how many hours

[joshua]

i was just wondering if i'm the only guy working about 9 hours a day?? this week i did have some rain in the morning but by 1 i was cutting then i put a hour in the garage each day the clean the mowers and stuff like that. i know i said in the past that i would have workers with me but i'm finding out that i can handle 4 to 5 days a week solo, only down side is to many people are asking for landscape bids already, this isn't what i'm used to (i love it ) because people never asked this early, can't wait till my garden center gets mulch in then some days will be 12 to 15 hour days. man i can't wait for them..

any of you other guys have no life like me and work all the time?

[ProScapeOM]

Heck no. Things are kickin down here. I am working 10 and 11 hrs a day. I left the house at 7:30 this morning and got home at 7:00pm tonight. It's that time of year.

[Evan528]

I worked 13 hours today..... this was my first day of mowing! I have been solo for the most part since I started 8 years ago... I am finally at the point Either I hire one guy to work full time with me or I work straight through the night to get all my work done!! Everybody wants there yard muched and they new landscaping installed all at once!

[George777]

My partner and I have beenputting in on average about 12 hours per day Mon-fri. Last monday we rolled in @ 8:30. People out here are getting concerned about thier turf. Everything is greening up big time.

[TJLC]

I'm sorry but I feel if your working 10-12 hr days, you are way over loaded. I rarely work over 8 hrs a day and most days, less. It's too hot and life is too short to kill yourself. If you can't make it working a NORMAL day, something is wrong.

[joshua]

Originally posted by TJLC
I'm sorry but I feel if your working 10-12 hr days, you are way over loaded. I rarely work over 8 hrs a day and most days, less. It's too hot and life is too short to kill yourself. If you can't make it working a NORMAL day, something is wrong.

no its not that i can't make it, i will make more money this summer than both my parents combined, and i' only 18. i just don't want to be out here when i'm 50, i don't think any of us guys are complaining , i started this thread and i was just wondering if any guys worked as much as i do.

[Mark]

Ive been putting in 12 to 13hrs in the last two weeks. Marks Mowing Service

[eggy]

I just got my workers comp policy a few days ago and paychex is going to handle payroll. Having a helper or two sure makes since to me. Someday I am going to let them run things and I will be doing other intrests.

[David Gretzmier]

I worked a 14 and a half yesterday, had an easy 10 hour day today. How can we justify easy hours in the winter- 20-30, if we dont work 50,60 in the spring. it'll level out in July. Dave g

[65hoss]

We've left at first light and got home after dark a few times. Love working, but can't wait for a normal week.

[Skookum]

I use to do those high hour days and weeks. But, now I have kids and I have chose to stay at home and help raise my boys. When they get into school during the days, I will pickup a few more hours, but for right now, 12-16 hours a WEEK is right where I like it.

[1MajorTom]

9:15 to 4:30 for the both of us. Then if need be, Matt will drop me off at home and go out in the evening.
In spring, the extra hours are needed. Yesterday we did 21 yards. That's with Matt working into the evening.

We don't work in the winter, so the money must be made when it can. We can't justify leaving it on the table just because it would require working more than 8 hours.

[BobbyBcuttin]

WEll guys your not alone i put in 56 hours in monday thru friday should have worked sat. put got burn't up yesterday,and my wife and daughter snuck home from the ronald mcdonald house,i don't think my daughter knows she sick'she seems like she as aged 10 years in the last month she talks and interacts with you like she 14 instead of 4 .

[Fantasy Lawns]

were on our first job by 8 and back at the shop by 3:30 ....but there are weeks we're out till 5 ....NO weekends unless rain.

we don't have the spring rush ...as our service spreads out from 4 weeks ago for commercial .....till now for the resi's which will push till mid may ....just planted 400 4.5 pots in 1 guys front yard .....like's that disney look ...as 600 more next weekend ;->

[lee b]

I only do lawncare part-time so lets see - regular job is 50 hours a week during slack times, up to 90 hours when we're busy. Plus an average 20 hours a week for lawncare, plus a few hours here and there for looking after my cows and other livestock, don't leave much time for anything else. I hope one day to be able to slack off a little.

[dhicks]

I'm only working half days now: typically from 7 am to 7 pm.

[smburgess]

Start 8am - Quit 4-5pm Monday thru Friday, I have money and a life.

[Mowingman]

I have been working 7:00AM-8:30PM Tues-Sat. I take Sun. and Mon. off. I have two helpers and we are just keeping up. I love this work pace, but always look forward to some downtime in Jan.&Feb. :)

[EarthWorks]

Remember the farmers' saying: Make hay while the sun shines.
We have to do the work while we can to an extent. I always know when I have reached my breaking point.

