Conservation Work Quotation Help Needed

[HeltorChasca]

HELP please .

I have been running a small domestic landscaping company for some time now and an important part of the job entails carrying out site surveys in order to put together a quotation for the client. I am very confident with pricing up these estimates: I work out how long it will take us, how much fuel will be needed to travel to the job and the cost of the materials. Simple. (most of the time)

However...

I also do a lot of volunteer work for a couple of different wildlife/conservation groups and through my links with this I have been offered a pretty cool tender. Some nearby land (over half a dozen hectares) has been granted planning permission to be developed into a nature reserve. It is a pretty special place and is a marginal SSSI site. Maybe with a little more survey work it could get full status.

The work I would be tasked with would be clearing grass, scrub, saplings and small to medium sized trees. As one of the aims of the reserve is to keep it as a nutrient deprived site all waste must be removed from site. This part of the job (removal) is pretty easy for me to cost. But it is the costing of the clearance work that has me flumoxed. The actual work is well within our remit but I just have no experience on how to cost something of this scale.

I have asked if being utterly transparent and providing our day rates so the investors could "pay as you go" would work. This wouldn't be feasible as they want to be able to put together an accurate forecast. Understandably they want to know how long it would take to clear a certain area. Specifically: Scrub per sqaure metre; Alder, Birch & Sallow per square metre; Grass per hectare. Some of this I may sub-contract out to forestry or agricultural contractors.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to get some current, average rates for the above work so I can formulate some sort of costing? Any sort of help/ideas would be fantastic.As I say we are more than capable on the end of the tools, but puting the figures together is proving a little daunting.

Many thanks and regards................hc

 

[dwardo]

Its orrible costing a big job isn't it. Have to do the same my self every now and then.
I tend to say how many days it will take roughly and offer them a discount if the work is finished earlier. They sometimes like this but some want a fixed price.
If they are adamant for a fixed price dont under estimate. Better to pass it up than end up costing you money.

Maybe see if you can do a sample area to give you a feel for how much work and time it will take.

Good luck either way

 

[Outdoorlifeofbrian]

I do a fair bit of clearing dense scrub on my course. Which can have anything from Rhodo, saplings, medium trees and reeds. I'd say I can clear a 1mx1m of that properly in around 15mins but obviously people are not going to work flat out constantly so I'd say around 25mins. Keeping it in mind it can vary if there are larger trees or denser in some areas.

Hope this helps
Brian

 

[HeltorChasca]

Thanks guys. A few good ideas there. Thank you both..........hc