I have a few mole jobs coming up and am trying to get an idea on how to charge for it. How do some of you guys charge for this? Thanks

Basicly, it comes down to what your area will support.


1 company in my area charges 600-625 for 4 visits.

We charge 400 for 4 visits.

In my area there are normally between 1 and 3 moles in a typical yard having a mole problem. Other people here take massive amounts of moles out of a lawn. You need to take into account the amount of time it takes you to clear the lawn. You need to charge enough to cover expenses and make money.

EatenbyLimestone is on target. Just remember that doctor visits are 160 dollars a consult, gas is around 2.70 a gallon, and they don't drop their prices to when Jimmy Carter was president.
Always give a price quote and make it understood that the bill is paid before the service. Businesses offer cash rewards like the above 400 dollars could be 500 dollars if you have to bill the client, 475 if it is paid on the last visit. People tend to come up with the money if they can be guided with the sticks of paying soon.
I was talking with our feed salesmen last week and he said he was waiting 2 years on someone who bought chics from him. He said it really needed to go to court, because the people were driving around in a new pickup. The bank probably owns it, but all the same, our shade tree mechanic once told me, "It is sure had to get money out of them boys."

I think EatenByLimestone hit it on the head. Every area is different. You are out there to make money. Time is money, there are a lot of hidden cost, Some time just set the timer on you phone and see how long the jobs take you. From leaving home until you get back and get the paper work done. Don't forget add some time for when it comes to billing etc. JMO

visit my website to see what i charge. www.CallTheMoleTrapper.com

visit my website to see what i charge. www.CallTheMoleTrapper.com

Thats largely how I price my clients, generally $50 per mole, thats what the market will bear in my area, I could get more in the bigger cities, but I like the peace and quiet

I started this year in january, catching through the melting snow, it hasnt slowed down yet, been a good spring season, I bought a boat

Been adding a couple gopher hawks a week, they shine in the areas with smaller moles, I dont have many gophers here, but they are definately a go to too for them

Star nose moles like wet conditions, but I've never needed a boat to trap them, lol.

Now I know why I make so much money trapping moles.
You guys are way high on your prices !
But then, if you're good enough at it, you can trap entire neighborhoods and communities for a much lower fee.
Not uncommon for me to have 15 or more clients on one short street.
Every one of which, has written a check.
In most cases, I've killed every mole in 1 or 2 check and I'm on 'cruise control' after that !
When guys are charging these outrages prices, I'll move in and take their customers by the following season.
There's a reason I've made a living trapping moles right next to Tom Schmitt,( THE MOLE MAN ) long considered the best mole authority in The eastern US
Okay, two reasons...

"Star nose moles like wet conditions, but I've never needed a boat to trap them, lol" I bought a boat with proceeds from trapping the moles, the boat is for fish and crayfish, If I have to motor a boat to an island to set and check mole traps, my fee will increase expedentially, just saying

"You are out there to make money. Time is money, there are a lot of hidden cost, Some time just set the timer on you phone and see how long the jobs take you. From leaving home until you get back and get the paper work done. Don't forget add some time for when it comes to billing etc. JMO" You also need to look at it this way, I train my customers from the beginning, to update me on new hills and snapped traps etc, via text, phone call, facebook, whatever media communication is comfortable to them, it puts them in the action, they let me know, they really enjoy that aspect of the process

It cuts down my fuel costs, when I have excited participents, see what I'm saying, some customers are different, though no less valuable, they dont want to look at it, they just want the hills to stop, one size, does not fit all when it comes to customers, I work the auction/estate business as well, same thing.....

If you are a mechanic, you fix a problem, either you are good or You are'nt, same with mole trapping, you fix a problem, communication with the customer is paramount, its 101

Repeat business in the mole business is where it is at, you may only see them 2 or 3 times a year, but they smile everytime they hand you money, thats no shyt

Record keeping is key, I'm by nature bad at that, but I've learned to push myself in that area of keeping track, it has paid dividends

A one page per customer profile, noting past catches, and making note of the super highways etc helps alot, dont worry aboout neat, I use linear notes all the the time, some customers are 3 pages, those are the ones you want

I still keep the 1 pagers

Dayn, do you mind sharing how are you trapping moles legally in Washington? Many clients ask me about trapping moles while I am there to take care of other problems. So far, I have not found a way to do it effectively and legally.

Thanks

Anyone on here use the Carbon Monoxide gas piped into the mole runs ?
I spoke with a trapper down in Georgia,( wish I could remember his name) , who was going that route.
I often wonder how it turned out.
Seems moles have somewhat of a tolerance for that, is what I've often heard, since they live deep, often where there is very little oxygen.

Feel free to move in man...what i am making charging this way i will do half the work you do, catch half the moles you catch, and still make the same money you make....you made me laugh sir.

Take a $75 mole plus $5.25 sales tax i have to charge.

I pay my technician 30% of that mole...i take 21% of that mole and put in taxes for sales and end of year...i take 20% and put in an owners pay account, then another 20% in the business operating account...then i am left with 9% profit on a $75 mole.

"I pay my technician 30% of that mole" I dont follow

Tech could be paid a % of the job.

Since 75*.30=22.5, that could be his wage for the hour too.

