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personaly i dont think doing the work for the church will lead to other work in the village, i moved to the village i live in about 3 years ago and and only been ask twice to do work in the village, 1 was for the church and when i gave my price that was the last i heard, and the other was for someone i know, but it may well be quite differant for you, this is just my opinion
You're right, most churches are run as charities and are fairly hard up on actual cash (asset rich, cash poor I think is the apt expression).
Firstly, do you want the job? If you do then you have to be very competative on price, but if you're busy on your rounds just tell them that you can't do the job.
Unfortunately the days of people doing things for their communities are all but over- some of your customers may think times are slow for you, others may think you're a sap for doing churchyards, and then others still will object to you charging for work when you should do it 'out of the kindness of your heart'.
Do the church work if you want, but probably best treat them either as a customer or as a voluntary job, but I'm afraid there's no real middle ground.
I quoted this time last year for doing the grounds of my own church. Didn't get it as it turned out they only wanted to pay £7 an hour! They weren't interested in a fixed price quote for the year.
We looked after a Churchyard for years, which was the responsibility of the Parish Council. We charged usual rates and gained various other work through the Parish Council over the years. Be careful when quoting as cutting round gravestones is time consuming!
I can never understand this attutude - surely pricing by the hour leaves them open to someone stringing the job out.
Philip Blair said:
I have recently gained a contract for a local church. Looking forward to it. I priced it fairly and as there is no travel time involved I can spend that wee bit extra time on site.
I view the job as a chance to get a little bit of community exposure because, like Phil, I don't do any work in my village.
We cut the grass hedges etc for one of our local churches, we just pop in a cut as and when required depending upon the time of season and they seem happy to pay normal going rates.
I wouldn't say we get a lot of work generated from doing works at the church, but who really knows who is talking to who?
I look after the church yard at kirkby green which is over the road from a large manor house job of mine. I love taking care of it, I do it at a reduced rate which i am more than comfortable with. When i took it on it was in a right state now it looks lovely (pictures in my profile), I have uncovered a number of graves that had become overgrown which is a great feeling.
The church's only income is from donations and wedding/funeral fees (last year there was 1 wedding, no funerals for 3 years) out of this it has to pay the Lincoln dioscese a monthly fee which i find ridiculous, and it's electric and heating.
I am not a religeous man but i take great pride in looking after this church, the villagers really appreciate it and i would happily do it for nothing if needs be.
I will be getting married there in August, I very much feel it is my church.
Sometimes it's nice to do something that isn't just for financial reward!
Thats the sort of thing i was thinking as most churches can be central to towns and villages it can be very usual adversing if the van is signwritten and hopefully puts you on better terms with the man upstairs! Hope all goes well in August Andy
Dan Frazer Gardening said:
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