Estimating , proposals

D

Dave Stauffer

New member
Had a couple of quick minutes tonight and figured I would ask some questions.

I am astounded at the responses people give and how helpful everyone is on this forum. As I have said before I am a lurker on this site and PWNA and will hopefully be able to contribute something as I gain experience. iWith that I will say my standard thanks for the help and post a couple of questions.

Estimating. How do you estimate the sq footage of the roof? I have seen a standard formula out there in which you basically measure the length and width of the house and multiply by 1.3 to get a sq footage of the roof area. So if a house is 35W X 55L X 1.3 = 2503 square feet of roof? Makes sense to me so far......There are some houses that do not have the standard gable roof. They have dormers and other designs that seem to increase the square footage. How do you account for that?

It seems the going rate might be around .15 cents a square foot. Do you guys include cleaning out the gutters so that you can clean the roof as a part of that price? If the gutters are clogged with pine needles (welcome to North Carolina) leaves and other debris, you would need to get that out of there before you start cleaning so that water could flow freely. Do you charge for that separately?

What kind of info should be included in a proposal? I would have the scope of work detailed and maybe some clarifications as to what is and is not included and then a price. Anything that is a must for all prosposals? If anybody is willing to share a sample of what they give customers I would appreciate that.
 
Hi Dave,

There are several ways to go about pricing a roof. Some will go as far as actually getting on the roof (if walkable) and measuring with a wheel. Some will go to the county tax appraiser's website and get the square footage of the home and add as much as 33% to the total to account for pitch. Others prefer to eyeball it and simply estimate time/chem needed to complete the job and charge accordingly. As far as dormers/gables and other small areas, we tend to tack on anywhere from maybe $10-$25 for the added time of spraying those too, rather than wasting the time of trying to measure them.

.15/sq. ft. is a good price in our area. We price gutter clean-outs separately. Others might throw it in. If the gutters are obstructed, then you'll have the opportunity to upsell since they will need to be clear and flowing for the roof cleaning to take place.

Estimates need to be as clear and thorough as possible so that everyone is on the same page with their expectations, etc.

I hope this has helped some. It's a relatively straight-forward process and it sounds like you're already pointed in the right direction.

Good Luck! :)

Don
 
Dave Stauffer said:
Had a couple of quick minutes tonight and figured I would ask some questions.

I am astounded at the responses people give and how helpful everyone is on this forum. As I have said before I am a lurker on this site and PWNA and will hopefully be able to contribute something as I gain experience. iWith that I will say my standard thanks for the help and post a couple of questions.

Estimating. How do you estimate the sq footage of the roof? I have seen a standard formula out there in which you basically measure the length and width of the house and multiply by 1.3 to get a sq footage of the roof area. So if a house is 35W X 55L X 1.3 = 2503 square feet of roof? Makes sense to me so far......There are some houses that do not have the standard gable roof. They have dormers and other designs that seem to increase the square footage. How do you account for that?

It seems the going rate might be around .15 cents a square foot. Do you guys include cleaning out the gutters so that you can clean the roof as a part of that price? If the gutters are clogged with pine needles (welcome to North Carolina) leaves and other debris, you would need to get that out of there before you start cleaning so that water could flow freely. Do you charge for that separately?

What kind of info should be included in a proposal? I would have the scope of work detailed and maybe some clarifications as to what is and is not included and then a price. Anything that is a must for all prosposals? If anybody is willing to share a sample of what they give customers I would appreciate that.
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Try to keep it simple.I can look at a roof and fiqure how long it will take me,then i price it as time and material's.

With all my job's i have a minimum price set,all tile and or shingle roofs starting at 1500 sq ft are $300.00 and it goes up from there.Dont sell yourself short on the roofs,because thats where you will get the most money on your job!!

After you get the roof job,and buy the way i always throw in a house wash and gutter cleaning with each roof job,it helps sell the job and takes very little time.Then you go after the patio and driveways and anything else you can sell them.And most times you can get them to take a package deal on all the work.That's when you cut them a great deal and most times this will work better than trying to fiqure out how much to charge buy the sq ft..

I will not work without a minimum,they cant expect you to compete with the fly bye night jobbers,thats why they called you in the first place.Alot of times they tried to get the guy they had last time who was much cheaper than you,but he is no longer in buisiness,go figure,just my 2 cents.

I run a large rig with (3) 8gpm @3500 hot water machines and a 600 gal tank.We are able to clean a 3000 sq ft home from roof to sidewalks and patio and be gone in 3 hours top's average price for this type of service is $450.00 to $500.00 dollars..

Once you have been doing this awhile you wont even have to go out for estimates.If the homeowner can give you a sq ft of thie home,you will be able to give him a price over the phone.That alone saves you time and money.
 
Great advice....I am very happy to have found this forum. I plan on finding someone outside of the area to do some work with. Trade the free labor for the experience. Thanks again.......Dave
 
Dave Stauffer said:
Great advice....I am very happy to have found this forum. I plan on finding someone outside of the area to do some work with. Trade the free labor for the experience. Thanks again.......Dave
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Come on down to Tampa Bay,i will be happy to have the free labor!!:D
 
Hi The Cleaner......

Could you please put your real name and contact information in your signature!

Celeste
 
CarolinaProWash said:
Hi The Cleaner......

Could you please put your real name and contact information in your signature!

Celeste
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No problem..
 
Ron Musgraves said:
Nick, Please read about the signature line rule. Need a number or web address.

you certainly must have a web site?
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The only web site i am on is the yellow book web site.Never had a need for a web site.I will list my phone number..
 
Ron Musgraves said:
Nick, Please read about the signature line rule. Need a number or web address.

you certainly must have a web site?
Click to expand...

All my accounts were found with alot of leg work and talking with as many retail and commercial property managers as i could get in to see.

I always thought about a web site but i managed to stay very busy without one.I think it would be a good place for people to come to, for information about my company but i have yet to develop one?

I guess im old school,i have been working for myself well before the internet,and i alway's seemed to make a good living at it.

I am sure a web site is a good thing,but i still say that a face to face with the person who makes the decission on the contract,along with your equipment at the ready to give a demonstration is still the way to go for me.Heck it's been working for me for 11 years..:D
 
I Agree With Nick But Times Are Changing And I Guess I Need To Go Ahead And Roll With The Punches Soon .im In A Small Market And We Are The Only Full Time Service ,shure There Are Alot Of Jack Legs But As Far As True Commercial And Residential Work We Are The Only Service Here .....i Would Like To Continue To Grow And Expand And I Honestly Believe That The Internet Is The Way To Get Into The Larger Market Areas ......if Anyone Has Any Suggestions Asto Which Way Is The Most Affordable Approach I Would Love Some Feedback
 
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