you won't believe this!!!

[cst51]

I got a call last night to give a bid to a homwowners association to cut pulic areas in the neighborhood. The total square footage was 330.000 sq. feet. Flat, with one sidewalk and a playground to trim around. A few small trees. I figured up it was approximately 7.5 acres. I gave him the price of 340.00 per cut. The guy was a littled shocked at the price. He wanted to know if that was per cut. I told him yes. He is a very nice guy so we got talking. He ended up telling me that the company currently doing the cutting was doing it for 65.00 dollars. He was looking for someone else because the homeowners assoc. thought they were cutting it when it didn't need cutting. I could hardly believe this. I questioned him and we went to the see the president of the association. She came to the door and she confirmed that the current company was doing it for 65.00 dollars. This is the sh!! that kills the rest of us. There are 3-4 mexicans (nothing against this group) that is cutting it. They have nice equipment. I have seen them before while I was cutting a lawn I have in the neighborhood. $65.00 for 7.5 acres!!!!!! This is assenine!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AVRECON]

How the hell can you compete with that!? Gee-zussss!

[cst51]

That was my EXACT words!!

[Vibe Ray]

Reminds me of a bid I gave last week. 15 acres w/ large house and large pond. It had a whole lot of trimming (a whole lot!) Lot of edging, and a few hills. the guy said he could the 2 large pastures an wanted me to cut the rest. I figured 10 highly difficult acres to actually cut. I said $475. They said that was too muc. The person they had cutting was cutting for $220!!! She said it was a 3 man crew and they took 4 hours to do it!!!! and they didn't even do that great a job!!! I'm not upset, they can charge whatever they wish. I'm just shocked!!!

[geogunn]

CST--it is a shame that you wasted valuable time on these people.

hang in there.

GEO

[David Gretzmier]

On these large open properties, I can't help but wonder if a used range wing, or used toro 580 d or similar would make the $ 220 price profitable. I've heard estimates on the 16ft cut models of 18 acres per hour. I saw one in the equipment trader for $7500, let's say you go do the property and mow all the open areas in 45 minutes, trim out with a dixie chopper for 15 minutes, and two guys weedeating and blowing for an hour. with appropriate use of roundup, I 'll bet that property could be mowed in an hour, maybe 1 and 1/2 . at 150-200 per hour, I think I could live with that. I think the key to beating some of these insane lowballs is to get equipment that no one else has, and use roundup or growth regulator to cut weed trimming by 2/3 to 3/4. Just a thought. Dave g

[Keith]

Its a homeowners association...they did you a favor ;)

[65hoss]

Amen Keith. From what I hear the are the slowest payors.

[Keith]

Yeah, between that an the politics of the HOA, I choose to stay away from as much as possible. Nothing like having 90% of the homeowners satisfied and 10% that just happen to be board members trying to give the job to their friends.

Our Most Recent Experience

A customer asks us if we ever bid on his subdivision. A quick "no" we thought would end the discussion. It didn't, he insisted we submit a bid with the newer board members. We went from "no way" to getting all the specs on the property and to the point we were gonna bid this damn thing. Last step was to talk to the VP. His attitude was very different from the others. His first question was "You know who has it now, don't you?" Giving the slightest hints that we would never get the job, he said 'Mr. XXXXXX' still has the job. Oh? The former HOA President still has the job? Classic. He has had it for the last 8 years, why would things change now. Just because he resigned his post on the HOA, no reason he still can't win the bid every year :rolleyes:

[cos]

They forgot to convert the peso amount into dollar amount!!!

[evergreenlawn]

Keith you said it right. They did him a favor. I've had two HOA accounts before and dont want any again. Too many people to satisfy. "You're cutting to low, you're cutting to high, cutting too often, not cutting enough" :confused: It's not worth the hassel to me.

Scott

[Charles]

Yea you could go out and buy 16 foot cut mowers but how many time do you need something that large? The rest of the time it would be sitting and you making payments on it. Unless you specialized in huge properties where they dont care if it looks manicured. i have seen a company around here cutting with a 60hp tractor with a batwing deck on a manufacturing biz. I havent seen them there lately maybe because the cut didnt look good because the ground wasnt flat. Also this heavy equipment after a period of time will put ruts in the yard.

[MikeGA]

Can you say GREEN CARD?:p :p

[thelandscaper27]

I do alot of bids. I mow 2 per week plus I subcontreact for a Local Landscape
Contractor. Anyways, Those Mexican people just want the money. And If they are diog this as thier business, they will soon go out of business.

