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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:44 pm
by scoffsred
Hi men, i've been contacted today by a local housing association who are putting out some general garden maintenance work to tender, which i would love to win, but, and its a big but, ive never tendered for work before, all our work up till now has been for private homeowners and the like.
Can any of you pass on any advice as to how i should go about "winning" this contract, any help whatsoever would be massively appreciated,
Chhers Dave.
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:59 pm
by dig dug dan
I have done this for grass cutting contracts for councils.
The trick is to look at their accounts and minutes of meetings for the previous year, and it will be minuted what they paid the previous contractor. That way you can see if you are any where near the mark. The simplest way is just to ask them what they paid last year. They shold tell you as there is nothing untoward.
They usually ask the previous contractor to tender, and they put the price up by about 3%.
I have just submitted a tender for a grass cutting job, and the tender states gang mowers in certain areas, yet last yera they gave it to someone without gang mowers?!!? this year after a flood of complaints, hopefully they won't make the same mistake!
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:14 pm
by scoffsred
Cheers for that DDD, I'll get on the phone tommora to the bloke in charge and ask him bout last seasons charges, is it generally well payed work ?
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:35 pm
by James.Q
a mate of mine does a few around chorley says its not the best paid but for the amount of time he can pay half his mortgage for the year. The only hasstles he had was doing risk asessment plus public liability. also it also ment any other decent sized private work he got he found it difficult to fit it all in:)
James Q:)
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:19 am
by warnergrounds.co.uk
We have found that Spons Estimating Costs Guide to Minor Landscaping is usually what the local authority is looking at when they are budgeting for the works. If you want to get hold of a copy the ISBN number is 0-415-34410-7. We bought ours off Amazon but if you have problems getting hold of it google should be able to help. If you PM me I also have some guidelines for tendering to local authorities which should put you on the right track. We have all been there with our first tender - I was more scared when we actually got the first contract though!!!
All the best (and yes I am a girl and I do (co) own a landscaping company)
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:48 am
by scoffsred
Thanks for all the info lads and lasses, pm sent warnergrounds.
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:03 pm
by Tony McC
I generally find that Spon's is right at the top of current prices and really needs to be discounted if you're serious about winning work. It's very useful for getting an indicative price on an element with which you're not familiar, but I reckon that, if you used it to price every job that was offered, you'd have a very quiet year!
You can buy any of the Spon's books via the pavingexpert bookshop ("Flagstones") which helps fund the running costs of this site without costing you a single penny extra.
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 5:36 pm
by lutonlagerlout
we tried out a few pricing services, but the prices they came up with were astronomical
you would never get any work plus you had to pay them 2% of the price quoted which meant £200 on a job you had no chance of getting.
as the gaffer says, and i wholeheartedly agree.
if you can buy anything through this site do it, as by doing so keeps everything impartial.
personally i thing this site and moneysavingexpert are the best 2 sites on the 'net
LLL 
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:54 am
by warnergrounds.co.uk
We use an accounting system that is web based called e-conomic. If you input your labour rates and units (which does take a little while but is time well spent) and then input your supplier prices with your markup for your materials it is then extremely easy to generate quotes.
I was a bookkeeper in a previous existence before it became cheaper for me to run the office side of our business, although I have been known to lay the odd flag now and again too.
The best thing about the system is that you can scan all your invoices from your suppliers and other receipts and then input them on the system. Makes tax return time a doddle.
We have found it to be invaluable for us and it might be worth a look for others out there with similar issues.
That being said I still supply all our estimates in PDF format after typing them in word but the accounting software does all the calculations. Its just that I don't think anything beats the personal touch when it comes to providing the customer with an estimate.
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:39 pm
by lutonlagerlout
is PDF a new type of paving?
sounds good lara but the nearest most of us get to bookkeeping is in the bookmakers :;):
LLL
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:42 pm
by yourgardenworks.co.uk
Things are looking good as regards the Tender which was submitted last week, i have been sent an application pack to join the Appproved Contractors list, and all being well, i should be starting the work in the first week of April. Special thanks to Lara for all your help.
On a seperate note, where is the best place to look for more tender work, as this one kinda fell into me lap?
Dave
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:54 pm
by lutonlagerlout
once you are on an approved contractors list (we are) you get all sorts sent to you
thing is if things get tight doing jobs for the LA can be a god send,we are pricing some such jobs now with a weather eye on the economy
good luck fella
LLL
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:34 pm
by yourgardenworks.co.uk
lutonlagerlout wrote:once you are on an approved contractors list (we are) you get all sorts sent to you
thing is if things get tight doing jobs for the LA can be a god send,we are pricing some such jobs now with a weather eye on the economy
good luck fella
LLL
Cheers my man, so there isnt a definitive source for these kinda jobs.?
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:50 pm
by Dave_L
yourgardenworks.co.uk wrote:lutonlagerlout wrote:once you are on an approved contractors list (we are) you get all sorts sent to you
thing is if things get tight doing jobs for the LA can be a god send,we are pricing some such jobs now with a weather eye on the economy
good luck fella
LLL
Cheers my man, so there isnt a definitive source for these kinda jobs.?
Getting your foot in the door and yourself a name for good work completed on time etc is a big step in that direction.
We're on such lists - infact we've just picked up ten day's+ worth of road surfacing work for Devon Highways! That'll be OK!