Last year i was itching for some trapping during the off season & acquired my Nuisance Control License. I have had a few jobs now & am starting to see what its like. I have a full time job so its tough to do more than one control job at once but this week i have caught 6 squirrels & a coon. Its been frustrating & i never charge enough but im having fun. So guys any good advice for the new guy? The main thing im having trouble with now is giving someone a fair price over the phone before i've seen the job & the repairs of where the animal is getting in, im a trapper not a contractor?! Do yall have a seperate fee for repairs or is that conjoined with the removal cost? When every job/house is different how do you give an accurate estimate thats reasonable but still makes you money? I know i have the lowest prices around but i also have the least experience, i see it as buying experience when i get the job over the other guy even though i might hardly come out on top when it comes down to profits. Criticism, advice, PM's, knowledge, anything is accepted lay it on me boys.

-Backwoods Critter-

Couple things. First unless you are a franchisee expect a not so nice cease a desist letter. CC is a trademark and they defend it.
Next you have two options when a potential client asks for sight unseen quote.
Arrange for a site visit to determine the scope of work required and submit a quote at that time.
OR
You can stop the caller right there and explain the process. You're going to have to determine what that is and your own fee schedule.

For me I have a menu that I keep in my head.

After awhile the process looks something like this.

Structural animals other than bats.

•Inspect structure
•Trap animals
•Seal structure

Each of these has a fee starting from low to high. The low is included in the next higher. In other words it costs xx-xxx for me to look at a problem and xxx to catch the problem but to solve the problem is unknown until I look at the problem so your minimum fee is xx-xxx but since I already know by your description the problem needs caught your best course is option two, xxx, and let me provide you with a quote to solve.

With bats since no trapping is involved it's options one and three.

Non structural animals, also includes all honeybees and birds in structures.

•Inspect the problem
•Solve the problem

Again xx-xxx if you want me just to look at it and due the the varied nature of this category I have to look before I quote and the base fee is xxx.

Misc species of minor labor such as snakes, wasps and dead animals or one time trips.

Depending distance, size, time of decay xxx+ and cutting is extra.

BTW, for most of the guys I trained I expected it to take two full years full time before they began to get a grasp of what was going on.

You can tell that I'm not one of the guys that warrior trained. 26 years and I still don't have a grasp of what's going on most of the time!

I am just starting out. Right now, I am charging a flat rate for UP TO one week of trapping, I can end it earlier if the problem is solved. From then I will do full cleanings and thats going to be between 45-60 an hour. Repairs will be based on hourly + expenses.

Rick, I would say that you definitely have it. Letting the smarter half take over, proves it!