can I make money just digging holes?

[BCF]

Well I'm getting a mini skid loader next week, and I've been thinking about trying to go a new way with the business. I was thinking about marketing just digging holes. I know this works in other parts of the US and Canada, so why not here? I'm just curious if you deck builders all would/are using this service, and what kind of pricing there is. I'm in SE PA, and was thinking about $10/hole( fence hole), with a $200 min. I figure my main customers would be deck builders and DIYs. I can't think of the best category in the phone book to advertise under. Any thougths, advice, or criticism welcome.

[mjohnson1]

when i was building a fence for my goats i sure as hell would have paid someone to dig those post holes with an auger, and i only fenced about 1 acre. 3 corner posts, 4 gate posts, and 5 for the shed= me worn out. :weightlifter: i think i would have paid 10 a hole but the 200 min would scare me off.

[AintNoFun]

not to kill your idea my thoughts would be for a $200 min. someone could almost rent their own mini skid with auger. just a thought to keep in mind.

[General Landscaping]

Rent a dingo for 170/day here..... with all the stuff on 1 trailer.
Plus you have it the rest of the day to move materials.

[sildoc]

I get charged 3-5 a hole here. Min of 75. I can tell you I use him every miniute I can. I put in 35 plants last week and it took me only 3 hours after he dug holes for me. Make really good money using him. I don't think the 200 min is going to get a homeowner to use you much.
Some ideas along with post holes is excavation @ 75-100 per hour.

[cet]

One guy here is $10/hole with a 10 hole minimum and the other guy is $165 minimum. There are a few others but these guys are busy full time.

[olderthandirt]

grave diggers make money digging holes. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:








I always charged $10 a hole when I was working near someone who wanted some drilled.

[dvmcmrhp52]

Didn't your momma ever tell you to do something with your life?
Didn't she ever explain the horrors of growing up and being nothing but a ditch digger?:usflag:


But seriously........
Ain't America a great place?
You CAN earn a living digging ditches these days..............

[Birdhunter1]

No kidding, you can make a better living digging ditches than you can alot of other things these days.

[BCF]

THanks for the replies guys. The minumum pricing has me stumped. While I know there is some point where homeowners would be willing to pay a few extra $$ to rent a machine, I don't think it would be worth my time to trailer a $20,000 machine across for $50. If it was an everyday scheduled thing like mowing, sure, but people don't dig holes in their yards every week. I still deciding on the utility marking and liabilty. Could charge more if I assumed liabilty for geting lines marked, but I don't think most homeowners even think about checking for underground lines, let alone pay for that safety.

Maybe gearing towards commercial planting is the way to go. I like that I can get an abumdance of attachments for this machine, which can further it's money making possibilites, but it's still not a full sized skid loader.

My big fear is that since the digging here isn't alwyas horrible, that there will be no place for this to work. Maybe I need to move around a mountain.:hammerhead:

[olderthandirt]

Hook up with some Deck builders in your area, they should be able to keep you busy. They mark the holes and you drill them when they come in to build the deck one of the hardest most time consuming part is finished.

[LONEMAN]

Matt, I am located in Worcester. Any chance we could swamp cards? I'm just getting started with lawns (again) so maybe we could refer each other?