Billing for ground protection

[arborworks1]

How do you all sit with billing for using ground mats?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nope. They're just part of the equipment we should have. However, I would factor that into the bid, but it wouldn't be much.

 

[sotc]

I feel that by having mats allows me to get my equipment closer which saves me money or allows me to be more efficient. Like having a bucket truck makes me more efficient in removals or a chipper allows me to haul more material and load it quicker.

 

[bonner1040]

Big Green doesnt charge for it, but they factor the time of setting up into the bids which are all based on an man hour goal.

My thinking is if it is a selling point for the customer and you offer it its just another way for you to distinguish yourself and justify your rate.

That being said if you haggle down on the price you cant very well then NOT use it if you told the customer it was an option.

 

[flushcut]

I don't out right charge the custy but a part of it is in the price.

 

[MasterBlaster]

There ya go.

 

[rangerdanger]

We don't offer it too much, when we do we do bill for it.

When I was up in Ohio at their conference I was talking and listening to a guy who has a small outfit in Ohio, he makes about $1000 a week if I remember correctly, just from putting mats down for a job. His customers are willing to pay that extra price.

 

[Tucker943]

Why intentionally charge folks for getting your equipment closer without having to do turf repair? Like all tools, they must be accounted for in the bid to procure/repair the current and next set. Now, if the job did not require the use of mats, and the customer was insisting that the extra measure be taken, I'd sock them full rate for set up/tear down time. But if its advantageous to the business from square one to use the mats, you should be profiting right off the bat from easier access/no turf repair.

 

[rangerdanger]

I'd lay turf mats if we were doing to do damage. But I think the point of charging extra comes when the customer wants zero turf damage compared to minimal. Like when using my gehl on a lawn, it doesn't tear it up but it might leave some indents or tire tracks. Not very deep or anything, very minimal. I'd charge extra if the customer wanted me to lay mats to avoid this. It's extra time and money on my part to go that extra mile for a small difference.

 

[flushcut]

Like when using my gehl on a lawn, it doesn't tear it up but it might leave some indents or tire tracks. Not very deep or anything, very minimal

A pitchfork works wonders to lift out some of the smaller stuff.

 

[rangerdanger]

Yep, a pitch fork has always been dads go to trick.

 

[sotc]

When I bid I am calculating mainly how many hours times my hourly rate. So setting up and tearing down the mats of course gets covered if I deem them necessary for the job.

 

[bonner1040]

When I bid I am calculating mainly how many hours times my hourly rate. So setting up and tearing down the mats of course gets covered if I deem them necessary for the job.

Thats how Big Green does it.

 

[tophopper]

But what if someone says they dont care about the turf, and are willing to waive you from any damage. Surely you'd still drive the truck in just the same, but you'd not spend the time to put down the mats. So you could charge less right? So essentially you are billing for the use of them.

We've laid nearly an 1/8th mile of plywood roads before and we certainly charge for that. If they don't want to pay it then we don't use it and we aren't liable for the damage either.


Reading everyone's response in this thread, everyone charges for it.

 

[arborworks1]

I was gathering the same. You all are not putting a line item in a bid is all!
I was considering giving folks the option in contracts of ground protection or a lower price if we go mud bogging in your prize lawn!

Not that I want the rep of tearing people's stuff up...

 

[bonner1040]

How do you ask someone if they want the cheap trash my yard package. I think you have to offer top quality and if you get the impression thats not what they need, then you can buddy up and give them the down and dirty deal.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not that I want the rep of tearing people's stuff up...

Or getting STUCK!

 

[Burnham]

I was gathering the same. You all are not putting a line item in a bid is all!
I was considering giving folks the option in contracts of ground protection or a lower price if we go mud bogging in your prize lawn!

Not that I want the rep of tearing people's stuff up...

There's the rub with doing it as an option, seems to me.

 

[lumberjack]

Just offer the option, it's part of salesmanship. If you want to mat in, push that, if you don't, push that.

I've been promoting "Broad Stroke Cleanup" for at least 5 years now. Had one asshole customer complain... picked up a wheel barrow load sized pile of debris when I picked up the loader then he was singing praises. :rolleyes: We beat the next low bid by $400 or 600 if memory serves. Then he complained about the stump grinding cleanup... He's been the only one, never heard mention of anything negative about it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Leave the jobsite better looking than when you arrived, period.

That's how you make an impression.

 

[treesandsurf]

Are you guys using plywood or the actual mats (alturnamats)? I looked into the alturnamats but the shipping to hawaii was outrageous.

jp

 

[Burnham]

Jon, in Hawaii you should use flattened blocks of lava, ala' the King's Trails.

 

[bonner1040]

Are you guys using plywood or the actual mats (alturnamats)? I looked into the alturnamats but the shipping to hawaii was outrageous.

jp

TreeStuff ships em free over $1000 to lower 48 too bad not Hawaii, I just checked.

I like mats better, we have around 10 mats and 40 sheets of plywood. Most of the other guys like plywood better though.

 

[rangerdanger]

Mats can get to be heavy sons of bitchs when I used them at a few other companies.

Jon, ship a few with that new Gehl you'll be picking up eventually

 

[MasterBlaster]

Mats = 85 pounds.