How to Price A Private Pool

[Harris Bothers]

We are a start up Company trying to price a local private pool that is located on 1.5 to 2 acres of land. The Pool/Fitness club contains: 2 sand beach volleyball courts, large play area, 2 tennis courts, 2 basketball courts and two large pools. Lots of trimming is needed. The owners of the club do not want grass in the pool,courts, play ground, sand etc. We're not sure how to price this. We want to do it weekly. Could someone please give us a range that we should ask for?

Matt Harris, Harris Brothers Lawn Care

[Charles]

Run for your life!! LOL. Round up is the only way I know of to trim a pool if you dont want clippings in the pool or anything else for the matter. I have a couple of jobs with pools and stuff always flies in the pool when weedeating. Unless of course there is a very aide stretch between the edge and the pool. On the other question you need to measure the weedeating feet and the ground area and then ask the question.

[CSRA Landscaping]

My lovely wife had a great idea! (She's also sitting right here ;) )
Take a large tarp or piece of plastic, lay it over the pool, weigh it down, do your business, roll it off, and you're good to go.

[Fantasy Lawns]

on open pools (with no screening) we run a guy with a blower to help the guy weed wacking ....by blowing against the clipping .....some still get thru ....but is much cleaner

on the bidding ......if you had a job to do and you knew it will take you .....so many minutes to do this part of job .....so many to do that one etc....added em up and charge by your hourly rate ....

when bidding ....bid with what you have ....if you have 36's or 42's it will take more time than with a 60" .... either way bidding is NO science ....there will be mistakes ....trick is to learn by em ....good luck ;->

[Charles]

What if it is an olympic size pool?

[CSRA Landscaping]

:eek: :( :eek:

[lawnboy82]

i would say that if there is a pathway of some form between the grass and the pool, use a push mower if that will work. if not what you are gonna have to do is trim with the string trimmer, and purchase a pool cleaner thing. before you start trimming have another crew member grab the pool cleaner and have him follow right behind you skimming the grass from the pool.

[WILSON BROS.]

Have encountered much of the same problems on some of our accounts. All of it takes time and a little more effort our our part, so we charge accordingly. When the duties increase so does the price. Bagging and a pool skimmer seem to work the best for us.

[HOMER]

Funny thing them pools..............seems like the wind always blows the wrong way. When trimming the grass be sure that the debris is being kicked back into the grass not on the concrete, use the other brother to do the blower thing. You'll always get something in it no matter how hard you try.

As for pricing..............live and learn...........I'm still paying for my education!:(

[65hoss]

some how, some way, your going to get burned on this.

[Remsen1]

Bag or discharge away from the pool. I don't do any properties with pool except my own, but I have never had a problem with clippings by blowing away and bagging for a couple laps would be one step better. Also discharging away from the pool allows you to get closer to the fence. A few grass clippings will not hurt the pool water, but if you spray the grass right into it, the water will turn green (but who would do that anyway?) Tell them you can't guarantee no clippings, but you will take precautions. Mow the pool early in the morning so A.) nobody is there, B.) the grass is wet and won't blow back as easily.

Use roundup if the fence is a chain link, which sounds like it is or you wouldn't be worrying about clippings.

P.s. the walway between our pool and yard is only about 3' and I have never had a problem.

[1stclasslawns]

Have you thought about mulching?
That is what I do around the pools I have on my properties.

Then a few minuts with the skimmer net No problems. And one of them is the most unhappy person in the world

Jim