A man weating full safety gear uses ground glass to sandblast the steel casing of a meat drying machine for a rendering plant

Learn how to create a blaster job bidding prep checklist with these 5 tips

Having a blaster job preparation list helps create an outline for the most important steps to follow when bidding on a blasting project to ensure that you will see a profit. It is not enough to simply calculate labor and product costs; businesses also need to prepare for unexpected expenses.

Harsco has created a 5-step checklist for bidding on a blasting project that will ensure you will successfully calculate your material and labor costs for your blasting abrasive projects.

Bidding Checklist

Step 1: How much time does it takes to clean and surface prep your project? Depending on the type of equipment you have, certain area specifications can be cleaned quicker and faster such as if you are using a powerful air compressor with a larger nozzle. The thickness of the corrosion you are removing can also add to this time as a thicker coat of rust takes more time, more air pressure, and a larger abrasive to remove.

Step 2: Calculate all material costs used during your blasting service. Do not forget to add the impact of cost for running materials for a certain period of time. For example, you may need to use 3 gallons of diesel fuel per hour, but the project can take approximately 7 hours of blasting time. You will also need to factor in the cost per gallon and how many total gallons were used at the end of the project.

Step 3: Keep track of your labor costs which include the hourly/salary earnings of whoever is running the job. It is important that you do not forget to calculate labor as this is typically the most expensive portion of a job and is one of the fastest ways to improve the cost of a project.   

Step 4: Add up all direct expenses such as gas for traveling, any cost for waste disposal, and maintenance for replacing any parts that were used during the job.

Step 5: Make sure you calculate your profit correctly. When assessing margins that were done on the job, make sure you count the purchasing materials as well as everything else that was necessary to get the job done. When working on jobs, this will ensure you avoid losing money and maximize profits!

Harsco Gets the Job Done

Harsco is an industry pioneer in the processing of mineral products for environmentally beneficial uses. Our BLACK BEAUTY® and our SURE/CUT abrasive media will help you with all your surface preparation needs for bidding on a blasting project.

Contact your local rep, distributor or Harsco Environmental today at 888-733-3646 or by email at re****@ha****.com to learn more about Harsco’s line of abrasives and determine the right product and pricing for the job.