What's a good mark-up method for supplies?

[Lee Homan]

Just wondering what would be a good figure for marking up supplies when doing jobs other than mowing. I want start doing applications but not sure how much of mark up to add on the supplies themself. I was thinking maybe 10-20% range. Should this cover time it takes to go get the things you need plus mark up on supplies too? <br>

[steven Bousquet]

alot of people are afraid to mark up product but thats part of any business. common prctice is 100% mark-up from wholesale, but it depends on the product some you can mark up 200%. mark up is based on the value of the product not just on a % of cost. 10-20% should be your net profit on a product that is most common in the business world.

[lawnforce1]

We mark up most everything 100%. We mark mulch a little higher and quote it per yard installed.

[Lee Homan]

hey guys, <p>Thanks for the feedback. Wow, I didn't think the mark-up was that high. Aren't most materials you buy sold retail? I thought you had to be a distributor or buy in large quantites to get wholesale prices.

[lawnforce1]

You can find greenhouses and landscaper supply houses to fulfill your orders for wholesale. We buy our mulch for around $6 a yard and sell it for around $50 a yard installed.

[Scraper]

Lawnforce1: $6/yard? Dear GOD! I should drive to your neck of the woods to buy mulch!!! What kinda mulch? $20/yard around here for 3X Hardwood.

[columbiaplower]

i pay 15 a yard charger 30 plus instalation<p>-Nick

[lawnforce1]

We buy it in bulk. Medium grade in $6, high grade pitch black won't go bad smells nice for $10 a yard.

[DMC300]

AROUND HERE CYPRESS MULCH IS $14-$17 PER CU.YD.I CHARGE X2 +$25 DELIVERY PER LOAD<p>----------<br>DON<br>LIANNES' MOWING

[gusbuster]

You guys are still paying too much! Don’t any of your local municipalities have a mulching program? Even if you’re commercial, at least in my city, as long it's for a resident of my city, we get all the mulch for free. I charge my clients $120 a truck load to cover my labor. I have to go to the various sites to load myself, but at least the material is free. The only draw back is it not the same quality of redwood mulch, but it works. It's all the stuff from the city crew’s tree and brush detail. As for weeds, so far, the last year I've done it, no real problems with weeds.<p>----------<br>J-LC Landscaping & Maintenance Gardening<br>C-27 Ca Contr# 770044

[gusbuster]

Oh another thought for Lee Homan? Doesn't any of your local wholesale dealers show the contractor price and retail price on your purchase receipts? If I have to buy retail, I charge 30 to 50% mark up. The other option I give to my client’s, have them meet you at the retail place, have them pay for it; charge them for your time. I get brownie points because the client thinks he’s saving money, but when you charge $35/ hr plus mileage, make more money than the mark up most of the time. The other advantage to doing this is you don’t have any money out of your own pocket.<br>Jean<br><p>----------<br>J-LC Landscaping & Maintenance Gardening<br>C-27 Ca Contr# 770044

[richard]

i sell mulch for $60 a yard installed a 100% plus $40 per man hour...1 yard spread takes a man hour...

[cjcland]

our dump gives away mulch for free but it doesnt look that good and im afraid of what pests might be hitch hiking in the load, we pay 17 a yard for cypress mulch and charge 50 for delivery/instalation<p>----------<br>CJC Landscape Management<br>Winter Haven, Florida

[thelawnguy]

Cjcland I know what you mean, the mulch they give away at our dump is full of insect pests and questionable chemicals. They just scoop from the brush pile and dump in the tub grinder, and folks seem to think the brush pile is a good place to hide old bottles of DDT, oil, 2,4,D, whatever.<p>If you are going to charge for a professional installation you at least owe it to the customer to deliver pro quality materials.<p>Bill