[lawnman_scott]

Ive been working about 13 hour days 6 dyas a week, then coming home to work on equipment. How do you know when you hit your breaking point earthworks? i know i hit mine when my stuff gets thrown. lol

[bam]

avg 12 hour days right now.

very busy finishing spring cleanups, edging and mulching and handling calls for the first mowing. Hopefully will finish the spring work in the next few weeks so we can focus just on mowing and can reduce the hours.

Landscape Maintenance/installation isn't a m-f, 9-5 job. This is the season of the most work, so you work and bring in some money, and relax more in the late summer and winter.

[kris]

Have to put in long hours in the spring(6 days a week)...We get through it by knowing that it will slow down in the summer...more power to the guys who can work 8 hours a day but I don't believe that is realistic in this buss.,
good luck to all ...kris

[smburgess]

kris...

I don't understand, what do you mean it's not realistic in this business? Maybe in your operation you mean. We just add a few extra employees to cover the extra grass till it slows down.

[kris]

Steve...

After posting my reply I thought maybe things are differant in warmer climates???? Here in Alberta we have a short season(Mid April..if we are lucky to October 15)..yes we can landscape longer and we do .but,the maintenance ends..to add a few more guys I would need more equipment etc..just makes more sense for US to work longer days when we have to.. Good luck in 2001

[Highpoint]

Up at 5:30 to feed the baby (average time), out the door to the shop at 6:30. Crews leave the shop at 7:15. Back to the shop usually by 7:00. Home usually by 8:00. Eat, phone calls and paper work till 11:00, Asleep by midnight pretty much every day. Get to sleep in till 8 am on Sundays. Still don't get to bed till midnight with doing schedules and checking out the latest on Lawnsite. LOL

[joshua]

highpoint i'm with you, get up for school at 7:30 till 12:30, work from 1:15-8:15, go to the gym 8:30 till 9:15, go home eat dinner about 9:30 and relax until 10, then in the garge cleaning the mower and changing the blades until 11. on here from 11:30 til 12 then do it all again. i love it

[David Gretzmier]

why are most of these posts after 10 pm? I work alot, but will I wake up at 45 when my child graduates from high school and wonder what she looked like from march until November of every year? look at my post. It is near midnight here. Is this really the good life? Dave

[HOMER]

I guess life is what you and I and everyone else make it. If this is the life we've chosen then we have to deal with it. It ain't easy working more hours being self employed than you did when you punched a clock. Seems kinda foolish in a way, I used to complain about working 10 hrs before I quit, now the work never seems to end. If I'm not mowing I'm running to the post office, bank, dealer, working on equipment, fixing flat tires, invoicing, or just reading things on here or in the trade magazines.

Ah yes, the good life. It wasn't the good life before so I decided I would do this.............I work more now than I ever did, except in the winter.........then I get lazy and depressed cause I ain't working...........stupid isn't it.

But there's always that option of doing something else.

[Charles]

I even had to work saturday this week. Seems that other lawn care peeps quit answering their phones on friday and saturday and i was getting calls. Oh well it was a beautiful day to work and pick up some extra money. I guess I can do maintenence today. They werent grass cutting call or I would put them of until monday. They were hedge trimming and areating then a bushoggin estimate

[kutnkru]

I have gone from 23 hrs a day here at LS to less than 2 hours a week.

That should tell you how busy things have been -LMAO!

Kris

[joshua]

kutnkru i here ya, i was at about 5 or 6 hours on here in march and now its from 11:30 until 12 at night on here.
for some of you older guys i wish you would of gotten started in this game when i did, most of you know i'm still in high school, and 18 for less than a month. so i have a jump on this great game i call work. i've been saying this since i was 14 or 15 i'll work as much as i can when i'm young and want to retire by 50. and i'm willing to work 50 hours a week if needs be. heck this week i'm looking at over 60 hours.once summer starts and more landscaping comes in maybe over 70 hours a week. i put a few weeks in like that last year. i'm i'm looking at 3 times the amount of them this year. its weel worth it in my book, i'm gunna work that much as long as my body can take it and the quality as the best i can put out.

[cp]

You know and I thought that it was just me.?!.,

I just got started a few weeks ago and I've already had to put in my notice with my employer which will be up Tuesday and it is all I can do to try and read a few posts every night or two.

It's almost 2:00 AM and here I am writing this reply.

