How much do you guys charge for top soil?

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

How much $ per cu. yd. do I need to charge for top soil, Hauled in and installed?

[lwcmattlifter]

I'll let you figure it out
cost of materials +
delivery fee+
labor=

how much you should charge the customer

Easy enough, right?

[topsites]

I charge $50 / cube but then most of my jobs are in the 1-4 cube range, which is to say below the minimum trucked delivery.

[Travel'n Trees]

$62 installed a yard, 3 yard min. Thirty minutes in and out.

[NNJLandman]

Im just curious, when yall say $50 or $60 installed, are you including everything like $22 per yard of topsoil + $10 for deliver + $30 for labor or are you charging $62 in labor plus the materials etc.

[RedWingsDet]

Im just curious, when yall say $50 or $60 installed, are you including everything like $22 per yard of topsoil + $10 for deliver + $30 for labor or are you charging $62 in labor plus the materials etc.

I charge $50 per yard with a 3yd min also.... Topsoil only costs $10 per yard here, and I have a dump truck.

So if it were to cost me $22 per yard and I didnt have a dump truck, I would charge $87 per yard but by that time its so much money per yard customers wouldnt want it, so it'd be cheaper to get bags.

[JJLandscapes]

I'll let you figure it out
cost of materials +
delivery fee+
labor=

how much you should charge the customer

Easy enough, right?

he asked how much do you charge the customer... if he asking a basic topsoil question dont u think he is new in the business

you could have gave a more helpful response with a lot less effort

[Travel'n Trees]

I have a pulverizer now but go to a place who gives you extra. Always get a .5 yard like 1.5 or 2.5 or 3.5 or 4.5 yards, the .5 yard is complicated to do so they almost always give you a full yard, and with the over full previous buckets you will have more you lost on the half and you can round up on the yard. You always give them what you round up to but you make more money, now mulch same thing. Don't go to those rock places that sells tons of rock with no scales, and use 1/3 yard buckets and give you 2 scoops and tell you that is a yard. We have 2 of these guys doing this in Lee's Summit. That is why I am getting in be honest and fair it will pay off in the end.

[tlcolemanlandscapes]

I'll let you figure it out
cost of materials +
delivery fee+
labor=

how much you should charge the customer

Easy enough, right?


thats real decent of you to talk to the guy like hes retarded. im new to the business myself and wanted to know the answer to that question myself. but i guess you were never new to this business. thanks for the math anyway though

[Raven386]

how was that talking to him " like he's retarded" ? are you going to come here for every job you get and ask how much to charge? he gave you a perfect way to figure it out. it is absolutley different for every person. im not trying to be rude but a thank you would probably have done better than complaining.

[Mike33]

I find it to be hard to give help at times on this site due to the elements. I run my business in an area that is a lot of lower income. I pay different prices for my top soil and im sure it is a different price in chicago or w. Tenn. What i charge to install top soil weather it is 10 ton patch job or 200 ton on new yard would be high or low to another person in a different area. Everything is based on location! I think instead of coming on here if i was new and asking for price structures i would check out the market in my local area ,there is where you are doing your business. Not that i wouldnt help some new but it makes more sence. My opion!
Mike

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

Thanks for the help guys! Really appriciate it!

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

$62 installed a yard, 3 yard min. Thirty minutes in and out.

I like the sound of $180 in half an hr.. But I'm only a one man crew, I'm not thinking I could do 30mins in and out w/ even 1 cu. yd.

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

dont u think he is new in the business

I can answer that question for you;

YES, I have mowed grass for 2 yrs or so, but I am new to landscaping.:)

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

I have a pulverizer now but go to a place who gives you extra. Always get a .5 yard like 1.5 or 2.5 or 3.5 or 4.5 yards, the .5 yard is complicated to do so they almost always give you a full yard........

Yes, acctually I have done that before and they do almost give you a full scoop.

One place said they couldn't give me a half scoop of Topsoil......guess they got smart.:rolleyes:

[wski4fun]

I just did 8yds for $660 including seed and starter fert. Most of the dirt went to filling in a ditch to make the lawn more smooth It took me about 8hrs from start to finish. I had to make a ramp to go over a wall instead of going around the house. If I had to go around the house, it would have been much more time. I did this solo with a wheel barrel. Hope that helps a little. I figured atleast $50 per yd including the cost per yd. Should be a little more because you can't fill the wheel barrel full. I would charge the same as mulch next time. $60-$65 per yd installed now

[olderthandirt]

$50 a yd delievered and spread but Its always at least 10 yds and I'm not doing it by hand. loader will do 10 yds in 1/2 or less.

[NNJLandman]

Yea thats the best way to order topsoil, in halfs or with like an odd amount of yardage, order 8 yards you'll most likely get 10. order 1 or 2, youll get three. All the bulk material people around here always overload.

Jeff

[DuraCutter]

Figure out your cost, labor, material and then double it. DO NOT give a per whatever price. Any monkey can do that!

Give a price for the whole job. You'll do better profit wise and you'll be able to grow better because of more $$$.

As soon as you quote per yard etc... you're giving the customer more info. Focus on the things they want to hear. Find out what they really want and give them exactly that. Maybe its a detail you never thought about like a special topsoil or maybe they need more... I'm not sure what it is you're bidding of course but anytime you simplify the quote the customer can start figuring your cost too easily!

[drmiller100]

look at the value to the customer. sell the finished product, not hte parts.

I had a cusotmer on the lake that wanted land prepped so he could have a buddy lay sod and another buddy do sprinklers.

We cut old sod out, and wheel barrowed 10 yards of top soil in, charged 1500 bucks. took 4 guys humping HARD all day.

