Need help on mulch pricing

[coachmoneil]

Help, new in the buisness. Customers want me to spread mulch for them. How much should I charge? By the hour, yards of mulch?
Thanks

[Ric3077]

I do cost plus $67/yard installed...so my cost is $18/yard so I charge $85/yard installed...if they get less than 3 yards I tack on $35 for delivery because otherwise the job isn't really worth it.

[o-so-n-so]

I charge cost of mulch + $10.00 per yard to deliver + $30.00 per yard to install.

you need to do the measuring to make sure you have enough....:waving:

[topsites]

I'll put it this way: If I needed the work, I'd probably do it.

But, if you can spare yourself and be honest, this may not be the best time of year for it...
Because when the leaves fall on top of it soon need to be cleaned, usually messing up the mulch.

Now if there aren't any trees around or all the leaves are down and out of the way, no problem.

Just my .002, not trying to spoil the party, entirely up to you what you do.

[Dogbonz]

I pay 25 for red and 20 for brown,, I charge 60 for brown and 65 for red delivered and installed, I have an easy loader for the back of my truck. I can crank out 80% of the load in 2 minutes.:laugh:
I had an old gal call last month,, she got the bags of mulch from the gas station, for a buck a bag. {end of season price} I charged her $1.60 to install each bag. they were 1.5 yard bags. and stacked in her driveway.

[TNT LawnCare Inc.]

Most charge by the yard,we charge $75.00 to install 1 yd. of mulch and a25.00 delivery fee.

[LB1234]

[QUOTE=topsites]But, if you can spare yourself and be honest, this may not be the best time of year for it...
Because when the leaves fall on top of it soon need to be cleaned, usually messing up the mulch.

[QUOTE]

Actually, its the best time of year for mulch. You insulate the roots from frost (of course if you work in an area with frost, snow, etc.).

[LB1234]

Help, new in the buisness. Customers want me to spread mulch for them. How much should I charge? By the hour, yards of mulch?
Thanks

Sounds to me as if the customer already has the mulch and you are hired to spread it. I would try and avoid that, if possible. Explain to them you can get the mulch and spread it for them. But that is another conversation.

As for what you should charge, it depends what you need to generate to make a profit. The way I estimate is the following:

1. Calculate square footage of landscape beds.
2. Calculate material needed by desired thickness of mulch.
3. I assume it takes one man one hour to spread one yard of mulch. Therefore I charge $40 to distribute one yard of mulch.
4. I take the materials cost and multiple it by 1.5 to generate a materials cost (We have a minimum of 5 yds otherwise I tack on a delivery charge)
5. Total and there's the price.

Now, we've been doing this for years so I don't go through all that anymore I have a chart that I look up which has the price of all the mulchs. We're at $55/yd for hardwood mulch...delivered and installed. We charge an additional $0.50 per lineal foot for any edging and an additional $35/yd for any weeding that is required.

For our company it is one of our most profitable services we offer.

[Tim Wright]

I charge double the cost, for install and $45.00 per hour transport fee.

Tim

[PMLAWN]

I start at $60 a yard. Thats for double ground hardwood.

[BeautifulBlooms]

Why is your markup on red different than brown?

I pay 25 for red and 20 for brown,, I charge 60 for brown and 65 for red delivered and installed, I have an easy loader for the back of my truck. I can crank out 80% of the load in 2 minutes

Red 25 cost $65 installed (2.6 x cost)
Brown 20 cost $60 installed (3 x cost)

[fiveoboy01]

Why is your markup on red different than brown?

I pay 25 for red and 20 for brown,, I charge 60 for brown and 65 for red delivered and installed, I have an easy loader for the back of my truck. I can crank out 80% of the load in 2 minutes

Red 25 cost $65 installed (2.6 x cost)
Brown 20 cost $60 installed (3 x cost)

Because his cost is more on the red, hence less markup to make the desired $ over cost. At least that's what I get out of it.

He's still making the same amount over cost on each type(40.00/yd).

[BeautifulBlooms]

yeah i wasnt looking at it right, i even messed myself up in asking the question so please disregard.

[fiveoboy01]

yeah i wasnt looking at it right, i even messed myself up in asking the question so please disregard.

Put the corona down:)

[ferdinand711]

Help, new in the buisness. Customers want me to spread mulch for them. How much should I charge? By the hour, yards of mulch?
Thanks


I put 20% mark up on the price of the mulch, plus delivery charge and $30.00 per yard on labor.

