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Thread: Materials

  1. #1
    Senior Member bb1's Avatar
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    Default Materials

    Hi All, Just wondering what everyones approach is to costing of materials that they purchase for jobs. I tend to add 20 to 25% on top off the retail price. Haven't had any complaints or questions about my pricing as yet. But interested to know what others are doing.

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    Senior Member Bgs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    I add about the same % as well some times a little more recently i put a row of lilly pillys in for a customer they were $7.98 at the nursery and i quoted and charged $15 per plant which they thought was reasonable. you have to add a bit extra for the time taken to collect the goods.

    also tip fees cost me $7.70 per 100kg and I charge $10.00 with out complaint plus time taken to load and unload you have to make a little $ where you can


  3. #3
    Senior Member bb1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    I do similiar with tip fee's, they cost either $25.00 or $35.00 per load, and i charge $35 or $45 to the client. Or in cases where I can dump for free, I still charge the full price of what the tip would have charged. Plus of course I charge for the time to load, drive and unload.

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    Senior Member ****'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Breathe some life back into this thread.
    I have just quoted a garden make over for a house going onto the market. Tightar$se just squeezed me on price.
    Because I was completely honest with him from the beginning and gave him the actual material cost (mulch) I had no leverage and had to drop my labour rates. Not too much but the value of a hard earned 6 pack....still enough beer tokens in the job though to see me through the weekend.
    So did I do the right thing by being honest and not adding a mark up to the materials and delivery cost from the local supplier or was I dumb ar$e?

    On the last make over I quoted weed mat at $1 a sq m even though it was .70c and went over on my estimate for mulch - Quoted for 3m but got in 6m which was just enough. I didn't allow for a mark up when I quoted that so the mulch cost went from $206 to $396 Still made up for it by smashing the job in 3 days instead of 4 as quoted. This quoting thing is a tightrope. Its all learning though and so long as I am still in the black then its all worth doing.
    So mark up or not?
    I reject your reality and substitute my own.

  5. #5
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Quote Originally Posted by bb1 View Post
    Hi All, Just wondering what everyones approach is to costing of materials that they purchase for jobs. I tend to add 20 to 25% on top off the retail price. Haven't had any complaints or questions about my pricing as yet. But interested to know what others are doing.
    I don't normally put a markup on materials but add the time for getting prices and picking up materials with an increase in labour rates. Bsically for every hour I estimate the labour I add an extra 50%. When it comes to mulching. Whatever the mulch costs I double the price and that is my total price.
    Last edited by Cranbourne Lawnmowing; 23-06-2011 at 06:43 PM. Reason: deleting some info not for open forum

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    Default Re: Materials

    Mark up is the cream of your daily rate, charge at least 100% on everything under $100. Remember your costs of time when sourcing the product and then delivery . Everything above that mark scale accordingly.

  7. #7
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    when i do them (rarely) with mulch jobs i always quote "materials as per cost" PLUS labour at such and such a load to pick it up and deliver it, and spread it.

    (so if i need an extra couple of loads to get it looking right, THEY pay for it, cos they always say 50mm thick when they want it 100 mm thick etc.)


    50 mm thick looks patchy and they ALWAYS want more, so that way i least know i am gettinn $220 a load labour etc.

  8. #8
    Member of Forum Stripes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Always mark up. The smaller the job, the higher the mark up. You can make very good money on mark ups. Source as many things at wholesale prices as you can and you can get a very good reward for your effort, especially on plants.

  9. #9
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Quote Originally Posted by happymowin View Post
    when i do them (rarely) with mulch jobs i always quote "materials as per cost" PLUS labour at such and such a load to pick it up and deliver it, and spread it.

    (so if i need an extra couple of loads to get it looking right, THEY pay for it, cos they always say 50mm thick when they want it 100 mm thick etc.)


    50 mm thick looks patchy and they ALWAYS want more, so that way i least know i am gettinn $220 a load labour etc.
    I always measure the area properly and go by 100mm. Even if the customer only wants it 50 to 75 mm. Never had a complaint yet.

  10. #10
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    I've always heard you should never mulch more than 75mm.

    In terms of mark-up's -
    plants 100%
    turf 20%
    other materals (including mulch) 50% or more.

    You need to remember you can access wholesale prices whereas clients can only ever get retail, charge the retail price plus cost of pick-up, sourcing etc.

  11. #11
    Member Of Forum TassieXJ's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    I charge an extra 20% on parts for big jobs, charge more for smaller jobs.

    I charge it because, just incase l forgot something so its cover and it all covers travel for the parts.

  12. #12
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Guys don't any of your customers ask to see all receipts and invoices? I can't get away with charging any mark-up so how do you? The only thing I do is charge for my time at nurseries, landscape supplies etc to source and procure/deliver product.

    This is also another thread that, now active again, should probably be moved to the members area as I don't think it's appropriate for the public/customers to be reading this stuff.

  13. #13
    Senior Member ****'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Valid point Paul but with this private vs readily available info it seems that there are 2 different forums operating.

    In terms of mulch, soil, gravel etc I cant find it in myself to mark up as its only a phone call away to the local garden supplies. Labour is what it is and in future I will be quoting that at $50 an hour so that I have some leverage. Lawn mowing and use of equipment will be at $70....perhaps pushing the boundary a bit but gives some leeway if I get squeezed by tightar$ses again or get it wrong.
    I reject your reality and substitute my own.

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    Default Re: Materials

    Quote Originally Posted by PaulG View Post
    Guys don't any of your customers ask to see all receipts and invoices? I can't get away with charging any mark-up so how do you? The only thing I do is charge for my time at nurseries, landscape supplies etc to source and procure/deliver product.

    This is also another thread that, now active again, should probably be moved to the members area as I don't think it's appropriate for the public/customers to be reading this stuff.
    they get to see my receipt if they want to go and buy the stuff and have me do it that's fine by me but what i pay for stuff is my business not theirs i mean do they ask Coles to show them how much their groceries cost no they just pay the bill same here if they don't like the price i give they can organise the stuff themselves or get someone else
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  15. #15
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: Materials

    Quote Originally Posted by ian View Post
    they get to see my receipt if they want to go and buy the stuff and have me do it that's fine by me but what i pay for stuff is my business not theirs i mean do they ask Coles to show them how much their groceries cost no they just pay the bill same here if they don't like the price i give they can organise the stuff themselves or get someone else
    I was thinking the same thing Ian but just about everyone I supply product for ask me for receipts for products. Must just be me!

    It's true though. I had a sparky here today to quote on some rewiring that is much needed but I didn't ask him if he would provide me with his costings.

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