Then, the guy doing the sprinklers couldn't get it done right, so we finished that. Then turns out buddy who was going to do the sod could only deliver the sod, not install it.
so, another 1800 bucks to finish sprinklers and lay 4000 square feet of sod (not including cost of sod.)

around here, there is a guy that sells top soil at 17 a yard delivered. Screened, mixed with mulch and sand, BEAUTIFUL top soil.We rake rocks, smear 2 inches of top soil on whatever crap is already there, and go for it.

[dcondon]

Topsoil here is $21.00 a yard PLUS labor.

[topsites]

Im just curious, when yall say $50 or $60 installed, are you including everything like $22 per yard of topsoil + $10 for deliver + $30 for labor or are you charging $62 in labor plus the materials etc.

Yes, $50 is for regular screened topsoil, the premium stuff is more and no I don't do fill dirt. A yard of it runs me around 15 bucks, it's hard work with barrow and shovel but I can dump and spread 2 yards in an hour, so:

Cost of soil: $30
+ delivery: $20 (2 cubes / load max. due to weight, 4 thousand pounds heh).
+ labor: $50
______________
$100 / 2 cubes

Reason it's not $60 pmh is because there's only the shovel and the barrow in overhead, no expensive 2 cyclers in use.
Now if it's just one yard, I'd likely charge 55-60.

[topsites]

how was that talking to him " like he's retarded" ? are you going to come here for every job you get and ask how much to charge? he gave you a perfect way to figure it out. it is absolutley different for every person. im not trying to be rude but a thank you would probably have done better than complaining.

The only time I don't care for this type of answer is when it's crap to the effect of 'If you were licensed you would know this...'

The answer the man gave was a formula, sure it didn't give the dollar amount, but I myself found that to be helpful enough as well.

[topsites]

Yes, acctually I have done that before and they do almost give you a full scoop.

One place said they couldn't give me a half scoop of Topsoil......guess they got smart.:rolleyes:

I've used a bucket loader before, and I know what their problem with 1/2 scoops is.

See, when you're inside the cabin of the loader, you can see the bucket but you really can not see the inside of the bucket.
Ok, you could see it kinda if you tilt it way towards you (and risk dumping dirt on yourself).
If you tilt it away to dump-level it off, you still can't be sure how much just fell out vs. how much is left in it...

So, the problem with 1/2 scoops is they have to guess how full it is... You can see the top of the bucket so you know it is full when you see the dirt on top, and once you dump it, you can see from underneath once all the dirt stops falling, it is empty. But other than that, there's no gauge on it, no see-through window either.

As an operator, you never know for sure how much is in the bucket unless it is full, or empty. Not only is it a bad idea for the operator to give you a 1/2 scoop because he might overload, but it is a bad idea for you because he might not load it enough... Fact is, what man can't see, man can't gauge right.

1/2 scoops are just a pita for a loader operator, so the guys I deal with charge 75% the price for a 1/2 scoop so if a full scoop is $15, then 1/2 is $10, and I don't blame them. So I tell my customer this, and most agree, lets do full scoops only, if it's too much then so be it, it will just be thicker.

[mcwlandscaping]

are you guy just talking about going and getting top soil and spreading it in one area and that is it? is this for like a lawn repair job, landscape beds or what? is this usually part of some other service like landscape installs as that would make more sence to me...thanks guys so much

mike

[Travel'n Trees]

I figure dump truck time loading and driving is worth something. I figure I have a hour to a hour and a half by the time driving is included.

[LawnScenes]

Topsoil + labor + equipment use fees to handle it = how much I charge.

[cedarcroft]

we get between $65-75 installed, more if its a small amount (1-3 yards). this is including delivery, labor etc. I pay anywhere from $19-26 per yard. I can get cheap crappy topsoil for $10 a yard, but its usually very sandy, rocky or mixed with a high concentration of fine crushed concrete. JUNK. Your best bet is to ask around and see what other folks in your area are charging. this will determine what your market price is. if that price is enough to cover your costs and make a decent profit, than that is what you should charge.

[Mike33]

Jed, By now of all of these posts that everyone was willing to share with you, i think you should be quite educated on the top soil business.
Mike

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

Yes I am now a scholar of what to charge for top-soil. Thank you guys so much for your help! I really appreciate it!:usflag: :) :waving:

[Liquidfast]

he asked how much do you charge the customer... if he asking a basic topsoil question dont u think he is new in the business

you could have gave a more helpful response with a lot less effort

Actually, the response by lwcmattlifter is by far the most HELPFUL of all. Lets say we all on lawnsite offer $400 as O U R rates and he quotes the customer this amount and NEVER lands a job...........how have WE helped?

cost + delivery + labour is a GREAT example.

Cost $35 per cy
Delivery (I charge just under the garden centres rates $90)
Labour to install said cy = $40

Total = $165

I make nothing of the soil, I make $90 (less gas) for delivery and $40 for installation. My grand total at the end of the day = $110 +/-$5.

[sheshovel]

I'll let you figure it out
cost of materials +
delivery fee+
labor=

how much you should charge the customer

Easy enough, right?

Wrong answer..must not be that easy for you huh?
You forgot to mark-up your material.

[rudy1206]

My company just bought 22000 cy, of wonderful black topsoil. No rocks just great midwestern topsoil.
We have been selling it for $30.00 a cy, plus a delivery charge depending on howfar we have to go. It's selling like crazy. The owner expects to make a pretty good profit on this.
Anyone in the central Illinois area need some black gold, let me know, maybe we can work out a deal.