Jacob that would be awesome! I plan on looking at a few and then making my own based on what I see working for other people. Thanks!
1 Like
I agree there is value in contracts , but we feel they scare customers off. We dont do any contracts with our residential clients.
1 Like
I can respect that. However, it is a double edged sword. You may get more liked and trusted quickly with some people but others may not hold their end of the obligation. Personally I had experiences outside of this industry when doing no contracts when I wished I did. Needless to say, I wonât make that mistake again on a big job.
It wouldnât be bad if you shot yourself in the foot on smaller jobs, but if there is one place I would have one Luke, I would advise anyone to have a contract in places for $1,000.00 dollars or over per job and require at least 25% upfront, if you can half down. I was told that is very standard. People in my area feel more secure here with them in place where in some areas they feel less secure. Remind me to do a video on a funny story when I used to work with a pest control guy about contracts.
2 Likes
Commercial.
1 Like
Its honestly however you want to go about it. 9 years and I have been stiffed only once for $160.00. Business went bankrupt. I was provided the documents to obtain our money through court ,just wasnât worth it.
I love commercial work. Its consistent money . Itâs just tough sometimes getting the accounts lol.
1 Like
With commercial work, does one have to have a higher liability policy? I currently only carry 100 to 200,000. 1st year jitters lol
Iâm slightly over 1 year. Call your insurance agency to see how much the premium for your general liability policy would be. I pay 125 a month for my 2 million dollar policy. If you think itâs expensive having it, itâs actually expensive not having it because of missed opportunities. Most people will at least take you seriously with any coverage but a higher amount definitely looks better.
1 Like
We prefer residential. We can charge more per window, donât have to drive all over town, and we get paid that day. You can definitely make money at commercial if you build up your customer base. And itâs nice to have work all year. We like taking the winters off though 
4 Likes
For commercial work, do you quote and then add taxes or do you quote your price with taxes included?
To make it less confusing during the pitch, just figuren the total of what you are worth, anything you will make with this business will be more than what you are making now. You donât want to be on your phone with a calculator app out and telling you customer itâs going to be $52.37 for a 40 dollar cleaning. It doesnât sit well with people, just charge a rate and worry about the rest later.
It would be like me using my full name in a pitch, âHey my name is Jacob David Edwin Meyers and I run a company called Meyers Window Cleaning and the reason Iâm in your store todayâŚâ and your customer loses focus saying âEdwin who?â You want them to pay attention âHey my name is Jacob, I run a company in the area. The reason Iâm in your store todayâŚâ now they can focus. The same goes with a total, just use whole numbers that make sense, donât try to make it complex.
1 Like
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback!
Regardless of preference, Commercial is definitely my main focus. Even though I like the fast money that comes from residential. Letâs do a little math:
Treating each client equally, what is their value in a year?
Letâs use a couple of examples:
Residential - Easy nice bungalow, Inside and Out, $250 plus tax. Every Spring.
Yearly Value: $250
Feels GREAT, probably done in an hour or an hour and a half at most. NICE.
Commercial - Restaurant/Pub, Inside and Out, $130 plus tax. Once per month.
Yearly Value: $1,560
Feels Like more work, less pay, but no picky people looking over your shoulder. Usually takes 1 1/2hr to get the work done.
Conclusion: In my opinion, the effort to land a commercial job is LESS or at least Equal to a residential client. And, they pay more over a year because they are always more frequent.
Also, it is easier to grow a residential client base from an existing commercial route. The opposite is not the case. Not every homeowner has a brick and mortar storefront that could use cleaning. Every business owner has a home of some kind.
3 Likes
Brother, I switched to flat rate pricing and never looked back.
Leave the per window pricing for commercial/frequent work. You are maintaining it after all.
i donât even go to the site for resi quotes anymore. Ask for msg pics if possible, use google streetview, and have your minimums ready. If it looks like the house is straight forward, give them your minimum.
For me it is: $200 bungalow outside, $300 2-story outside⌠etc.
The big companies are not sending out guys to quote resi jobs and count windows. They have flat rates to save time, and so should you.
1 Like
Harder than Residential? I doubt it.
1 Like
20 years here, never a signed contract. But, I also have a really hard time getting big corporate contracts, so I probably need to improve in this area.
Thanks for the feedback. I like to think that going out to do quotes in person sets me apart from the bigger companies. Whoâs the homeowner going to choose? The guy who took the time to come out, look at their house, and shake their hand? Or the guy theyâve just talked to over phone or text. Even if Iâm a little more pricey than the other guy, Ive developed a relationship with the customer. I think it helps me land more jobs.
1 Like
I agree. However, when do you doorknock? Commercial, you can canvass while all businesses are open. resi people are only home for the most part evenings and weekends.
We do most of our quotes on the weekend. Itâs just my wife and I, so we can only do so much during the week. I have tried getting pics from the homeowner and looking at Google Earth if Iâm swamped and I canât get out to see it. And I have gotten some jobs that way. I donât want to be surprised when I get out to a job though. How do you sell minimum pricing? I feel most people around here want a solid price.
Wow! I thought a lot of swords were being drawn against one another for a second here. A lot of these points are excellent. Bravo!
@DanTheWindowMan Good example of commercial versus residential, however donât neglect the power of more than once per year cleanings. A nice little house, Iâm sure you could get almost as much as a commercial cleaning with less time. If other services were added on, boy that would be a killer. Also sometimes the bigger houses can make the storefronts look unimportant. Point is, both are important. But you knew that before I did, Iâm sure. I only have over 1 year of experience. You most likely have more.
@Addisonwindow So what happens if you are swamped with work while Google Earth does not show the house well or at all and the customer doesnât have a picture prepared? What would you do?