I suppose he could also pay the tech with, say the head of the mole. If so, I need to find out where you get techs, cause I'm willing to give them half the mole if they are a good negotiator, lol.

I do my own mole work, I dont see the point at my level of service to pay someone else, I do have a youngin that is itching to run the line with me, I will probably hire him part time to run across the big field to check traps, his pay will be learning wages, it could build from there, I'm absolutely not gonna hire someone to trap my moles, there is no one within 60 miles of me that knows what the flock they are doing, its a liberal area, I keep hearing wrigley gum over and over........Bottom line, I enjoy the challenge of trapping moles, it pays decent, I'm not gonna farm out my fun, hope that resonates

Bob will tell you any half assed or decent, or good mole trapper, or great mole trapper, earns their stripes and more importantly the income, not only by catching the moles, but by good customer relations, the key is communication, you need to talk often and encourage them to talk back, I save a lot of gas, my customers contact me on social media, by phone by text, they let me know when there are new hills, many tell me when I have caught a mole, they want in on the action, they just dont want to mess with the set up, thats been my model, most become friends, not just a mole killer guy....True story

It is somewhat easier for me, I've worked no less than 1200 auctions, when you work the ring, it forces you too not be shy, I'm used to engaging in conversation, that may sometimes last an hour with mole customers on the initial set up, I'm a bullshitter in my own right, the point is, that 1st impression has gotten me repeat work over and over and over again, for years, not only mole work, but certainly a lot of mole work

I gotta 12 hour run tomorrow, 2 counties, talk soon

An addendum, picked up 8 of steves traps at a garage sale for $10, gonna set them up here on my property, the moles are out of control here, I'm too busy trapping others moles, like the mechanic whos rigs dont run, gonna practice with them, I see some definate advantages, will try to do some pics, not tomorrow for sure

I’m still confused on how you are legally trapping moles in Washington State?

Maybe you can PM them.

I never said i was trapping moles "legally" and furthermore, the state doesnt give you any kind of platform to trap moles "legally" what I am am telling you, the various county sherrifs say, we dont give a flying flock, learn to avoid fish and wildlife, they largely dont care, but dont shove it in their face, do you understand? Its terrible that it has to be a speak easy kind of operation, it is what it is, You do understand now? Yes? I dont like typing anymore than I have to

Understand, I'm in a state where you have to use cage traps to harvest fur, let that sink in

I cant trap skin and sell a coon or a beaver for $50, I'm at 215 on moles since january at $50 per mole, it was a wet summer here in western wa, that helped, I'm getting call backs from my spring customers, I train them to realise, the problem never goes away, we just abate it when it comes up, as I have said before elswhere on another post, its not enough to kill the moles and get paid, you have to make sure lines of communications are open ended, many of my customers text me when traps are tripped, or there are new mole hills, it saves me huge in fuel costs when they do so, the repeat business in mole work is everything, and, lots of referrals off those customers, lastly, I found 2 great resources off of ebay, 1000 bizz cards shipped for $20, they did the photo art of a mole, hand those out everywhere, they are 2 cents a piece, dont forget the real estate brokers and sales persons, I also ordered the yard signs off ebay, 50 signs with h stakes for $3.50 each, every sign I have put on a customers frontage has brought me 3 customers, I still have 34 to set out, if you want the contact info, I would be glad to give it

I'm enthusiastic, because fall is my second best season behind spring, and summer has been great, hope I dont kill them all and put myself out of work, not likely

The youngins scoff at me when I place an add on facebook, my customers are largely property owners, anywhere from 34 to 88, they contact me via PM, cause they dont like the lil sh%theads comments either, different world these days, kids wanting everything handed to them, those are my customers

You guys dont talk much anymore, so I will, the gopher hawk is a good trap, there are times and places for it, I have 300 victors, I am up to 25 gopher hawks, I buy 10 a month, they run about $23 each, I have bought a few at garage sales for cheap, in rocky soils, its a little iffy with these, they do shine in some areas, I wouldnt keep reinvesting in them if they hadnt killed moles, and they do, there is a learning curve with them, I dont want to draw you a picture, you will figure it out, they are definately deadly on gophers, put some peanut butter down in the hole if you are trapping gophers, out here in washington, we have the townsend and the pacific mole, the smaller pacific mole, is sometimes problematic, they are smaller, and tend to dig dirt back on my victors, the townsends are robust, they arent afraid of much, they run into my blockage with a lot of enthusiasm, most times, not always, with the gopher hawk, on a pacific mole, they will either be caught with a good head shot, or they will dig dirt back into it and set it off and not be caught, with the townsend mole, you will either miss them, get a good head neck shot, or catch them by there front paw, I have dug some up dead caught this way, and a couple were still alive, and I dispatched them, I like a quick kill over the other, those townsends are big tough moles, they raise concrete blocks with there digging, I actually admire them for their strength

I know You are gonna ask, why do you like the gopher hawk? the short answer, I can set 3 in the time i set one out of sight, will never quit using the out of sight, but time is money, but it will take me 2 years to get 300 gopher hawks, it took me 10 years to get my 300 victors, I'm just making more money now, reinvest in success, thats what my pappy told me, i get tired of hearing myself talk, I would like some feedback, not tonight per say, just in general, hitting the sack