Non-Profit lawn aerations... I think I will scream!!

[KirbysLawn]

Well, it's starting, ads are in the local papers for aeration, I must share this with ya'll. I had the ad and was going to post it but I lost the paper that it was in, I will try to get another, here's the scoop.

A local LCO has a 1/4 page ad in the community paper, the ad gives great info about what aeration is and has a nice photo of a pulled plug, the ad then reads as follows:


Lawn Aeration charges as follows for 1/4 acre lawn:

Aeration $50
Fertilizing $40
Overseeding $50
ALL THREE SERVICES FOR $119.00!!



I wonder how this guy does his math? If the lawn which is app. 11,000 sf, is overseeded at 8 pound per 1000sf and gets starter fertilizer, his COST is over $100.00 and he's charging $120.00!!! IF he pays taxes how is he making any money at all? He is charging $10.81 per k to aerate/fertilize/overseed, what a bunch of crap!! I hope to find the ad again, I plan on giving him a call and have a brief math class.

This sucks....:angry:

[Lawn DOG]

You get what you pay for. That does suck. I better not see that $*%# in my town. Those people are idiots. They make legit businesses look bad.

[Sammy]

Did the ad say he would be useing 8 lbs. on 1000 sq. ft. ?
Or how much fert. ? :confused:

[KirbysLawn]

Sammy, the ad did not state the amounts. It really does not matter, if you apply the proper amount of starter fertilizer you will use almost one bag, and if you seed at a decent rate you will use 80-90 pounds of seed. Anything less will be a POS job and make the customer think that should be the going rate.

He may be using a pound of each I don't know, I do know he is aerating 1/4 acre for $50.00, that's around $4.30 per 1000sf, again, what a bunch of crap.

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by KirbysLawn
, I do know he is aerating 1/4 acre for $50.00, that's around $4.30 per 1000sf, again, what a bunch of crap.

So what is the problem. My kees power pluger does 20k per hour.

That's $100 per hour the last time I looked. My aerator was $500 bought used. That is less than $2/hr equipment cost.

So if you pay yourself $30 take another $10 for all overhead you have just made a 60% gross profit margin.

Are there any MBAs it the house?

[Lawn DOG]

Hey Stone, Your real good with math but sounds like you think chump change is alot of money. Maybe if you live in a tent. You might want to rethink what you are charging so you can make some real money.
I never understand why anybody wants to be known as the cheapest guy in town. We have gone out of our way to be known as the highest guy in town. So now only people with money call us and we make alot of money. Always hate to see people doing sub-standard work and trying to pass it off as what the pro's do. Of course, they never really ever go anywhere. Just work alot.

[Guido]

Its one thing when you may be doing large area's, but I know what Ray is getting at.

You never saw much of the scrubs getting invovled with hydroseeding, de-thatching, aeration, etc, but now they're moving in fast.

Maybe they'll learn, I hope, for all of our sakes!

[Got Grass?]

Does he state what kinda of see he is using? Weed seed? Leso is selling a mixed blend seed at $1 lb. He must be going light or getting real nice deals.

[bubble boy]

hate to say it but the aeration and fert price, converted to canadian, would be high for my area.

the overseeding does seem ridiculous though

[mowerman90]

Ray,

I can FEEL the fustration in your post. Just be glad you're in NC and not here in Central FL. We see that type of stuff all the time.

[thelawnguy]

Why would you want to overseed an established lawn at 8 per? You overseed at half the rate, not double, for established lawns!!!

[KirbysLawn]

Most of the non irrigated lawns around here are no longer established, they are fried and brown. I was giving an example of what he should be doing considering the conditions.

Ok, lets say he overseeds at 4 pounds per 1000, he still is going to have $60 in supplies, throw in labor, gas, and taxes and again not much left.

Stone, $100 an hour, really? What about loading and unloading, travel travel time, fuel, and taxes? I would also like to see your Kees Power Pluger bounce over the top of our dry clay, it would be entertaining.

Ray

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by KirbysLawn

Stone, $100 an hour, really? What about loading and unloading, travel travel time, fuel, and taxes? I would also like to see your Kees Power Pluger bounce over the top of our dry clay, it would be entertaining.

Ray

What don't you understand Ray? If you aerate with a tiny little 20" wide aerator for a .5 hour you will do around 11k sq ft.

That is $50 per half hour. If this is not enough for your needs you might what to review your equipment choice cost ratio.

In fact if you would make that job an even $250 I will power rake AND remove the thatch from the site and roll the lawn (if fairly level) for better seed contact.

I can do all that in about 1 1/2-2 hours myself. I would be lucky to use $25 in materials.

[Got Grass?]

Please let me know where you are getting your Fert. & Seed and how much are you paying?

[KirbysLawn]

Ok Stone, I'm sure you would do a great job with $25 worth of seed and fertilizer on an 11k lawn, I'm not debating this with you. If you support people doing lawns for $10 per K for everything great, maybe they will all move to your area. As for here it's crazy and a total waste of the customers money.

[lawrence stone]

I get about $23/1k for my renovation services on a small scale.

If the lawns are cooked in your area what happens to the dead grass? Does not fesuce need to be dethatched to remove all the dead stuff?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Alright Kirby

That's what I was charging like 7 years ago. Till I found out what I was doing with it. Material cost was more than what I was charging for the whole job. Then I used less material and found nothing more than lousy results. But at least they where aerated.

Don't worry bud he wont be around long. Or it's a scam like the mowing for $30 a month all lawns. But hey they say once you get in the door you can sell them anything.

LGF :blob1:

[Loosestrife]

You can make numbers say anything that you want.

Lets say that this fellow could do 12 of these jobs in a day, with one low dollar/hour helper.

12 jobs x $120ea. = $1440 Gross/day
132,000 square feet x 3# seed/square foot= 400# seed.

8 bags 3 way perrenial rye mix@$65 ea = $520
Cheepie starter fert @ $1/1000 sf. = $132

Day labor= $100

Gross: $1440
less:
Seed: $520
Fert: $132
Labor: $100

Net: $688

If this can be completed in 8 hours, that comes out to about $85/hour.

What we all need to remember is to compare apples to apples. Kirby's example included premium products, at high rates. The job can be done with less expensive products at lower rates, but, will the result be the same???

The bottom line is:

Know YOUR costs, and what you need to charge to make a buck, and do not worry about what others are charging in other parts of the country.

[crazygator]

I have to agree with Stone and Loosestrife. If you KNOW YOUR bottom line, then where is the problem. I might can do the same as Stone, but you can't. Different states, different account lifestyles, etc all add to how much you can get. Do YOUR math and where your bottomline will tell you how much you can stand. But also remember, we will never weed out the scrub. But if we take care of OUR customers then it wont affect us as bad.

[ant]

i feel for you ray. the same out here .one guy was charging 37.00 to cut 44,000 sf and bagging the front. while my friends were 55.00 .
about 6 contractors that i know of over a few weeks time confronted him and ripped into him...
keep us posted and i would visit him.
ant