can,id think ud need a day or 2 to recover from the effort lounging on a deckchair somewhere so factor that in too

Well…I have 2 cousins that would gladly help…LOL…hard working young men, so they should do a good job…Oh,and I’m getting Married in September to my Filipina sweetheart…so I’ll be doing plenty of lounging on an amazing Philippine beach resort! Hahaa!

3 Likes

And to be honest…I could rent a couple 32’ ladders…they will reach…I was just looking at the time factor

1 Like

Wfp would save you a ton of time.

6 Likes

I don’t seee 32’ there. Man if you get this job just buy a WFP. Price it by the plate . 24’ ladder if need be will cover that.

1 Like

Ahhhh…WFP…yes!..I would LOVE to have one for this…sadly, It won’t happen right now…

1 Like

Okay so no Wfp, not a good idea for a lift on the grass, 24ft ladder with dozen and dozens and dozen of ladder sets…

Why not just buy ledger and a couple 24’ poles and 2 stick the whole job, one guy washing and one guys squeegeeing… (way faster, since the easy option is not available to you at the moment) Jmo…

Price I can’t help I don’t know you market, it seems a bit high to me though.

8 Likes

Jared…come on big homie…he’s got to get the feel of it first before he can start doing stuff like that brudda.

@whitehorse67 call your lift rental company if you have one if you dont start calling around and find out who gives certification courses for their equipment, and do yourself a favor and have everyone you are using do it too if they can’t show you a valid card, don’t matter if they’ve been in one since they were 6 years old.

Jared is dead on, but why are you getting a boom? Can you wfp it?

Your pricing is okay. You’ll probably be close to the cheaper one they get imho.

Personally I’d be about a grand above you WITHOUT a boom and get it done in one day.

On jobs like this, this is a 3 man job all day.

Split them up and give them zones that they’d be responsible for. Each one has a wfp setup you’d be done in 8 to 10 hours.

Squeegee work? Outsides only right? 6 men, one day same time frame for turn around. Same price. 250 per man at the end of the day, 300 if they finish in one day.

Go home and watch toonies.

BAM

5 Likes

Whatever your final number is, tack on 15% for hidden costs and misc. You’ll regret not doing that more than doing it.

5 Likes

He doesn’t have a water fed pole.

To get three water fed pole set ups for three workers would be several thousand dollar investment that I would assume a solo act does not have at the moment. I would also assume that if they agree to his price and give the go ahead it will happen fairly quickly?

By the pictures I don’t see the need for a 32’ ladder. A 24’ or 28’ would do? First cleans are always the hardest, so don’t price it low because you think it is a lot of money. Don’t price it out of the park unless you don’t want it. Price it two ways - based on a per window charge, and price it on an estimate of how much realistic time you think it will take (minutes per window x number of windows + pad a little time for multiple ladder sets).

One experienced guy and two willing workers but not experienced does not equate to a speed session. For that, I would not assume a one day job. Are the frames oxidized? Wet your finger and rub it down the frame a short distance, white = fright! If so you and your two willing workers will have to clean without touching the frame or you will be chasing a chalky mess for days.

To keep it in perspective for jobs like this it would be nice to know what their budget is and that will tell you if it is worthwhile doing. I wouldn’t think a nursing home has a huge budget?

5 Likes

Could be a county or state job. They like cheap.

And IDK that’s a pretty high 24 job. Take a couple hundo and buy a 28 that should be just right. Forget the lift and if no money for the pole you have to ladder it. It really wouldn’t be that bad climbing the ladder 250 times if you get a nice payday. I vote ladder that.

Price sounds in the ballpark… I’d also be curious to hear why the last guy hasn’t been around in a while.

Are there any spots that you can’t get a ladder to?

5 Likes