When I'm pricing my own Jobs , I like to price them at $21.00 dollars a area up 200sq ft.  I think this is pretty much middle of the spectrum,  some people think I should charge more, some think I should charge less.

more...always gives you a better quality of customer, with relatively clean well maintained carpets

Less...you get the dirty hell hole, where you worry about getting the bottom of you shoes dirty.(thats the one they always ask you right at the door to take off your shoes)But more volume of calls

middle...gives you a bit of both

where are you on the scale high or low???

yeah, but you're in Oakville.

jackblack wrote: I go high, no jobs under $200.00

The good thing that in Oakville a 100psi is not considered a portable. You must have alot of spare time.  But usnig the rather large machine you have $200.00 per day is not bad.  Give me a break no jobs under $200.00 maybe thats why the owner of Service master is a millionare just doing your cast offs.

I'm a fairly new business (just over 1 year old)

I'm in the middle of the road on pricing,,raised prices a little bit this year.

I can say from experience that Oakville carpets are never dirty...all you do is maintain...thats how it should be....maintaining clean carpets...100 psi machine could do you easy...

I like to set up a maintenance agreement this way I'm always cleaning clean carpets.

Steaminpile wrote: I'm a fairly new business (just over 1 year old) I'm in the middle of the road on pricing,,raised prices a little bit this year.

There was a day when in the spring we used to call the competition to find out what they were charging.  You have to sit down and figure what your overhead is.  You can't charge $10.00 per room if your cost is$15.00.

If you are running a tm I think you need to generate approx. $75. to a $100 per hour to make money.  Now you are only making money when the wand is going back and forth. So the truck will cost you about .15 a sq. ft to operate before you get any money and I think .15 is cutting it fine. Now this is why you charge more for moving furniture cleaning steps etc.  You have figure how much you need.  I had better quit because the big problem with production cleaners they have no idea if they are making money or not.

I break my costs down....I workout what it cost for the soap the gas wear and tear, my time.  See when you clean high volume, you pick and choose. 600 sq ft could take me 30 minutes in one house and 90 mins in another. 

It all depends on how much stains there are and how much furniture you have to move.

See when your a sub when you do your initial pre-inspection you have to decide weather the Job is worth it or not.  I don't have the time to give extra attention to 100 stains in 600 sq ft area...if I take the time then I'm not making any money. I need for that area to take me no more than 30 mins max. 10 mins per 200 sq ft(not including setup)

Subbing sucks but it pays the bills....I'm gonna start boosting my own company but it takes time

Stanley

Boost your own company by doing something better and different. Be the first, buy a Hydramaster Jet Less Rotary Extractor.

Cleaning carpets better faster and dryer, and guess what. When you are in your 40's  you won't be complaining about your back and shoulders hurting from pushing a wand.

Stop scrubbing, work smarter not harder. Save your strength for handing money to a teller.

Hell Yes Ted!!!I'm in for that and more!!!!but not while doing mass production cleaning...I'm actually looking at your Chem Spec line...it might be three for the 2 johns and me....

Actually my back never hurts from pushing the wand, actually I like it great excerise...with every stroke I pull my gut in.....Abs O Steel

Now Doug there are 4 pieces to the cleaning pie.

He must load up on the "soap"

doug wrote: Stanley:  I hate to burst your bubble but you might just as well be using tide.  You cannot not properly clean the average soiled residential carpet that fast.  I only hope that your name is not on your truck.  This is not quality cleaing.  Now what you have is to shake that 1 price fits all attitude and explain just what it would take to do the job right. 1200 sq. ft an hour your truck cannot maintain heat working that fast.  I guess I have said enough

Well Doug ....I do...it does...I get more request than anyone in the history of this company....I get more referals...I bring in business...some people have the touch...the touch of gold...I can't help it I just do...I lucked out. I could use mud pre-spray and it would still come clean.....I can't figure it out...it must be the way I handle the customers....or like they say carpets are getting easier to clean.

oh yeah...I made a lot of modifications to my Legend....Like I said before I have to be careful it will burn hose...melt carpet...wreck vinyl...toast hardwood...the more I use the hottter it gets

I have sat down and figured out my costs.

which is why I have raised my prices

In todays economy...people like to be priced per room...it's quick it's easy...they can calculate it.....pricing by sq ft is nice...but say if they just want a phone quote what do you do then???..

I give it to them.

In home estimates are nice but unless you have a tech or someone just doing estimates it's kind of a pain IMO.I just don't have alot of time to drive around estimating jobs that I MIGHT get.

I know my city quite well so I find out where the home is and I can give a pretty accurate estimate over the phone.

I make sure they understand it is a ballpark figure.

I will give in home estimates if that is what the customer wants.

I DO feel that % of booked jobs goes up when doing in home estimates.