[Easy Gibson]

These are the things that keep me awake at night.

Is it more professional to charge somebody $4,977 or $5,000, or $4,975? Will they appreciate the $23 savings, or does it make it sound like I'm nickel and dimeing? Does $5,000 make it seem like I have more or less of a defined pricing metric in place?

What do you guys do? Round to the nearest $25? Nearest $100? Nearest $1,000?

 

[griz]

I've seen jobs that bid in the millions list the cents.

Some guys round to the nearest buck, some to $5.

It's just what you feel comfortable with.

People do like seeing the cents as it denotes some fine pencil sharpening whether it happened or not...:thumbsup:

 

[Jeff G]

These are the things that keep me awake at night.

Is it more professional to charge somebody $4,977 or $5,000, or $4,975? Will they appreciate the $23 savings, or does it make it sound like I'm nickel and dimeing? Does $5,000 make it seem like I have more or less of a defined pricing metric in place?

What do you guys do? Round to the nearest $25? Nearest $100? Nearest $1,000?

If at all possible, I like to round everything up to: $47 million. :clap:

No, in all seriousness, I seldom do any rounding, as I tend to find my numbers are exactly what they are. If I reduce them, something is not going to paid, or it will be deleted from scope of work. If I move the price upwards, I feel as though I'm not being fair to the customer, and I want their repeat business or referrals, if at all possible.

I suppose, however, that small increments, such as a few dollars and cents, wouldn't be anything wrong per se, but personally, I just don't see the need in it.

 

[CompleteW&D]

When I price a job in the home on my laptop, It always shows the price with "cents." So, ten windows for example.... with whatever options they wanted, may come to $6,439.88 in my pricing matrix.

But, on the contract, it would be $6,439.00. I don't round the dollars up or down at all. Even if it comes in at $6,401.88.... my contract will still read $6,401.00. I think you can get too "caught up" in what "looks" better. I just price it out and basically, leave it alone.

But.... YMMV, IMOP, FWIW, Just my $0.02 and all that.

 

[Easy Gibson]

None of this makes me feel comfortable. hah

I think I'm going with $4,977. Sounds legit. It's the actual number I came up with. I think my math is sound.

That's fair for caulking a bathtub, right?

 

[Agility]

I round my hours but not material markups. It seems like people appreciate the specificity. Sometimes clients do the rounding for me.

 

[Easy Gibson]

I round my hours but not material markups. It seems like people appreciate the specificity. Sometimes clients do the rounding for me.

I round hours to half a day. I used to do hourly but it became a little too "thinky" for me. I agree with you about materials and tax though. I tend to leave that where it is. 10% overage should take care of it anyway.

 

[Jeff G]

None of this makes me feel comfortable. hah

I think I'm going with $4,977. Sounds legit. It's the actual number I came up with. I think my math is sound.

That's fair for caulking a bathtub, right?

I don't know? Does that include materials?:laughing:

 

[Easy Gibson]

Of course. I'm no scam artist!

 

[Jeff G]

You'll probably make out okay then.

 

[blacktop]

None of this makes me feel comfortable. hah

I think I'm going with $4,977. Sounds legit. It's the actual number I came up with. I think my math is sound.

That's fair for caulking a bathtub, right?

Welp !!! That's all I needed to hear! I'm gonna start caulking around the shower tubs on sand day.:laughing:

 

[dom-mas]

Depends on how much material and how much labour. Many of the jobs I do could be $5000 with only $200 worth of material (or $193.26, or maybe $212.67, just sand & cement) For this I will charge $5200. If the material approaches even 1/4 of the project cost I will figure material numbers closer and include the pennies in my price.

So basically if it's worthwhile for me to call and get material prices I will give precise numbers. If I'm shooting from the hip on materials because I know fairly close what they'll be I'll round it. if I'm wrong it will only be by a difference of maybe $50 one way or the other.

sqft price I go by $0.25 increments but more often $0.50 increments, and by the brick or thousand brick it's by the nickle on the brick but more often by the dime.

 

[huggytree]

most of my prices are guess work out of my head, so i stick to $25's....$6,975 sounds better than $7,000

odd #'s are good because it makes it sound more legit.....i sometimes change my $ to an odd #....i never use a straight $7,000....that sounds like you just threw a price on a piece of paper

 

[66 Shelby]

I don't round up numbers on materials because I think it gives the client a sense of 'Well, he's being honest and not up-charging me or just guesstimating the price'. I charge labor on individual T&M jobs by the half hour, rounded UP (2 hours & 2 minutes is billed as 2:30).

 

[Spencer]

Labor tends to be whole numbers like 1240.

Material goes into cents.

On quotes I round to the 10.

I agree, no "Shot form the hip" numbers like 5000 unless its just giving someone a ball park.

I think people like to see the cents, even if you do have markup on it. It just makes them feel better.

 

[Driftweed]

Ballparks: $500

Bids: $50 increments

Works so far.

 

[jlsconstruction]

I round to the nearest 100 then add tax to get my weird number

 

[PoleBarnsNY]

Customer do in early discussions. I say $14800. They say so "about 15"

I do not round. I Like precision because it increases the faith the customer has in the number being accurate and careful calculated.

HOWEVER... I might UNROUND. That is to say I might change a 5 to a 6, 7, 8.

I might change a 0 to a 1,2,3,4

I do not like zero five or nine.

Does it matter? Yes it matters for the appearance of precision and due care for larger dollar investments of the customers moola.

On the other hand. I NEVER use cents so I am my own hypocrite I guess. I can't be bothered with that level of detail and do not want to work for prospects that would want it.

 

[Tinstaafl]

I round hours to half a day. I used to do hourly but it became a little too "thinky" for me.

If you have a hard time with that math... :laughing:

Seriously, nothing at all wrong with half-day rates. Even a one hour job often kills the chance to make any money for half a day.

My comfort zone is rounding larger jobs to 100, penny-ante ones to 50.

 

[dkillianjr]

I will usually just round up to the nearest buck.





Dave