True costs of cleaning carpets (Approx. 5 rms)

[johntalley]

Isnt that what a moderator is supposed to be for?

I was hinting above me .. But you on it .. Thanks

[Rob Allen]

John I feel most cleaners shoot for the 100.00 and hour mark!

[JStafford]

John I feel most cleaners shoot for the 100.00 and hour mark!

That's why I do natural stone!

[Pro-Clean]

I know other cleaners that I worked with charge $100 and hour but I have a $75.00 min and charge & .34 cents a square foot. If most carpet cleaner would stop doing the $99 dollars a whole house thing we could actuall start to make some money. For 5 rooms I would prob. get $204.00 and the customer thanks me because I am the best!

[andykramer20]

I would say it would be some where around $20 for me without including any kind of extras like protector or deoderizer. We went through this about 5 years ago and we just kept a log for each job for a few days and averaged it out its a good tool to make sure your charging the correct amount.

[Richard Baldwin]

Yes the spreadsheet from Cleanfax will give you an idea of how much per hour it costs while you are working. You will be surprised and feel a little less guilty about charging what you need to charge in order to stay in business.

With that said, costs to do a job are too variable to judge from one job to the next. How soiled is the carpet? How easy is the setup? How much stuff do you have to move? What kind of carpet? How much distraction was there? How far away did you have to drive? All these and more affect your cost, so you have to go by average hours in a day rather than a particular job example.

So, To clean those five rooms, if it costs the truckmount $50/hr to operate which includes ALL expenses, and it took me 2 hours to finish the job, then my cost was $100.

[Rob Allen]

OK considering all the above what would you say the average cost of business for 5 rooms cleaned is?

1) With everything paid off-

2) With van or tm payment-

3) With van and tm payment-

[J Parks]

OK considering all the above what would you say the average cost of business for 5 rooms cleaned is?

1) With everything paid off-25-30

2) With van or tm payment-40-60

3) With van and tm payment-
75-100

My answers in blue above.

[Rob Allen]

This is a great thread. I will make it a sticky.

[tobeyo]

BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 20 YRS AND I AM STILL IN BUSINESS BECAUSE MY CUSTOMERS VALUE THE QUALITY AND NOT THE QUANTITY.IT WAS TOUGH TO GET A DECENT PRICE BECAUSE OWNER OPERATORS LOOK TO MAKE A HUNDRED/HR AND THINK THAT IS SATISFACTORY.MY CUSTOMERS DESERVE THE BEST SO IT COSTS ME MORE, GOOD CHEMICALS,BIG TRUCKMOUNT,NICE VAN,EDUCATION,POINT IS YOU GET WHAT YOU GET BY THE IMPRESSION YOU LEAVE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.TO BE FRANK 200.0/HR IS ABSOLUTELY IN LINE WITH MY BUSINESS.

[Advcarpetcleaning]

Geez, I love the reverse physcology in the use of "economy" in carpet care and the justification of $200.00 per hour.
Maybe there is something to be learned from Tobey.
Reminds me of shaking a clients hand with the largest smile all the while reaching in there back pocket with the other.

[keithjaime]

intresting

[jwhatley]

1) With everything paid off- 20-25

2) With van or tm payment- More jobs the less cost per job

3) With van and tm payment- More jobs the less cost per job

[slorichie]

if it was a new customer within 20 miles, and if i did a onsite estimate 130.00.

[bill]

$175.00 for complete cleaning on 5 areas/rooms, protector would be extra of course. Also any specialty spotting such as sub-surface urine extraction etc...

[bill]

I agree and also shoot for $200 per hr avg. 13 years in biz and room rates started at $19.95 and are now at $35.00

[sam miller]

I started low 2 room $30.00 5 rooms 80.00 my wife ran a day care she was doing $2000.00 a month ans I didnt want to go home with alot of kids there I love my 3 but other kids after working hard ouch.

still My 1st liability policy for a million coverage was thru mercury and cost $350 a year its gone up to $650.00 a year but thats a hard policy to beat. I also was getting al my product at distributor pricing and ran a 1/2 page ad weekly in the pennysaver at the time for $300 a week. My 1st unit in the van was a used prochem 150 with the van about $400 a month and with a couple small ypgs ads spending $500 a month I avg about $7500 a month for the 1st year. the pennysaver ad pulled about $5000. a month.

second year I was in three phone books and went 2+h $40 5+h $ 90 and cut the poennysaver ad cause it was my dads ad and the price went up it was a portable ad 2 room 17 and 5 room 40 with alot of upsell. actually I just said do you want the portable machine and 8 hour drytimes or the truckmount and 3-4 hour drytimes with all the spots out?

still today I've cut most ads down to one big ad for $800 a month I send out repeat cards 6months and 1 years to customers monthly and my price is at 2 for 50 5 for 100 and I avg 4.5 jobs a day with about a $110 job avg still If I do $120,000.00 a year $30,000 in expenses it goes quick.

I've know guys who have 3 trucks more ads insurance employees and they can win big buut they also can take it in the shorts really fast.

still after taxes and everything said and done I still never take vacation I get a few 3 day weekend a year but Iam a home body who loves videogames and hangin out I have a nice 2700 sq ft house and I like cleaning carpet.

I sat behind a desk for 20 plus years in middle management and this is wayless stressful one job at a time.

[James]

On my profit & loss sheet it shows the cost of doing business. I divide that amount by the number of work days in a year. 5 days a week minus 10 days for vacation. Gives 250 work days. Say my cost were $15,000. $15,000 divided by 250 work days = $60.00 cost, per work day. On top of this I must make any wadges I'm paying. Anything after that becomes taxable income. It goes to pay myself and income taxes.

[Brian R]

I didn't get a chance to read every post but I will answer for myself.
The first time I clean for a customer my cost of just carpet cleaning is about 70% of the job. Very important to sell Scotchgard or Tile Cleaning etc because that % will drop dramatically with every service we add.

50% goes right to the Tech...he has his own cost for the job as well.
20% was spent on marketing and other...this averages out over all my customers. If I do a $400.00 or more job the % will start coming down.
I make the most money off of repeats and referrals...as we all do.
My % will drop down to sometimes 55% depending...for repeats and referrals.

[shane deubell]

I didn't get a chance to read every post but I will answer for myself.
The first time I clean for a customer my cost of just carpet cleaning is about 70% of the job. Very important to sell Scotchgard or Tile Cleaning etc because that % will drop dramatically with every service we add.

50% goes right to the Tech...he has his own cost for the job as well.
20% was spent on marketing and other...this averages out over all my customers. If I do a $400.00 or more job the % will start coming down.
I make the most money off of repeats and referrals...as we all do.
My % will drop down to sometimes 55% depending...for repeats and referrals.

Brian

Care to elaborate on 50% to the tech, this seems High.
Do you just pay top dollar to employees or are you hiring contractors and thats their cut?