Pricing

[DNgroundworks]

Just wondering how people price of a BOQ? Im struggling to work out meter squared prices and linear meter prices for everything, Does anyone use these books as a guideline?

Also what is the procedure, do you just price off the paperwork and send it back? making allowances for whatever you see fit or what?

Does all the H&S stuff that goes with say, digging trenches (shoring) etc, is all that covered in the per meter pricing?

http://www.bcis.co.uk/site/scripts/retail_products.aspx?category_id=12

If so, which book?

[lutonlagerlout]

you will never win a job off those books dan
the prices are way off the mark normally
if a job is really big we employ a QS ,but generally metre prices dont work out too good unless you are doing 1 sort of job day in day out
LLL

[DNgroundworks]

Well, they have broken the whole job (about 80k) down into such small elements

ie:

excavate service trenches, dispose of spoil 250 mtrs, price per metre price overall

Install 250 meters 100mm ducting, back fill with bla bla Price per meter

And it goes on for pages.

Ill email it you mate see what you think of it.

[lutonlagerlout]

yeah no probs
I normally work out the cubic metres of spoil,what that costs me to excavate and remove then divide by the number of metres
if that makes sense
LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

i work it all out long hand and keep it in my quote book then when ever i get a new one i add it to the back pages to now ive got 4 or 5 pages at back with prices per meter per ton etc. its a ball ache but no easy way rd if you want to win job or not loose money.

so 250metre = 3 days to dig 250mx0.15x0.6m=22.5m2x1.6 for bulking = 36m2x2.2(specific gravity of average spoil) = 72 tons x £8/ton much away = £576 + 2 days for 3 men and machine say £750 + ducting £96 for wavin ducting with pull string, mot to back fill = 50 tons x £15 = £750 = £2172 extras (warning tape etc) call it £2500/100 = £25 a metre....

thats how i do it.

[lutonlagerlout]

i came up with around £65 per m3 to dig out and remove with a machine and dumper
more on small or hand dig
LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

With Groundworks it's hard to use set pricing figures as so many variables, on the big jobs(Olympic size) it's about £1-£2 a m3 to excavate move and re level but on small jobs it's all access and time and things in the way etc. Use it as a guide but always requires fettling, it's not like brickwork were 1m2 face is 1m2 face etc only the material cost changes a lot more constants. My mates got the estimator software package, estimates at £14 an hour for Groundworks but doesn't take into account delays weather building inspectors etc

[lutonlagerlout]

it is the same with brickwork giles
sorry i should have said and remove to a licensed tip
on extensions i allow £100 per metre3 to dig out and remove
LLL

[DNgroundworks]

Cheers Giles, well pricing the job that way would take me days!! I think ill leave it until ive a bit more wool on my back! Giles what size of job maximum would you take on, on your own, taking your dad and his business out of the equation, (that must obviously be a great help) just out of interest?

[Carberry]

Need to do credit checks if you are getting in to those size jobs too, with the number of firms going bust if you take on a big job like that you could easily go down with them.

I have a copy of Spons landscaping book kicking around somewhere, think it is 2010 or 2009 but I could email you it anyway if you're interested.

[lutonlagerlout]

you are right there carberry and i mentioned this to dan in an email

our own sweet <missing in action> Mick gammage took on work like this and got knocked in the 80s
big firms and subbies go bust all the time dan and blokes like us on here dont get a look in
re:paving work i would say contracts up to 20k with stage payment according to work completed
I.E. levels reduced 20%,sub base installed etc 20%
edgings and IC covers 20% paving installed 20% final check and sign off 20%
that way the most you theoretically can get hooked for is 4 grand
LLL

[DNgroundworks]

Ye on the bigger private jobs, biggest ive done is 30k, they always pay in stage payments. What has happened to mick g?

[msh paving]

Ye on the bigger private jobs, biggest ive done is 30k, they always pay in stage payments. What has happened to mick g?

for some reason, the server won't let him in the cabin,due to IP address issues and links to spam due to no fault of his, MSH

[lutonlagerlout]

I think mick hangs out on landscape juice,which is a shame because he brought an extra dimension to the brew cabin
LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

Cheers Giles, well pricing the job that way would take me days!! I think ill leave it until ive a bit more wool on my back! Giles what size of job maximum would you take on, on your own, taking your dad and his business out of the equation, (that must obviously be a great help) just out of interest?

biggest i ever quoted on was £120k didnt get it, biggest done was £80k and was a real pain, weekends, nights stress money issues etc did it 25/25/40/10% was hard getting finished and getting that 10% and in the end id have been better doing 20 smaller jobs. stupid things like waiting for the grass to grow on the repaired bits before paying etc.

im gulity of it on small jobs everything on word of mouth but you need contracts signed by both incase it gets nasty and keep detailed records.

ive just got into recently keeping an accurate record of everything i use in a day, not just using invoices. so as i go along or at the end of the day i note down what been used. materials from bm are easy as you get invoiced but stuff out of stock or fuel etc little bits and bobs and then at the end of teh day you get a very accurate picture what the job cost you, and then you cry at how little you made out of it hehe.

doing more and more big work at mo, was in bangor yesterday 2 hours each way concreting at a hospital with the uk's biggest concrete pump.... ill post some pics about it.