I have a client that I have been doing trashed out carpets for on forclosed property. I have been giving them a good deal becouse they are planning on buying 200 properties in the next year. like today he told me the carpets & stairs were moderetly soiled, so i gave them a quote for $189 6 rooms 18 stairs Which is a great deal, When I got there the carpets were trashed
not only dirty (Black) but full of sheetrock scraps,nails,skrews,and tap balls covering stairs and floors. I blow Two Belt On vacuum(very hard on equipment)Over 2 hours just pre vacuuming! And I have a good 4HP Turbo metropolitan canister vac. Did a number on pads also. I called and said it was going to be another $100. needless to say the job took me 7 hours and I busted ass,for $307.74 with tax. So after pads,belts,chems,gas,and punishment to my eqipment. I Didn't make much. He also used this line on me before the bid "I can get a different carpet cleaner that will come for $50 and $20 a room and free halls & stairs" After to day I told him to call the other cleaner and see how well he does for that cheap and I said "you get what you pay for" I know I saved them Thousands of dallers on that job, not having to replace the carpeting. How do I Charge This guy for my services?

It all depends upon how much abuse you are willing to put up with. If, after all is said and done, you are satisfied to take $30 or $50 an hour out of work of this type, then you should keep doing it. On the other hand, if doing this work takes time that could have been more profitably used on easier, more high-paying jobs, then why bother? I have some jobs that involve more aggravation and fewer dollars per hour that I like to bring in, but if the time were otherwise unbooked, then I might as well suck it up and go do them. I try to look at it on an annual basis. The good and the less-than-good all help add up to what I want to see as my annual $$ gross. Every job, every business, every profession has work that's kind of a drag.