[indy2tall]

I'll put it this way: If I needed the work, I'd probably do it.

But, if you can spare yourself and be honest, this may not be the best time of year for it...
Because when the leaves fall on top of it soon need to be cleaned, usually messing up the mulch.

Now if there aren't any trees around or all the leaves are down and out of the way, no problem.

Just my .002, not trying to spoil the party, entirely up to you what you do.

topsites, the guy is Florida south of Orlando in the land of year round bikinis. Stuff stays green there all year long. I don't think he is concerned with leaves.

[coachmoneil]

Thanks to everyone who responded

[JRS Landscaping]

i do double the cost of mulch+ $60 for laber per yard

so say it costs me $20 for the mulch its $100 per yard delivered and installed

[LawnBrother]

I charge $100 per yard installed. I pay about $18/yd. If I deliver it myself I include my drive time in the quote, if I have it delivered I add the delivery charge to the quote. I can usually put down a yard of mulch by myself in 45 min to an hour for normal terrain. I like mulch jobs $$$ :)

[kmann]

Help, new in the buisness. Customers want me to spread mulch for them. How much should I charge? By the hour, yards of mulch?
Thanks
Nurseries in this area charge 30.00 per yard. Delivered and installed and don't think customers don't know it. The only reason some of them ask for a price is because there is usually a waiting list and they are in a hurry to get it done.

[dekalb lawn man]

Wow 30 a yard installed, that place must not make any money at all. Even if i bought mulch in bulk (10+ yards) to save a little money at 23 per yard average thats only a profit of 7 bucks and i dont know of any body around here that works for that kinda moneyNurseries in this area charge 30.00 per yard. Delivered and installed and don't think customers don't know it. The only reason some of them ask for a price is because there is usually a waiting list and they are in a hurry to get it done.

[MartinsMowing]

how do you calculate the ammount of mulc needed for the job..measure square footage but then how do you add in the depth?

[kmann]

Wow 30 a yard installed, that place must not make any money at all. Even if i bought mulch in bulk (10+ yards) to save a little money at 23 per yard average thats only a profit of 7 bucks and i dont know of any body around here that works for that kinda money
Thing is, they by it by the truckload, so they probably don't pay more than $13.00 or less per yard. Use a couple "Temporary Guest Workers" to put it down and they make out okay.

[HOOLIE]

how do you calculate the ammount of mulc needed for the job..measure square footage but then how do you add in the depth?

Say for instance you are laying it down at a depth of 3 inches...3" equals 0.25 feet. Just multiply the square footage by the depth in feet.

I use 150 sqft per yard as a benchmark...

[Tim Smith]

Wow that's a ton of money per yard of mulch. We charge 47.50 per yard installed we pay 31.50 to have it blown in. We make 16.00 a yard for a phone call but we are talking 2-3 thousand yards of mulch 2 times per year.
Posted via Mobile Device

[darryl gesner]

I only install natural premium wood mulches - Cedar, Hemlock and Pine bark mulches. I have in the past installed hardwood mulch from a local tree service on some large beds in a back yard.

I will not install processed dyed mulch products that are made from "recycled" material. The stuff is toxic crap! The problem is that most of it is derived from construction and deomoltiion debris that contains pressure treated wood. Spreading large amounts of material contaminated with heavy metals (chromium, copper and arsenic) is not something I am going to do. Until they better regulate what goes into these mulches you will not see me spreading them. The only exception would be something like dyed natural cedar if the customer really wanted red mulch.

My pricing is in the range of $85 to $100/yard installed with light to moderate weeding and edging.

[Ijustwantausername]

I do cost plus $67/yard installed...so my cost is $18/yard so I charge $85/yard installed...if they get less than 3 yards I tack on $35 for delivery because otherwise the job isn't really worth it.

Good gosh, I wish I could do that here. I thought my flat rate of $80/yard was high. Good for you, bad for customer. Keep it up though

[tnwildcat]

I am very careful on mulch estimates. No two houses are the same. How far do you have to transport the mulch? Are shrubs packed tight together? Can you dump and spread or are you on your hands and knees to get the job done correctly. Also charge extra to pull weeds and prep beds-edging. If you entire business is based on price there is always a non insured hack out there do to it for less. Price where you will make money taking your time to do a great job. Happy customers call again price shoppers call everyone.