Need some feedback on bid

Commercial
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Ive been contacted to bid on this job attached in the pictures. I have a ballpark of what I think I will charge. What do you think. Here are the issues…
1…top windows are 36 feet I have a 33ft Unger WFP
2. The very top of the windows are badly discolored, from moisture accumulating near the aluminum edges. I have no way to know if i can scrub them clean enough or that they are not stained. What would you use?
3.I could rent a lift to offset the height, would you?
4. Approx 204 windows exterior only.

Thanks
Chase

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this is not my area so my comments are limited.
can you buy an extension for your pole instead of spending money on a lift.
the stains near the top, i wonder if they are actually butyl from the gaskets, if so it requires a sovent like turpentine (thanks to whoever told me about this)

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Might be, and thank you for the information. Now I have a starting point to research.

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Welcome to the forum.

What is your ballpark price? Do you have experience with WFP on commercial glass?

Is there any staining on lower windows that you could test?

If you are concerned about the possibility of severe staining, perhaps you could add that in as an option on the bid? Offer to test clean a couple windows first.

36 foot windows with a 33 foot WFP may be challenging.

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TJ,
Thanks fir chiming in on this. I quoted him 1545.00, for the initial cleaning. Some experience on wfp and the stains there are no windows low that have that issue. I added in 150 for the top 2 rows if there stained and no guarantee that we can get them clean. The 1500 is if we need a lift to really get a good first clean, but they say we can use there’s if need be. After that quarterly cleaning at 750.00 exterior only and other large buildings within the organization.

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$750 exterior only with their lift sounds great to me, but I have no experience. Let us know if you get it.

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+1 for comment/username synergy

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That sounds pretty good to me, Especially if you were able to discuss
The possible issues with the upper windows and set up a contingency plan.

I don’t do a ton with severe Staining, but if Bio-clean or something else fairly mild can get it, I’ll do it. It may be something where you can put a little on the brush and scrub with it. I wouldn’t try that with anything to caustic.

Again, that may be a challenging reach for your WFP. If there aren’t too many that high, you may be able to knock them out pretty well from a fairly vertical angle, but you won’t want to work too long like that.

I hope you get it!

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I will let you guys know, I also have a bid on a gym 147 windows inside and out 2 story. 816 for initial clean, and then quarterly at 485.00 Thanks guys for your feedback and love this community

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Hey there, Avidity!

I want to add my proverbial “two cents” in on your topic.

If your pole extends to 33’, with your standing height, you should reach those upper windows easily.

However…The staining to me looks like a heavy combination of residual buildup from neglect, just on a larger scale. My FIRST advice to you is this: Buy some “One Restore!!!” This truly is a near-miracle working solution that will make your work life much, much easier. “Scrubbing” this type of residue off is not a task you want to undertake without this secret weapon.

I seek out the most difficult, filth-covered, caked-on, baked-on windows in the Tulsa area, and turn them around with proper use of “One Restore.” Be sure to read the instructions carefully. Your only issue here to circumvent with One Restore at your side is to safely spray the detergent at your upper heights. Do you have a telescoping ladder that is at least 24’ in height? If so, you can load a sprayer cannister (Hudson brands I find to be the best and spray steady patterns, even long distance straight streams up to 18’ to 20’.) with One Restore (have your water hose hooked up, sprayer on and tested, water source at full capacity PRIOR to spraying the solution. If you have to climb and spray, wear safety goggles with vast coverage and a cheap respirator/surgical mask also. The chemical stings the skin and burns the eyes due to the small amount of sulfuric acid. Saturate your WINDOWS (not the frames around it, as the solution, if left on too long, will discolor the frames…) and rinse all of those years of buildup away in seconds. It is remarkable. It will save you hours and hours of scraping, buffing, and hard core, shoulder-heavy cleaning.

USE THEIR LIFT!!! What a gift to have. Getting your nose to the glass will make your work a bit slower, but ultimately the best that it can be. Nose to glass! It will also help immensely with your One Restore treatment!

And finally, your bid…This quote prices your panes at $7.57 each. Are you cleaning the Interior AND the Exterior? If Exterior only, your bid is too high. If Interior and Exterior is being serviced, you are still high, in my opinion. Do you have competing bids on this work? How did your client react to the initial bid? Will your work be recurring, or a one-time cleaning? These are vital questions.

The approach I might take, especially if there are other bids (for them to offer their scissor-lift is a great sign that you may have the job already), is to price the windows in the future, or in a re-presentation, is to drop the price due to their offer of use of the lift (We HAVE to justify price drops!!! Dropping for no reason is asinine, and makes us look like hungry, desperate scavengers that will drop price in a second. This rapidly diminishes our credibility AND our profession, so I pride your pricing in that regard), and price the windows PER buildup and height in this scenario…for example, "…Mr. Client, your 3rd floor windows, which total a complete count of 98, have extreme buildup on them. They will call for a “restoration” treatment to “bring them back to life.” You have justified the pricing with this (as you did with your $150 add-on), made it clear to the client that this is highly professional “restoration-quality” work, and go from there.

Sorry to ramble…please reach out with any questions. I have done numerous projects like this one, and have learned by much trial and error. Let me save you the mistakes I made.

Good luck!

Stu Manning
’Stu’s Squeaky Clean
Window Services’

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First let me say wow and thank you for taking the time. Your feedback and the community mean a lot to me. That being said, I will take this advice and use it to my advantage. I did leave a bug in the ear of the guy who initially called me about this job, that the price was 1545 should we need a lift. If not it drops to 1245.
204 windows at 5 exterior only per them, average per window since each is different comes to 1020
Hard water or stain removal top seems to be the issue so 150.00
and the drive for me is 75 miles oneway, so a trip charge of 75.00
After this initial cleaning occurring will drop to half since it will be pole work.

It was explained to me that no one would touch this job, he has been calling around and people said no. I did put a bug in his ear that if there is a possibility of getting more work from them since this organization is so large that my price has some wiggle room. The beauty part is that they are across the street from a cement factory and they dirty pretty quick with dust.

I will order some one restore as soon as possible, I have seen it just didn’t know how well it worked.As far as ladder yes, I have access to one, but that lift will reach 50ft, his guys just wont do it and he won’t. I should be able to lay hands or get close to most windows. The columns play a part of blocking a bit.

Thank you again for taking the time, and lets get together here soon if you have the time.

Ken

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Still waiting on response from multi story bid, however I sold the gym account at 1675.00, 675 up front for interior and exterior clean, then quarterly at 250.00 external only. I also scored their second location opening in a few months at 1975.00!!!

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That’s great! Did you approach the gym or did they contact you?

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Oh that job is my bread and butter. Easy cheesy lemon squeezy.

Number one: Ya gotta get a bigger pole for jobs just like this. Trust me, after this one you’ll get more that are JUST outta reach.

Until then; this is super ghetto bucket bob style, but until you get that pole:

Bring a little 2 foot or 3 foot 35$ home depot step ladder. You can use that for the uppers outta your reach.

As for the staining or whatever it is, is it only on the uppers outta your reach? I assume that it is, and I’m assuming its only caked build up of dirt because of the way the outcropping(?) or the building sheilds the upper panels from the elements I doubt its building run off from leeching. (that would need restoration).

So;
there’s a couple ways you can go about cleaning it without getting too crazy.

1-One guy said to use a lift. Thats a good idea for the first cleaning. You won’t get a better clean from getting nose to glass.
That being said, after you clean the panel, then get it wet again and use steel wool (0000) and it should come right off.

2-The same method can be accomplished bucket bob style by wrapping the steel wool around your t bar scrubber on a regular pole like an Unger 5 piece pole. You can do it like this: Have one man go in front and start wfp’ing the glass, one guy come behind him with the pole and steel wool, then the man on wfp swing back around for the rinse.

That’ll save you money on the lift, and it will be the same amount of time for labor as with the lift. It looks like a fairly new building under ten or 12 years so I doubt the glass needs resortoration.

If it does, remember you shouldn’t use acid on this one because its going to bleach the mullions/frames and it’s gonna look like crap, not to mention that I assume thats one of the main entryways and people will be going in and out of there even if you barricade it and they are asked by their bosses not to use that door-someone will do it anyway. You don’t wanna risk getting acid in some idiots eyes. Too much liability.

As far as pricing go’s, best way to do it is guess how long it will take in hours for one man, divided by the men you have working, and add your profit.

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hydrochloric acid

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I approached the gym, I’m hitting up any business and working every angle. Come spring time I want them to come to me lol. The gym liked my quote and what I was offering and quickly offered up the other location. I did approach the gym in a different manner. She was a new manager and I pulled her to the side and said this " let’s make this a win/win you save money on window cleaning and I make enough to have profit you end up a hero and I win the job."
Turns out it was a win and getting the other location was her doing for working it out with her.

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I wouldn’t use Either acid as they both will etch the glass, phosphoric is a better alternative for glass use if you HAVE to use acid.

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Can’t, it’ll bleach the frames. Plus, no safe way to use because of where your work zone is.

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i was saying the active ingredient is hydrochloric, not sulfuric

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Thor thank you for your input and advice. I had considered using harsh stuff like acid, never thought of the metal. Thank you thank you thank you!!! That job in particular likes the bid, but now has to find money in the cleaning budget. It’s a waiting game.

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