[A CUT ABOVE]

Week before last, I worked from 7:00am till 8:30pm mon-sat. This past week, I worked the same with about 5hrs on sun. I normally don't work weekends, but there is a big deal around town with a "Tour of Homes" next weekend. They are spotlighting a couple hundred homes in the country club and other high class neighborhoods, and it seems like all of them are calling for new landscaping or re-designing. After this week, it should all be back to normal. Normal is 7:00am-7:00pm mon-thurs, and 7:00am to 12:00pm fri. No weekends unless rain. Gotta have some time to fish and hunt.

[swonkeg]

3:30 pm till dark (8:30 pm or so) Tues - Thurs.
Fridays are make up day or equipment mant.
Sat.-Mon. --Family Time, Personal Yard Care, Firefighting Training Ect.
Worked Six Days A Week Last Year Every Evening
Got Burned Out Cut Back This Year And Am Enjoying
Lawn Care A LOT More.

[Grassman]

Like most the other Fla. contractors, I'm putting in around 11hrs 6dys a week. And Joshua, your body doesn't necessarily fall apart after 50. Take care, Russ

[ron]

HOW MANY LAWNS DO YOU DO SOLO IN A DAY.
Well me I do 7 per day then go to my other field of work as a correctional officer for the state......

[jaclawn]

I used to pull the long days, sometimes 7 days per week. Not any more. I have learned that there is more to life than money, and that money cannot buy happiness.

I will generally do 8 production hours per weekday, and 4 production hours on Saturday during the peak season. I keep up with administrative and maintenance items on a daily basis, so that they do not back log into an all day affiar.

I will only do production work beyond those times for a few reasons. If I am backed up because of weather, or if I am trying to get ahead to take a few days off, or trying to catch up after a few days off. The only other reason to work past those hours is by choice, for high dollars. If I bid a job that will not fit in those time parimeters, I will bid it at a very high rate, and If awarded the bid, I am making bonus bucks.

I am much happier working this way. Do I miss those few extra dollars? Yes.

[jaclawn]

Another thought. I see that many folks put in a ton of hours, more power to you. I also, in other posts, see that many folks boast of netting a consistant $60.00+ per hour, again, more power to you. If that is the case, why don't we replace the truck related forums with ones for BMW and Mercedees and Corvette? Surely those working those hours at those rates would own such autos?

[lawnboy82]

this past weekend i worked saturday 14 hrs. and sunday 11 hrs.
saturday from 9:00 am until 11:pm doing excavation in the pouring rain at night
sunday doing excavation from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm. lately been working i would say on average about 10 hr days. last year was the best though. 7 days a week 16 - 18 hrs a day. no holidays or nothing. just worked like that for about 2 months straight. then things went down to i think 8 hrs a day for the summer maybe more or less. gotta love them 18 hr days when you get out there at 7 in the morning and dont come home till 1:30 am.

[Eric ELM]

as your signature says,"you are killing you" It never made any sense until now.

[Duncan IN]

Just think about the farmers who are out in the fields that are putting way more hours than what we are. You have to bust your butt at times to meet the demand kinda like the farmers who have to get the crop planted in time. once we get the first few weeks out of the way it will be alot easier on us. The spring clean ups and all the things the customers want done at the beginning at the season can seem to be overbearing at times. But Hey it's money in the pocket. If you are complaining about the hours, you are in the wrong profession!

[Randy Scott]

It isn't so much the number of hours worked as much as it is producing. 18 hour days don't impress me, production does. We have all been there and done that, but as you get older and wiser, you get better and more efficient. Not that an 18 hour day isn't productive, but you can only take so many of those before you get burned out and it tapers off. Everybody is different though and I would imagine it varies from individual to individual. :)

[lawnboy82]

well i mean this year it hasnt been too bad. start at 9 and finish at about 5 - 7 pm. usually more like 7.
last year though i would wake up at 6 am for school. go to school until 10:15 then check up on my guy. drop him somewhere then go and do work on my own or go to school for another 2 hrs. then at 2 go and work until 10 or 11 pm. that was during the week. fridays get up and do the same school routine but go until 1:30 am. but that was a lot of running around seeing customers, setting things up for the weekend, checking up on stuff, get dinner. saturday would be get up at 6:30 and get workin at 7 am. go until 1 am again. so much fun this year. i dont have to do much besides talk with customers / drive / and climb the trees.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

Well since I have my son every other week, On the weeks he's at his mothers I do all my edging, rough cuts, weeding pruning, Etc and work ALOT of hours 60+. Then on the weeks I have him I just Mow (trim,blow of course). That way I am home by 5:00. On them weeks probably 35-40 Hrs.