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H2OCleaning · Guest

RE: This is what is happening to the market value of roof cleaning.

Baltimore MD Roof Cleaning 410-482-4367 · guest

The Roof Cleaners of Chester County Pennsylvania 610-842-2104 wrote:

I pay about $2.20/gallon right now. I wish I had your prices! On the other hand, I am charging about $.35/sqft on my roof cleaning. I am the only person in my area that is doing non pressure roof cleaning. The other companies are all using the "roof rover". There is a guy about 2 hours from me that does non pressure cleaning, but he does not really impact me at all.

Brian

That would be me LOL!!

Ohio Roof Cleaning · Guest

cweman wrote:

I have lost my last 3 quotes to someone under cutting me. What is frustrating is that I'm the first one out because they are responding to my door hanger. I go out and size the roof and calculate my quote. During my inspection I tell the client about my company and methods. You know all the things you want them to know. They are also given before and after pictures to view my work and some written material which reinforces what I'm telling him.

Here's how my last quote went. I calculated the roof size and came up with a quote of $460. I use .15/sq ft. The homeowner asked me if I could go lower. I told him during the summer I was running a special where I would clean the driveway for free with a roof cleaning. I said I would give him that special. He said he was only interested in getting his roof cleaned and wanted to know if I could lower my price. So I came down to $400. He said he would think about it and call me. I followed up the next day and was told he had someone else come out who gave him a lower price. I asked if he would share that price with me and he said the guy was going to clean his roof for $300.

I could clean the roof for $300 and make a little money. I may have to adjust my prices down if I continue to lose to others.

Brian, What is the cost of your average roof job? I could only dream of .35/sqft.

Charles

Charles, so that roof was just over 3000 sq ft. Maybe your competitor is only bidding on half of it (if only one side looked bad). I usually give one rate for the part that looks bad and a different rate for the rest. I've had a hard time conviincing customers to do the entire roof when only half of it looks bad. I always try though.

Guest

You know that is funny Bill! I didn't even consider you in that statement I made because the population density between you and me makes it so we compete very very little. You are only a little over an hour from me, but I only go into the outskirts of your Maryland roof cleaning territory.

The guy I was referring to is in Reading PA. He has a HUGE territory, and roof cleaning is only a small part of the services he offers. I don't think he markets roof cleaning nearly as hard as I do. I see him on a lot of other bulletin boards.

I concentrate so much on PA roof cleaning that I sometimes forget about my neighboring states confuse

Brian

Reliable Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL · Guest

BillT

I'm pretty sure he was doing the whole roof for $300.

Since I'm new at this I'm still sorting out my pricing. There are plenty of expenses for running a legitimate company. Since my volume is still relatively low my cost per job are still high. I feel like I'm in a catch-22 situation. Lower my prices to get work and make something or stick to my guns on pricing and continue to lose jobs.

Charles

Reef Property Services · Assistant Administrator

So who is the guy in PA

Ohio Roof Cleaning · Guest

Charles,

I have no idea what you done so far but when we started up I called 27 insurance companies before I got what I wanted. To get a reasonable price for SH, I called about 10 places and had to put a couple against each other. The one place reduced the price by 39% to match their competitor. Now I have two places to get it from at a "reasonable" price. I'm not saying you haven't done your due diligence. Just wanted to throw that out there just in case. Good Luck!!

Guest

David,
The company I was referring to is Colonial Power Washing and Painting. The guy's name is William Sutton and he started the business down in Jacksonville, Florida.

Brian

AC Lockyer · none

Reef Property Services wrote:

We are just south of you AC and in the same area the the ad was from. IF anyone can get above .10/sqft here I'd be amazed.
I'm good at selling myself and my services but the mighty dollar has fallen here in Wellington.
Oh Wellington isn't all rich people anymore.

Reef,

when we had our branch in Delray we opened our first month at 170k. I couldnt find someone to manage it that wouldnt steal from me so we closed it. It was a good year though between the three branches in 2000 we did just under $5,000,000.00 in roof cleaning.

I do roofs in south east florida all the time for $30/square for barrell tile. Ya know most of the customers down there dont have YUGOs in thier garage. They do understand features and benefits.

Yesterday one of my sales reps sold $4,725.00 in one day 5 jobs.

If you doubled your prices how many customers would you loose???? How about just raising your prices 50%?

If you lost half of your business but made 50% more profit and worked half as hard is that a bad deal????

Thanks,

AC

AC Lockyer · none

AHINSON wrote:

AC Lockyer wrote:

Yes...........I too don't understand the low ballers selling the most dangerous service that can be performed on a home for the average cost of a dish washer repair, or the combined cost of pool and yard service for one month????

As many of you know we just re-launched Mallard Systems into the Central Florida (orlando) market after a 2 year absence. Last week we had 20 leads come in. Of those 20 leads we had a poor closing ratio for the week. We closed 11 of them. Our final closed sales for the week were $11,835.00 a slow week for October.

Here is the math....

20 leads, 11 closed, $11,835.00 in business = $1,075.90 average sale.

Yall just need to get your prices up and tell these low ballers to go fly a kite:)

AC

Could you educate us on how to get this many leads in a week?

we put out 20,000 flyers so far this year................................and repeats and referals.

ecsky · Guest

I remember when I started out, I did the same thing, .10 a sqft.

Now I have a min. price and I have tripled my money.

RoofBright of Florida · Guest

We too have a set price. And although we are based in one of the lowest wage area's in Florida we continue to plug along. In my 20 years of operating this company I have never set back and waited for the phone to just ring. We are constantly tagging doors, flyer inserts in the local papers, pennysaver advertising, etc. Granted, I only have 3 trucks in service, they are out working 5 days a week every week. If you want it bad enough you go after it.

I spend several hours a week reading other roof cleaners websites to gain knowledge. I'm constantly researching forums on this site to see if I can gather more info.

If you want to succeed you will.

andy hinson · Dec 8, 2009

AC Lockyer wrote:

AHINSON wrote:

AC Lockyer wrote:

Yes...........I too don't understand the low ballers selling the most dangerous service that can be performed on a home for the average cost of a dish washer repair, or the combined cost of pool and yard service for one month????

As many of you know we just re-launched Mallard Systems into the Central Florida (orlando) market after a 2 year absence. Last week we had 20 leads come in. Of those 20 leads we had a poor closing ratio for the week. We closed 11 of them. Our final closed sales for the week were $11,835.00 a slow week for October.

Here is the math....

20 leads, 11 closed, $11,835.00 in business = $1,075.90 average sale.

Yall just need to get your prices up and tell these low ballers to go fly a kite:)

AC

Could you educate us on how to get this many leads in a week?

we put out 20,000 flyers so far this year................................and repeats and referals.

Thank You

andy hinson · Dec 8, 2009

Reef Property Services wrote:

AHINSON wrote:

Blakem713 wrote:

That is a good line Gary. And so true. People with $500-1mm homes dont want someone without insurance on their roof. And in the end, the guys that are charging .08 a foot arnt gonna be able to do this long. But then again, if their purpose is to upsell then who knows.

I dont do residential concrete that cheap.

Almost all people DO NOT ask or care about insurance.
if you didn't price around .08-.10 you wouldn't be working.

I don't and I am. I get .10-.12 residential drive. .17 pool decks. .20 asphalt roof Package deals are less. I'm not knocking other prices. I just have a price I stick to.

jordande1 · Guest

i have always learned that the more production you have the more flexible you will be on pricing your product or service. hmmm?
i was told by one of our feild rep. that he would always try to get it sign the day of presentation, but if he does'nt he always tells the HO to give him a call before making the decission, and he'll make sure to make HO a deal they'll like...he does'nt hesitate to make a follow up call.. have the last say.

