Putting guidline prices on website?

[Forestboy1978]

In the last week I've had to deal with possibly near 50 calls or emails for work. Some people contacting me in order to go round and quote for a post replacement. Yep seriously.

I'm thinking I may just put guidline prices for general tasks on my website so people can look at the prices and decide before they contact us if they are reasonable or not. For example. Fitting x1 panel dunno £65 inc disposal of old panel. Stuff like that.

What do you reckon?

[lutonlagerlout]

I believe in that london some people now charge for quotations,£35 or so,cuts out the timewasters
refundable if you get the job
LLL

[rxbren]

I've seen a website that had guideline figures but they were hilariously high only problem is if you put guidelines people automatically expect to pay that regardless of any additional work needed to do the required work.
£65 is way too cheap for doing a panel if your including post, concrete, panel and disposal plus you have travel time and fuel plus wear and tear.
Same as paving I've been to a few jobs where you tell them on the phone a rough m2 rate then when you get there it turns out they suddenly want 3m2 of paving plus finished level reducing by 150mm so the cost nearly triples I'm some cases.
You could cover yourself by putting supplied and fitted from £xx but your still left with the prices higher for smaller jobs.
Other downside is its gives your local competition your prices to beat

[higgness]

I believe in that london some people now charge for quotations,£35 or so,cuts out the timewasters
refundable if you get the job
LLL

I am amazed that people dont charge for quotes, I talk to alot of house builders, that have stopped quoting if the list of people quoting is or a certain amount.
Agree with LLL, discount if you get the job.

[Forestboy1978]

I've seen a website that had guideline figures but they were hilariously high only problem is if you put guidelines people automatically expect to pay that regardless of any additional work needed to do the required work.
£65 is way too cheap for doing a panel if your including post, concrete, panel and disposal plus you have travel time and fuel plus wear and tear.
Same as paving I've been to a few jobs where you tell them on the phone a rough m2 rate then when you get there it turns out they suddenly want 3m2 of paving plus finished level reducing by 150mm so the cost nearly triples I'm some cases.
You could cover yourself by putting supplied and fitted from £xx but your still left with the prices higher for smaller jobs.
Other downside is its gives your local competition your prices to beat

Well I pulled that figure out of my **** but I'm thinking that price roughly for just a panel replacement inc disposal of the old panel.

Reason being theres always x2 guys in the truck, both travelling, travel time, fuel, the cost for the panel etc. Just not worth doing it for less. By the time you take VAT off it's peanuts.

[sy76uk]

I wouldn't put a price guide price up for all of the reasons mentioned above.
Ask for details over the phone and give them a rough price but tell them you'll give them a proper price once you've inspected the site.

[Forestboy1978]

I'm hearing everything you're saying and I have some of the same reservations.

Working for these guys though. http://www.fenceinstallers.co.uk

Company is operating out of 4 different counties. The other aspect is that is a relatively untapped area for search engine optimisation.

[lemoncurd1702]

Photos.

Ask them to email or facebook message photos of the job they want doing.

Done this a few times if the job is not close, even used google earth and streetview to measure and estimate driveways.

[Forestboy1978]

I've done that numerous times. It still takes a lot of time. 4 email correspondences 2 days ago for a fence post that I didn't get lol. If he had a price to view he could have just not bothered me or contacted me knowing what it would cost.

[rxbren]

Ita a risk as any one in the area he covers knows exactly how much to undercut him by
His materials seem cheap all 3 of my local fence suppliers are dearer for the panels and concrete posts/gravel boards although their panels are good quality with 5 vertical batons each side
I use the measuring tool on google for some driveways if its got alot of odd shapes or to roughly double chea k my working outs