Per square metre, hourly, fixed job price, minimum callout and commercial rates — when each one is the right answer.
Being filmed. The written lesson, the steps, the action task and the downloads below are complete — work through those now and the footage will appear here.
Measure the area, apply the rate, adjust for condition and access. This is your default for driveways, paths, pavers, walls and roofs.
You need to know your target effective hourly rate to check a quote, but never quote it to a homeowner. The moment you say an hourly number, the customer starts watching the clock instead of the result.
One number, for a defined scope. Homeowners want certainty. A fixed price also means your efficiency improvements become your profit, not a discount.
Travel, setup and pack-down cost the same on a $120 job as on a $600 one. A minimum of $180–$250 is normal and it is what makes small jobs survivable.
Lower per m² but higher daily output, plus loadings for after hours, traffic management, access equipment and containment.
Australian residential flatwork generally $1.50–$5.00 per m², smaller jobs at the top of that. A standard double driveway $180–$350. Roofs $8–$12 per m². House washes $350–$900 depending on size and storeys.
Measured across all the hours, not just the ones holding the wand. If a quote does not clear that, the problem is the quote, not the market.
Measure the area, multiply by a rate. Australian residential work generally sits between $1.50 and $5.00 per m², with smaller jobs at the top of the range and volume commercial well below it.
Good for: driveways, paths, large flat areas, commercial tenders. Weakness: condition drives cost more than area does. A driveway with fifteen years of oil takes a degreaser, a soak and three passes; a lightly soiled one takes one. Same square metres, double the time.
Charge for time — commonly $120–$165 an hour for a solo operator in Australia.
Good for: unknown scope, restoration work, commercial maintenance where the client dictates the hours. Weakness: never tell a residential customer an hourly rate. They will compare it to a wage and feel robbed, and it punishes you for being fast — which is exactly what the surface cleaner made you.
One number for a defined scope. This is what you quote almost every time.
Good for: everything residential. The customer gets certainty, you get paid for skill rather than time, and buying better gear increases your margin instead of cutting your income. Weakness: you must be able to estimate. That is what the calculator is for.
Calculate internally per square metre and per hour. Quote a fixed price. Check the effective hourly rate before you say the number.
If the fixed price does not clear your target hourly, one of three things is wrong: the scope, the access, or the customer. Never the price.
Set a minimum — typically $180–$250 residential. Below that, travel, setup and pack-down eat the job. Small jobs are not free marketing; they are a loss with a smile.
In the portal these tick off and save as you go.
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