Sorry Ron, I have always based our business on the "Catch more, Make more," system. I just can't come up with a fairer method of

charging my customers! If the customer that had 60 raccoons on her property in a year, calls the customer who had 6 raccoons on her

property, I want those invoices to be correct, right down to the penny. I realize that you're talking about trenching decks, cutting

limbs, and a host of other remedies. We often do jobs just to please the customer and no real remedies are available. Hey, if "You've

got the money, honey, I've got the time."

I hope that this thread provides the ultimate answer to the question.... which would be there is no ultimate answer! I get what you are saying, Paul. I think it has a lot to do with how WE look at it, not the customer.

For instance, my mole pricing is very straight forward. Either a one week or two week program, depending on size of property and amount of activity. Then it is priced by distance to site. I'm going to set extremely heavy on the initial visit, and the first check (a day or 2 later) will have a high catch number. My cost is determined by travel time/cost, set-up, and number of visits (mole trapping doesn't require daily checks). To me, it makes no difference if I catch 2 or 10 moles the first check, as my cost to provide the service is the same either way. Whether I carry 2 moles or 10 moles in my bucket, no difference. My pricing insures my business does well, but does not "penalize" the property owner for having a few extra young moles at the site. It also allows the client to KNOW what the bill will be.

Totally different scenario on coon and other critter jobs, as they REQUIRE daily trap checks, which I NEVER have my customers do. Again, it's all how WE look at the business. My raccoon or skunk or whatever-furry-critter is causing trouble jobs are ALMOST always for a specified number of days. This allows the flat-rate cost to be determined. I have companies that show up to a home and set ONE trap for a coon or squirrel. Are you kidding me? That trap is often filled with a non-target before they get out of town. I gang set most jobs and knock the population down fast. I may set a dozen squirrel traps and usually a minimum of 6 coon traps at ANY job. I don't charge per animal OR for non-targets.... I simply set enough traps to catch the guilty culprit(s) even if a couple neighboring cats are also sitting in the cages the next day. I PLAN for non-targets, not "hope" my "trap" (singular) catches what I'm after. And yes, I'm quite familiar with proper baiting and trap placement to minimize non-targets, but it still happens.

Of course we can then move to bat work, which is in a league of its' own. Makes no difference if there are 10 or 1000 bats in a structure, the procedure is exactly the same and so is the cost.

Pricing is always a fun topic, and there is no right way or wrong way, as long as we do well and the customer is happy. Also, a solution-based program (as you mentioned with exclusion barriers, tree-trimming, etc) is easier to price than trapping programs for critters that WILL return such as moles and muskrats.

Beautiful.

I certainly agree with setting more than one cage. When a customer asks me why I set 3 cages when he only has one skunk, my answer is

usually something like this: That first one is for the neighbor's cat; That second one is for the raccoon that lives under your

neighbor's deck; and that third one is actually for your skunk. Of course, when you go back the next day, he's quick to point out

that you caught the skunk in the cat cage, the cat in the raccoon cage, and raccoon in the skunk cage!

One thing you have to learn is to say NO. If you dont see yourself earning much off of a job, your probably losing.

Our business pricing structure is similiar to Ron's. However we do vary somewhat. Our general wildlife removal pricing is a set up fee and a per trip fee. We charge per each visit after the initial set up. Our contract states the per trip fee is for trap maintenance or for animal removal. We charge the same for target or non target animals. Some jobs we add a per animal fee with our pricing as well.

This pays for our time/travel. We do give the option of trap checks to the client if we deem the customer to be competent and compliant with our check and call in guidelines. If after a few days this isnt working out then we check and charge for this or pull the job.

Squirrel work varies depending upon the time of the year.If we can do an exclusion eviction we can flat rate the job. If it appears it may be a multiple visit type of job with the customer not having a good basic structural integrity home or business we will do a set up and a per visit pricing.

These are jobs that fall into a catagory with population reduction being the only option for the client. They dont want or can't afford preventive repair measures or it may require major contractor work to resolve the problem properly.

If the customer has menacing kids and they keep messing with the traps, nosey pesty neighbors, lawn care goof balls,or some other act of God mystery interference with our equipment we charge to return and make the proper adjustments. If it appears to be a chronic on going frequent problem we excuse ourselves from the service. We then direct them to contact another service provider.Of course we collect our fees for set up and trip costs up to that point. We have had to do this a few times in my days.

Mole work we do 7-10 day contracts for most jobs. Lots of variables when pricing work particularly when you factor travel distance and pricing in call backs after your first initial program.

I believe the opposite, so I charge buy the week/job. If you have 6 coons or 60 killing your dozen chickens, it really doesn't matter. All that matters is they all need to be gone. However, 60 coons is going to take considerably more time. I just don't like variables in money. However, I'm new and might learn something.

Throw Back, apparently my post was not meant for people who worked in California. It's not my fault entirely. I believe that there is

an old song that says "California is a brand new place". I've been thinking about this for some time and as perplexing as it is, I'm

not that unhappy. There are specific areas of these Great United States that have different ideas, values, and costs. You have

reminded me that my thinking is Upper Midwest. Since I write a column in a magazine that I would like to see continue to reach their

main source of readers long after I am gone, this can only be accomplished by input like yours. The greatest population is on

either coast. I'm sure that this will remain the case. It's important to know what you would like to see in print. ( Tell us )

P.S. Come to think of it, that goes for the rest of you too.

I think its "California is a brand new game". I like Larry Gatlin too lol

well I was lucky enough to live in the mid west for 7years, and have seen 24 states plus Tijuana, so I have seen some vairiables

Thanks Travis, I stand corrected. And thank you, Throw Back. I do envy your personal view of so much of our country.

New York and California are two states I haven't been to. I figure once you've hunted Alaska and vacationed in Hawaii,

everything else is just "middle of the road". I do have one small admission: I've hunted a bunch of states and

vacationed in a few and I can tell you that the only place I didn't want to come back home from was Hawaii. I guess my big question

is; if you've been to as many states as I have, why would you still call Wisconsin "home"? Apparently this 'family and friends

thing' is a lot more important than we think.

So what do you think your worth?

Did you figure out your worth?