Had a Tuesday last month that made me question everything about my pricing

I run a small lawn care business in Des Moines and usually do about 5 to 6 stops a day. Last Tuesday I showed up to a job I quoted at $150 for a messy yard with weeds up to my knees. Two hours in I realized the fence line had poison ivy mixed in and the back corner was full of broken glass from an old shed. I ended up spending 4 hours there and had to toss my gloves and pants after because I didn't feel safe reusing them. The customer handed me a $50 tip on top of the $150 but I still felt like I lost money on the whole thing. That night I sat down and figured out my real hourly rate was about $12 after expenses. It got me thinking about how we price things based on what we think the market can handle instead of what our time is actually worth. Anyone else had a job that made you rethink your whole pricing structure?

2 comments

2 Comments

young.nora4d ago

That tipping point between what you quoted and what the job actually takes is a tough lesson. Most folks don't consider the hidden costs like disposal fees for hazardous materials or the time spent on safety gear cleanup after a nasty job. The poison ivy and broken glass turned a routine yard into a biohazard situation, and your pricing didn't account for that risk. Maybe the real mistake wasn't the hourly rate but not having a clause in your estimate about unexpected hazards. A lot of contractors I know add a line that says "price may increase if hidden conditions are found" to cover these exact scenarios. That way you're protecting your time without scaring off customers who have a straightforward job.

miles_young594d ago

Yeah man, that sounds rough - poison ivy on top of broken glass is a nightmare combo.