I've got a client wanting to fill in a valley next to their yard to create more flat useable space. I think the people are dreaming cause it figures up to about 80 tri axle loads of dirt. This is not commercial job with plans, just having to go out and measure up (nothing is flat all valley and hills) and take an educated guess and figure in enough fluff to cover my ass. I normally don't do any kind of hourly work and like to give a hard number estimate. My question is how do you guys price jobs like this, where 80 loads could turn into 100 or 120 loads, I usually figure heavy in favor of having plenty, but on the other hand 20 loads extra could put you 2k for 4k more than the next guy or if I try and figure right on and I need 20 - 40 loads to finish that 2-4K comes out of my wallet since I would have to use another fellow since his job is close by. Didn't know if anybody figures a flat per load that includes material, loading, hauling, spreading and compacting. Just curious what others approach would be on small project like this or if just over thinking.
I'd figure up a per load fee, and tell him it takes what it takes. I'd also make damnsure that all the local regs are followed, including silt control, etc. Alls it takes is one ****** neighbor to call in to cause some real trouble...
I don't do much hourly work either, all bid jobs either hard or negotiated with unit costs. In this situation I would give a per load price. Exclude any and all surveying, permitting, testing, etc., etc. However I would price some erosion control by the unit.
More often than not when I get a homeowner that wants price on a project like this they have absolutely no clue what it will cost to do. They think "I should be able to fill that hole for a few thousand dollars" So my advice is to do some very ruff estimating on the spot before you get too carried away with an accurate bid. You will waste a crazy amount of time trying to bid these projects otherwise. For example on something like this I would tell the customer I estimate it's going to take 50+ loads of dirt which will cost about $xxxxx just to get the material onsite. On top of that we have plans, permits, testing, grading, compacting, and erosion control. In my experiences at this point 9 out of 10 times the customer will tell me a project of this caliber just isn't the budget. The only catch here is make sure you do enough quick estimating to know its going to take 50 truck loads and not 10.
I had one, today, wants me to dig footers, for a 24X32 garage. I told him $900/day with me just doing machine work, and shooting the levels. hadda talk to him fer a half hour, on the phone, but I didn't mind, talk is cheap, and the only thing else I hadda do I did, this morning, dot physical... Oh, and the doc checked me fer a hernia, for the first time ever, on a dot physical. Wonder what's next, a colonoscopy? kinda reminded me of somethin outta alice's restaurant... AND this guy:
Seems to be getting worse all the time, lol Homeowners, contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, farmers, school teachers, etc After you tell them it will cost "X" to fill the hole, they will promptly go out and spend 8 times the cost of the project to buy a bobcat and dump trailer then proceed to scrounge the nastiest dirt they can find for free within 20 miles and spend nights, evenings, and weekends hauling 4 yards at a time and beating the hell out of their half ton truck to "save money". On a job that your actual profit on was probably less than 5 grand. I wish that was a fictional story.
I have to agree with some of the ideas mentioned above: just give him a flat fee on each load and give him an estimate on # of loads. Explain to him that there may be required more or less. He should be able to get a good price range in his head after that.