Great and informative article Cody. Unreal how many local competitors I have met and they have informed me that they either bid the job by the hour our just "ballpark" a figure.
Last year on our first Wal-Mart project, the General called us and one other contractor. We both showed- up that night, were given different areas to start. The General sent the other contractor home after an hour, due to his poor work performance and when asked for a bid, he informed the General he billed by the hour. No one in their right mind would sign an open ended bid, billed by the hour. Customers want a firm cost to perform the project, and quality work.
Experience will dictate how long it will take to clean a project, along with the geographic area, difficulty of the project, water sourse, etc. All the logistics you mentioned.
Spot on. Thanks again for taking the time to create this article.