How much to charge?

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

Been asked to remove a swarm of honey bees that have taken up residence in a flat roof

Part of the roof will need to be removed, then the bees removed and then the roof repaired

What I want to know is how much people charge for doing cut outs, it's gotta be a full days work

 

[Philip]

Too many variables to give a meaningful reply, if its not actually a commercial full time activity for you is it wise getting involved?

Potential pitfalls could be many and various.

If you are intent on doing it make them arrange for safe working platforms, roofers etc as required for making good the structure.

Then its down to how much you think your time is worth. probably best to get them to agree extent of your work and hourly charge in writing beforehand these days, unless you know them well.

 

[ratcatcher]

..?????

 

[madasafish]

My advice is:

If you need to ask, then perhaps you should not be contemplating doing it.


(On the grounds that if you don't know the extent and possible complexity of the job, then you may not have the skills to do it properly. So if you don't know how long it will take, how can you charge a sensible figure?)

 

[oliver90owner]

And not have the appropriate insurance cover, either. That would include the flat foof repairs as well, presumably?

 

[Eyeman]

My answer to these tricky situations is:
1. I never go above a certain height.
2. To the owner: I will come along at the 11th hour and remove the swarm/combs once they are fully exposed and a safe platform is available. Please send me a photo from your phone when your ready. Surprise, surprise never had anone get back to me!!!
Alec

 

[VEG]

You will need to be insured to do the work as your association insurance will not cover you. At a minimum you would need public liability insurance, as for the repairs if you are doing them then they need to be to standard.
As always things will be fine unless the owners have problems after you have gone with leaks and such. We then know who they will come looking for.

 

[Tom Bick]

I wouldn't contemplate going at them from the top it will be easier to get them from underneath, messy for the home owner but easier.

 

[beesleybees]

Haha, I was expecting half of those replies

I'm self employed and run my own home maintenance business. Im actually a fully qualified gas fitter.

Just want wanted to get an idea of what people normally charge for this sort of thing just for removing the bees, not repairing the roof.

I have told them I'm happy to remove them at a cost and then have a roofer come in and tidy up after me. Or I can charge them for the whole job

Thing is I just don't know how much of the roof I'm going to have to take off to get access to all the comb. They have been in there now about 4 weeks. I can't get them from inside the house as this is a flat roof that was built upon a flat roof!! The original roof leaned back towards the house and was causing damp issues so they had another roof put ontop that now has the correct slope and guttering to redirect the rain water

The gap between the two roofs must only be 3 or 4 inches maximum

 

[ratcatcher]

Just want wanted to get an idea of what people normally charge for this sort of thing just for removing the bees, not repairing the roof.

to walk up and remove a swarm, nothing, but to do what your saying??? all you could do is quote a daily wage that your happy with



Thing is I just don't know how much of the roof I'm going to have to take off to get access to all the comb.

and we do???????, how long's a piece of string kinda question really

 

[VEG]

Haha, I was expecting half of those replies

I'm self employed and run my own home maintenance business. Im actually a fully qualified gas fitter.

Thats why it is easier to supply more information at the start.

 

[Itchy]

As a business owner you should know your business running cost and therefore your hourly rate. As a building maintenance professional, you should know what it will take to access the bees, and the time and materials needed to put the building right. As a beekeeper you should know roughly how long to cut out the comb etc etc.
What you are actually asking is how much £ folk with this kind of problem will stomach before trying DIY or cowboy pest controller, and the true answer is not anywhere near what you should be charging.

 

[beesleybees]

As a business owner you should know your business running cost and therefore your hourly rate. As a building maintenance professional, you should know what it will take to access the bees, and the time and materials needed to put the building right. As a beekeeper you should know roughly how long to cut out the comb etc etc.
What you are actually asking is how much £ folk with this kind of problem will stomach before trying DIY or cowboy pest controller, and the true answer is not anywhere near what you should be charging.

Yer, yer kind of right. If I was just there to fix part of a damaged roof, I would know what to charge. I just don't know how much damage I will cause to the roof as I don't know how big the nest is. The bigger it is, the more damage, the more it will cost to repair.
I said to the owner I would remove the bees first at a cost yet to be determined, and then I can give him a price to repair the roof
As for removing the bees, it's a full days work, so therefore to me chargeable at the going rate. This is the second swarm he's had in the same place. The last time they sprayed them off but they obviously never done their job properly as the didn't remove the old comb or block the entrance up hence why a swarm has returned.