I have a very small operation, working by myself with compact equipment, and a couple of trucks. I've always charged for mobilization, even though it was tough when I was getting started, and would occasionally encounter opposition. Still, I held firmly to it because I cannot find any logic whatsoever in not charging for it. I charge for every minute that my truck rolls for a job, in every direction, every day. I want to stay in business. Today, with diesel fuel prices so high, it is more important than ever. I appreciate the video.
Another really important point is that it's just not mobilization but also demobilization. I had a contractor tell me not to charge him demobilization because I should be putting that machine on another job. That's not the way things actually work though if you don't put it on another job then you just lost money moving it. Charge mobilization and demobilization on every job and make sure that if it's a larger project what's in phases or you know you'll have to come back at your charging for each of those mobilizations and all of this is said upfront and known by the general contractor homeowner or builder developer you're working with. Good video. I wish I knew this when I was first starting out.
Great topic!! I just had a meeting with a GC that was beating my change order down, and the more I mentioned mobilization costs, the more aggravated they got. The conversations ended with us deciding not work together any more, and when I asked the PM what I did wrong regarding the cost issues, his response was "you don't shut up". Valid topic. Thanks for the video.
It's an interesting topic. I have someone that is floating my excavator for me. It's not cheap but I really like it in the sense of that it is a fair calculation of what it costs to float the machine. I have heard people saying that I need my own gear to float the excavator myself but they are not the ones spending 150k to be able to do that. I am hoping to get my own equipment to float sooner than later but to not charge for it would be crazy. It seems to me as if the best thing to do quite often is just to quote a job. That way there is no discussion of how much it costs and you can factor all the expenses of running a business, insurance, risk, machinery, etc. in. If somebody doesn't factor in mobilization then they will forget about other things and and will go bankrupt soon anyway. Sometimes marketing comes in and you can say that you are not charging for the floating and that the quote is free too. But then get it back at the other end.
