Big planting bid needed

[lawnworker]

Help needed, Hey all I usually do small planting jobs and mowing, but I have been asked to bid on a large planting job. 77 White Pine 15 gallon 5' O. A. Height, 115 Kaempferi Azalea 5 gallon/ 1" min thickness, and 400 Kaempferi azalea of the 3 gallon size. What kind of price should a job like this bring, and how long would it take two people to plant all these?

The plan calls for no bare root planting "all plants must be dug, balled, burlap and transported to the site" I am a little bit confused by this. All I have ever dealt with with in Azalea's are container grown plants from local supply chains.


The plan also has a lot of confusing wording like ONE row of pines to be planted then stagger trees between rows. Is this normal for Engineer prepared plans?

Could I sub this out to a larger company that is used to this scale of work?

[LandscapePro]

lawnworks,

Things may be very different up your way, but down here you couldn't find B&B azaleas if your life depended on it. They just aren't grown that way anymore.

The pines would be B&B with wire cages. What the plans are calling for is one row of trees spaced, then the second row would have the same spacing, but be placed in the "gaps" of the first row.

How long to install will depend on the conditions there, whether it's to be done in beds or open ground, how you would be installing them (by hand or with a bobcat and auger),how much "get up and go" do you and crew have. There's just a lot to consider.

In order to price the job, you need the delivered price of your material. Then the cost of said after you mark it up. Now throw in the "cost" of your labor and figure out how much you want to make on the job. Don't forget to factor in the costs of replacing material that doesn't make it, unless you don't plan to warranty the material.

Make sense?

Mike
La. Landscape Contractor #2576

[gammon landscaping]

around 18000 + plants on site price

[gammon landscaping]

what about the mulching ??

[start2finish]

im having a little trouble finding the kaempferi azelea, any substitutions?

the five foot b&b white pines are $20.00 each plus freight. out of SE Rockingham county NC. 30min SE of Danville. I'm not sure where in VA you are.

if I used a sub azelea they run about 15 each for 5 gallon and 8.50 each for 3 gallon

how open is the site, could you get equipment to this site?

the nursery is close to our shop so no I can't figure what freight would cost you.

about $69.00 per pine planted = 5313.00
about $3967.50 for 5 gallon azelea
about $7820.00 for the 3 gallon size
$17100.50 for plant materials installed, this includes staking the 77 white pines

as for the mulch without knowing the areas that are planted I can't figure this, but a rule of thumb is sq ft x .25 divided by 27 is your yards.

if it is pine needles 4.5 x yards = bales

this is how I would price this in my area, but If I was going 200 miles into VA then I would add $2500.00 to transport all the necessary equipment and materials North.

also bear in mind the azelas I quotes may not be acceptable, this may be a uncomon variety and cost more to purchase.

[lawnworker]

Thanks for the replies.

[Grn Mtn]

(077)---5 gal White Pine @-----------------$70 = $5,390
(115)---5 gal Azalea @---------------------$32 = $3,680
(400)---3 gal Azalea @---------------------$19 = $7,600
(154)---5' Hardwood Stakes @--------------$3 = $462
(008)---50 lbs Boxes Bio-Plex 4-in-1 @--$150 = $1200
One week rental of Dingo + auger attachments = $500
Labor (50 hours estimated @ $100) ----------- = $5000

Total----------------------------------------------$23,832


Plants are contractor pricing for quantities 10 and under, they would be less for large quantities, but you would still want some mark-up on the plants to cover any replacement costs say 30%. So really the prices are probably in the ballpark. Now I have a nursery with acres of plants but even they would need major lead-time to get this order fulfilled.

The Bio-Plex is to help insure plant survivability

I estimated the hours at 5 min per plant. Its a big average that can swing either way. It will take time just to stage the plants, and if the area is open and large I would use a tractor or skidsteer to speed things up.

What about mulch? $$$

Someone has to water these? $$$

Sounds like a very boring planting, I just can't picture it looking interesting.

[start2finish]

interesting..
My price would have been 6500.00 less, but we do not warranty any plants unless we install or approve the irrigation system. although we wouldn't rent any equipment or have any materials delivered. But that price would have been contingent upon the space being accesable to skid steer and tractor.

[Grn Mtn]

interesting..
My price would have been 6500.00 less, but we do not warranty any plants unless we install or approve the irrigation system. although we wouldn't rent any equipment or have any materials delivered. But that price would have been contingent upon the space being accesable to skid steer and tractor.

I thought you just said it would be $17,100.50? Or are you saying your labor price would be $6,500? Since you own your own skidsteer and tractor, how do you buy new ones if you don't bill for them (IE Rental Fee?)

Also, 5' White Pines for $20:eek: Do they look like Charlie Brown Trees:p

[Grn Mtn]

Sorry I was tired and didn't read your response carefully enough. Your saying that you underbid me by $6500.

[start2finish]

I was misunderstood, sorry. My price is $6500 cheaper. Unless we are working by the hour on a job my equipment seldom shows up on an invoice. Now I use hourly figures when estimating(my notes) work. But I consider my equipment as a tool needed to perform my occupation. Kind of like charging for a man then charging for the shovel he used. at 70 per plant on the white pines, this includes delivery, digging the hole, installing the tree, watering it in and staking the tree. I look at it like 50 x 77 $3850.00 after the trees are paid for. at $50.00/hour on the truck $200 for delivery now we are at $3650.00 my equipment on site at 120/hour {tractor & skid steer} is $1920 (we can do in less then 16 hours) so now we are at $1730 (31 manhours @ 30/mh) is $930 dollars so now left with $800. Now this may be an exception but we have plenty of stakes we cut out of building materials we are paid to dispose of on jobsites (no cost here, we charge the labor to load them seperately) the manhours I stated will include the cutting of stakes on site. as for the rope to tie the stakes our nursery we buy from will give us all the rope we need to stake trees when we pick up the trees, as well as the rope that is tied around the basket. so in essence we net profit $800 on the trees. Profit on the labor. profit on our equipment. and at our rates we pay all operating costs, including insurance maintainance and fuel + profit.

the nursery/tree farm has excellent quality and if you are interested he ships trees all over. He does most of his business up North. he has at last mention 2000 acres planted in trees.