Billing

How do you bill for your work, pay in advance, when job is completed or a pay in 15 days etc?

All of the above. Commercial work 30 days.

Your customers dictate how you will get paid. If they can't pay...well they can't pay. I get paid in full and upfront for residential jobs or the traps don't hit the ground. There are times when I work with folks who are in a bad spot or need to wait until payday but not often. Commercial jobs are a little different because the individual who writes the checks typically isn't around. It's very clear in my contracts on payment requirements. I usually receive the check within the same week the job is started.

I charge reasonable prices that allow me to afford to be in business and make a profit. Cash on the barrelhead. Anything beyond the original agreement put in writing and paid at that time. My easy payment plan is one payment of the full price. If they don’t want to pay, the problem must not be very bad. Existing ongoing and repeat customers get a little slack.

Received a call on a Saturday about 5pm. The guy said there was a raccoon in his house. I arrived and he asked if he should pay first. I said pay me after I catch it. So afterwards he paid me and asked how did I know he would pay. I said I didn’t know, but if you didn’t pay I would put the raccoon back in the house.

It depends on the type of job, dollar amount, customer, etc.


Pesticide job, normally upfront.

A big job like a $6k seal up gets half up front, half at the end.

Some non profits always pay, but they need to wait until their grant comes in.

It just depends.

We typically bill out in Friday's, larger jobs as stated
In another post get a % down and the rest on completion. We also do Payment plans with no interest
On it for larger jobs.

Tdhp, how do you plan a day and make it where every
Home owner can meet you there or pay you ahead of time when calls are either spontaneous or during there work hours? Do you make them take off work to meet and pay you? Or do you just eat some of your profits and have them use a credit card?

I schedule a day when they can be on site, haven't had an issue yet. I need signatures for accessing properties along with contract acknowledgement, traps don't touchdown until that takes place. I trap some rough areas and deal with some clever landlords and folks. Rarely will I start a job without payment unless they are a preventative maintenance account.

All that information will come in handy especially when the nosy neighbor calls 5-0 while you're walking around a property and the pesky popo show up. Makes the encounter a lot smoother when you can provide the homeowners address, contact info along with permission to be at that residence.

Ahh I see, I don't really have shady neighborhoods to
Deal with here. Heck most customers I end up seeing
In the grocery store or a menards somewhere lol