[cst51]

Landscaper 27,
They have been doing the same property for 3 YEARS!!!!!! Not out of business yet. Somebody has to be losing their a$$!!!!
Cary

[cos]

Thats the thing about homeowners associations, you are trying to please everyone. At the monthly meetings, that is what they are there for- to iron out complaints and trying to make things better for the association. You are going to hear every little grip.

[Grassman]

You should subcontract those Mexicans for other jobs. For what they are willing to work for, you can make a fortune. Russ

[The_Outlaw]

Woooahh....
Subcontract the mexicans for other jobs? Then they figure out that they can lowball your customers, and you are out the door! Sounds like a good way to loose your A** to me! Sorry, I guess I just don't have a very trusting nature, especially when it comes to business.

[John DiMartino]

Dave,those 580D Toro's in the trader magazines are worn out mowers with lots of hours,they cost a fortune to maintain.Golf courses sell them when they are about 5-7 yrs old,-if a pump or engine goes-forget it,you'll have more in parts than its worth.When newer they are a nice unit though.

[sheppard]

Can you say "No Insurance"?

Sheppard

[smburgess]

Home Owner's Associations? Great to deal with, I do 4 contracted on a yearly basis paying $2110 a month year round. I've never found them really any different than a commercial or residential client.

Mexicans? Probally the hardest working people out there, and make just as much as "gringos". LOL

[Scag48]

Half or 3/4 of my competition ARE MEXICANS! I have nothing against them and I'm not a racist but they lowball big time. Oh well, just got another job from their crappy work. They have a 4 man crews that come in, mow a fairly good sized lawn in 20 mins with trimming and leave. Mow and go. They don't care what it looks like. I like to get done with a job and on with another but these guys just don't care. Oh well, the more they screw up, the more business I get!

[kris]

VibeRay... that works out to $18 per man hour that they are getting....if they are a legit bus, I can't see them lasting. If they are only there for 3 hours, that's quite a differance. Don't know what the going rate is there, but then they are around $25 per hour.

[David Gretzmier]

how about no: workman's comp, no taxes: sales, property, income, state, no marketing budget, no answering service, no pager, no cellphone, no uniforms, etc. overhead can be a killer. Dave g

[sgreanbean]

i had a condo HOA and i hated it thay had 2 old men that had nothing better to do than bug me and my guys. they would follow us to lunch, sit by my trailer and stare! accuse me of not mowing when i did and it was easy to see that the yard was freshly cut! the rest of the residents loved us and didnt want to see us quit! but i had to!
these guys called every body in the book and nobody would even look at it! i wonder why!:angel:
any ways i dont like the HOA's. to many chiefs, not enuf injuns

[awm]

they are here.they can work much cheaper.
we are talking mexcan - US relations.
afraid this gonnaget a lot worse.as the guy on tv says.
NOT SO GOOD.NUFF SAID

[smburgess]

awm...

Cheaper? What do you start them out at? Here in Virginia if you're not starting them out around $8 dollars per hour like everyone else forget it, they'll walk down the road to the next company. The only problem is language, if they can speak SOME english they are like GOLD around here!

[Twotoros]

They also collect foods stamps while the wives claim welfare. A third of our pop. is from south of the border here and they are milking us dry. Don't get me wrong there are some real good ones but nobody can work the system like this group. Those of you that don't have too many yet brace yourselves. Dubya and his cronnies will open the flood gates soon and top wage in the U S will drop and drop. Wages in our burg start at 6.72 and top out at 10. for most occupations.This includes painters,carpenters etc.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smburgess]

uh........yeah.....

[AndrewLawn]

whoa!great idea,why don't you hire those mexicans......pay their insurance,you'll earn it back in a week...just make sure they've got their green cards!

[TFL]

i was driving around one day when i saw a yard that had just been mowed by two mexicans and it looked like sh%t. so i stopped went up to the door introduced myself and said iwould cut it for 60 the lady was hesitant but hired me. a few weeks later she told me the other guys were doing it for 45 but she would rather hve quality rather than cheap prices

[Fallguy]

dont worry about the mexicans - they are everywhere trying to lowball you - just get the big azz yards that they dont have the equipment to even think about doing - i really dont believe they will last long - check back next year and see if they are still in the business - its the lawn owners choice as to who they want in there yards anyhow - all their saving money will catch up to them in the long run -wait till a rock flies through their 2001 vette window - better still - wait till the mexican gets hurt and hospitalised and then sues them then moves in right beside them - holla:eek: