Hello, eveyone

I have just been award the cleanup job for a dunkin donuts, however I have not clue how to charge this job. I've been in the cleaning business for several years now. I normally clean rental, domestic properties and construction houses. Since God has moved the guys I work for in cleaning construction houses to a new level, they are taking us with them. But I do not know how to price this one and the next one maybe a pizza place. I normally charge .17sq for the houses. Please help me. I want to be honest and fair.

Thank you in advance

Hi, blessbeyondblf!

I do know someone on this site who could really help you with this, and that would be Stringer. He owns a major cleaning outfit in the Chicago, IL area.

I'll let him know about your post.

Thanks!

Thank you Clough.

Good morning blessbeyondblf,

I have some questions for you;

Is the Dunkin Donuts building completely empty? No fixtures, shelving, counters, etc... just an empty building? Or is it full of all these things and more?

The same question would apply to the pizza building.

Is this a "final clean?" Are you to get the building ready to open? Or is this the first cleaning after the completed construction, OR, is this the once and final cleaning?

What type of floors are in the building? Any carpet?

If this is the final cleaning you will have to clean the food areas very well...

Please let me know,

Stringer

Thank you for your time. On day one it was completely empty and we spent 13hrs wiping down tile walls, baseboards, cleaning widows and frames, and sucking mud, dirt and removal some debri from the floor because the yard is not done yet. It would have been a waste of time to mop yet. On our second visit with two days in between, they had started to bring in all the equipment. Only thing we could do that day was clean the freezer walls, doors and floors it's a double freezer. We also started cleaning the hoods 5Hr. We need to go back and vacuum and mop all TILE flooring, and possibiliy wipe down all equipment. The restroom (2) wasn't in yet.

When you say you spent 13 hours, were those total man hours? In other words, the total hours you used or was it 13 hours x number of workers?

First, my suggestion is since this is a progressive cleanning I would get a "sign off" for each day worked from the construction company. Because you may finds that some things need to be re-done because of the on-going construction. The sign off guarantees that you did this work already and that you will be paid for it.

Stringer

Sorry Mr. Stringer, I long winded :) The sq feet for the dunkin is 2300. As for the pizza place it will start like this one completey empty. They all like that first initial cleaning done. As soon as I find out more info on this one I will post. My guys said they are building at least 6 more dunkins. I want to do good and I don't mind out sourcing what I can no do._______________ when you are a blessing you will be a blessing. Thank you for your help

HI blessbeyondblf,

Ok.

Please respond to my questions in my post # 5 above. Then please ask me your present questions...

Thanks,

Stringer

Yes Sir it was total 13 manhours plus the widow guy hours 2.5. Thank you I did not have the site supervisor sign off on anything, I just took him to the areas and showed him. When I go today I will have him initial the different parts completed.
_______________________I will bless those who bless you. Thanks for your time it is a blessing

Please update me with your current questions blessbeyondblf.

What are you paying each worker per hour?

The widow guy is a flate rate of $280 and the interior people are 8hr. What is the best way to clean the exterior hoods I am using soap and water and baby oil is that okay. I still see many more hours there. Grand opening is Feb 1. The floors are really my major concern. We have to some of the cement and glue off the tiles and grout. Is there a efficient way of doing this? I tried to rent an auto-scrubber but no one rents those.__________ you are a blessing

Yes you can rent a floor scrubber, Google this for your area. There are many that rent all kinds of equipment. This is the only effective and time saving method for removal of the glue and cement. Doing this by hand is cost prohibitive.

Are you to apply any finish to the floors?

Tell me please what area of the country are you in as pricing varies considerably all over the country?

Are you speaking of the interior hoods or the awnings--outside?

In either cause, I would use a semi stiff brush on a short pole with the soap and water.

Mr. Stringer I am located in Eastern, North Carolina. I polished the stove Hoods today, they turned out great. We also polished all equipement today and did 2 restrooms one stall each. Today we did 16hr. I told the contractor not to sweep the floor anymore that we would take care of it, so that dust doesn't recover the equipment or hoods. We vacuumed the floor with a shopvac and used a mop and bucket. We are not coating the floor when finally finished. Thank you so much...

I am in the Chicago western suburbs, I was in North Carolina for 5 years; Charlotte for 3 months (transfered), Raleigh for 3 1/2 years (loved Raleigh-transfered) and finally in
Fayetteville (company went out of business and I moved back to Pittsburgh (then Chicago-years ago).

For invoicing: (This is my suggestion, you are responsible for your own pricing) Add up all the total hours when the job is finished and X that total by $8.00 per hour. That will give you your total labor costs. Is $8.00 per hour your loaded rate? Have you added in all the tax and other deductibles, payroll requirements? Get your TOTAL labor costs.

Add to that all your equipment costs (rentals, etc.) X 15%.

Take that X 25% to 30% for admin (overhead-insurance, chemicals, cloths, etc - everything that you used for this project.)

The next is obviously profit; after you have your grand totals, I would suggest that you mark that up X 25% to 35%.

LABOR TOTALS + TOTAL EQUIPMENT (total + 15%) + Take this sub total X 25% to 35% for your profit = invoice.

You cannot always go with square footage pricing, especially in smaller buildings that require a lot of time and labor. When you have a building that is say... 25,000 sq ft or larger and all is standard, sq ft pricing can be used effectively. However, I always price three ways to arrive at my monthly billing on these types of jobs where nightly cleaning is required.

Total square footage X (going price per sq ft)

Total labor, supplies, equipment, supplies, admin (overhead), profit, etc

And finally, know your competition and learn as best as you can what they would charge monthly for this building.

I figure the job all three ways, each is a part of my final decision. Am I always correct... no. But we do very well... so far.

Let me know if this helped, and please rate my answer if it did please.:)

Stringer

I will give you more info in a couple of days, it looks like my final total of hours will be around 50 hours at 8hr.

To whom much is given much is required.