RCIA does not sell "YOGO" type of service. we sell "BUGATTI" customized in USA, the best !

cheers

Dec 9, 2009

Unfortunately, as much as I like being a part of that free flow, it no doubt helps start up people in business who get started or fill in slow times [now is not a slow time in Florida though??? ] with crazy cheap selling like that ad posted!
In my area, i've bid a 2500 or so sq' tile roof in a place called Englewood Isles and many times, been told "The last guy did it with a pressure washer for $90.00 I have heard that often enough to know, someone is actually working 5-7 hours on a barrel tile roof pressure washing for $90.00 OH MY ACHIN' BACK! And OH THE BROKEN TILES and ridge cement flying through the air!

I always ask them why they didn't hire the 90 dollar guy again. They usually say, they didn't like him or his phone is out?
I say, well, my price is $425.00 and i've been living here and in business, with the same phone number, since 1989 and my work is insured and will last 3-4 years before you will see a real need to do it again. Plus, I won't have to walk every foot of your roof, smashing and cracking tiles up-like a pressure washing guy has to do.
Of course, people who want big tile roofs cleaned for $90. are not likely to ever hire a professional roof cleaner. They will get dozens of bids until they hit on a new guy or a business doing poorly [probably for good reason!] and hire him for cheap!
I also have a pressure washing business, but it hasn't touched a roof in years!
It's frustrating stuff at times, but a good business keeps right on going, while the cheap "splash n' dash" guys come and go - many a year, in my area!
Of course, they offer the best warranties! They won't be in business in a year anyway, so what the heck! Offer a 7 year guarantee!

Chuck
http://pressurecleaningbychuckbergman.webs.com/

swmplizrd · Guest

I am trying to figure out the average price per sqft for tile and for shingles. Have read the entire thread and still have not figured it out. I am in central Florida, Can some one tell where to look or give me a hint to the correct answer. I understand that there is no set price but there has to be a range that would make me competitive and not low ball others. Thanks

gutterdog · Dec 25, 2009

Pricing? couple weeks ago I had a contractor friend throw a job to me. He just cleans gutters and knows I wash houses and roofs. The guy owns a home here and in florida. I gave him a price to wash one side of his house and the front of his roof. He said the price I gave him (100) for 1 side of the house. That he could get the hole house in Fla. washed? Now he couldve been pulling my chain??? Prob was to see if id lower my price. I didnt and solld the job but temps DROPPED!!! I never did get back over there. Roofs and gutters covered in snow. Watch the weather channel every day looking for temps to NOT go below freezing the night before. Well back to pricing. Its really crazy around here. Washing homes for $99??? (bandit signs)... Not seeing pricing for roofs around here yet. No one putting them out yet. I'm usually the first at the home for the estimate. I hate that. Some shop my price and find some one cheaper. Many I do sell right there. When I go to the estimate. I'm punctual cheerfull and confident. Usually that sells the job to the customer. I just got a ton of POS in for next year. As I approach the customers this spring, They will know I'm worth the higher dollar. I've seen a certain lowballer go and come back, lol!! Still offering the cheap price. I know I've lost some of my customer base to him. Lots of good advice in this thread. Stick to your guns, like I am. It's all in how bad you want it. Mery christmas and best wishes to everyone for 2010! - Mike

guest

swmplizrd wrote:

I am trying to figure out the average price per sqft for tile and for shingles. Have read the entire thread and still have not figured it out. I am in central Florida, Can some one tell where to look or give me a hint to the correct answer. I understand that there is no set price but there has to be a range that would make me competitive and not low ball others. Thanks

Yet another roof cleaner in Florida. Wow! I honestly don't know how you Floridians function like this. LOL. I guess Florida is a huge state and can support this. Their has got to be a time soon where your going to be getting 125.00 for a roof.

I think in the last 5 days I noticed about 4 new Cleaners In Florida.

Can you guys share your opinion on this, am I missing something here, maybe the more cleaners the better? obviously roof cleaning is very popular in Florida compared to any other state.

-- Edited by Walk on Friday 25th of December 2009 12:02:54 PM

garyw · Dec 25, 2009

Hey Clyde;
What happened to your picture??
You turning over a new leaf for the new year?? LOL biggrin

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

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"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"