bidding a 16,000sq ft building

A

austin

New member
I have to bid on washing a 16,000sq ft building (the one I posted about the bird dung) and I wanted to get some other opinions on price. For a one story building I usually charge 10cents per sq ft and then for a two story I usually do the first story for 10 and the second for 20 however in this case I decided to do the second for 15cents which equates to $3,750. This building is actually one story but I treat it as two because I will have to use the tele-wand to clean up high.

Just looking for a few other opinions on this one. I have a tendency to over bid and this one could really make some $$ if I bid it right because I'm going to be doing the concrete all the way around also.
 
quote

.10 x 1 sq ft=.10
.10x10 sq ft=1.00
.10x100 sq ft=10.00
.10x1000 sq ft=100.00
.10x16,000 sq ft=1,600.00
add 50% to 1600.00 for the .05 to make a total of .15 per sq ft and i get
1,600.00 + 800=$2,400.00
even if i read you wrong and you charge .10 for the first floor
1/2 of 16,000 is 8,000 sq ft at .10=$800.00[first story]
1/2 of 16,000 is 8,000 sq ft at .15=$1200.00[second story]
total = $2000
wash 16,000 sq ft at .20 a sq ft and you still only get $3200.00
no matter how i look at the math i cant get $3,750.00
ill guess the building is 20 ft high by 800 ft long
no lift just an exstension wand and apply chem with a x-jet.
Anything you get over $2,400.00[if you could get it for $2400.00]
is pure gravy.
Start sunday 1/2 hr after closing[if they have lights or you have your own] and make $2000 for the nights work and $400 for exspenses.
For your $3,750.00 ill rent a bucket truck pay a helper to drive and be done in 6 hrs. with no back problems.
Wash from top down and the helper and truck will only need to be there for 1/2 the time. Sign guys will rent there truck with a driver at $65 per hour here.[4 hr min]
for this work it's well worth it.
like i said before maybe i need more sleep?
 
How long will it take?

If I'm in doubt about my pricing with the square footage I compare it to a T&M estimate. In other words, it will take me X amount of time @ X amount of money per hour (Fixed Costs + Variable Costs + Profit) + cost of material.

For Example:

16,000 Square foot building to clean. Two men with two machines could clean 1,000 sqr. per hour. It will take 20 gallons of cleaner to clean. (I'm just making up numbers - I don't know the job).

32 man hours @ $60 per = 1920.00
20 gallons of Soap @ $6. = 120.00

I would take the T&M price and then compare it to the Sqr Ft. price to arrive at a fair price.

Warning: Be aware of T&M pricing it could burn you! I could look at a job first thing in the morning (after a pot of Java) and say that will take 6 hours to clean that. Then go back to that same in job in the evening and think it will take every bit of 12 hours. You should have a good handle on your production rate and expect the unexpected when estimating T&M.
 
I would like to know how I came up with that # myself. I don't know how I did that.

Ron the building covers 16,000sq ft one floor so 10 cents per sq ft would be $1600 but the building is about 20 feet high like you said so another 15c per sq ft again figuring for the second story would be $2400 so we'd be actually looking at $4000 to clean this building. It sounds to me like you're figuring square footage of the walls, I'm figuring square footage of the floor. I found it easier to bid this way doing estimates over the phone for house washes. Hi my name is such and such and I would like to get my house washed Austin-"well sir how many sq feet is your house?"
customer- it is 2000sq ft. Austin-"Well it will run $200 and $35 additional for the gutters."
 
Austin

i just dont look at things the way you do. That dont me right or wrong nor you.
Yes, i was thinking sq ft of the surface to be cleaned.
Just like flatwork.
I will have to think about your way and see the plus's and negitives to it.
Do most people know the sq ft of there home? I dont. Never even thought about it.
that would be 400 ft x400 ft x 20
thats langth x width x hight
thats 32,000 sq ft of surface to clean
man your back is going to be hurtin with a exstension wand and your arms will look like superman.
now if you could wash it like vynal siding that would be $1 per lin ft per story $1600 x 2 or $3200.00
Say your 6 ft tall and have a 72" lance. That leaves 8 ft x1600 of surface to use the exstension wand.[slow working]
MOSMATIC makes a "hover cover" for walls. I wonder how it would be on the end of a exstension wand 20 ft up?
 
I knew the square footage of all of the places I've ever lived and all except one house wash customer knew the sq footage of their homes. You should try to bid this way a couple of times or actually figure it this way and then figure it your way and compare the 2.

I would like to know how a linear ft. is measured though, the way I've heard some people talk about it the more I think they are confusing linear feet with running feet. I used to know the measurement for linear but I can't remember it now. Could someone enlighten me.

I really don't mind the tele-wand Ron because I use it alot and it pretty much holds itself up. I don't have to man handle it to get the side to side action I just twist it slightly with my hand to make it propell itself in a direction and back like the angle of the tips in a surface cleaner. I've gotten pretty used to it but don't get me wrong it can get old.
 
Linear feet is the length of the sides, or the same as what some peoplecall running. A 16,000 foot building could possibly 40x400 or 50x320, or 80 x 200. At 20 foot high that means that one is 17600 sq. ft. 14800 sq. ft. 11200 sq ft. SO it is kind of important to know that measurements. At the lowest, at your prices, the lowest price, using these examples is $1400, and the highest is $2500. MEasurements do matter.



Scott Stone
 
I posted a response to this thread over on pwn that should explain the way to figure sq ft.
 
Mike, I've come across quite a few customers who didn't know the Sq ft of there home, which is why I go by linear ft, and with out wanting to sound male chauvinist, the majority of the time, it's the housewife that contacts me, and the house wife that is there when I give the bid, and when I've asked they havent had a clue!

gav
 
I found the answer to my question on linear feet. I remember now from construction how it was measured and how you're using it. When talking lumber anything smaller than one-by-four inches is usually measured in linear feet where anything bigger would be measured in board feet. Linear foot is what is commonly used to measure things which have no specific length so I understand how it could be reffered to as running feet in the bid process.
 
I would like to know if you bid by the linear foot what do you consider one story 8ft, 10ft, 12ft, do you allow more for comercial buildings?

I believe 12ft is one story in construction terms right?
 
I figured it by sq ft the way I do it and it came out to $4,000 and then I figured it the way you would by linear feet and it came out to $4,100 Damn Im a lowballer I need to start bidding by the linear foot. lol
 
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