How many of you time yourselves?

[AltaLawnCare]

I just bought a stop watch (see my post in Off Topic Forum). I timed a job today that I bid at 2 hours - It took me 1 hr and 37 minutes to actually cut it. ;)

I leave the SW in the truck, punch it when I get out and again when I'm finished and get back in the truck to leave.

I'm going to try to use it to estimate gas usage per job also.

[LoneStarLawn]

I think we look at the clock in the truck when we get out and then when we enter. We just get a rough idea of how long it takes us. I think next year we will definitely look at the time more accurately.

We also want to look at the time spent each day. Add the hours up for the year worked and look at expenses and profit margin that we want. This will give us an accurate look at what is needed per hour to achieve our goals for next year so we can make any adjustments that are needed.

[Ssouth]

Alta, I time myself once a month on each job. I don't have a stopwatch but my trusty Timex works just fine. (Stopwatch is great idea). I do just as you do except I look at my watch when I pull up and when I'm leaving. I do this monthly to achieve an average for the cutting year which can be used for bidding properties that are similar.

[kris]

yes, every job, every day. ....written on a worksheet... code for travel, code for regular maintenance. End of the year this can be used for more accurate bidding and to help sort out the "not so good contracts".

[Butchs Lawn]

I do excatly what KRIS does it much easier to bid other jobs of the same size if you keep track daily.also keeps track of workers producity.see if there not slacking off to much.

[Jerrys Lawn Service]

Bill, listen to what they are telling you about logging times and dates, because times can change greatly depending on the season! Always try place your bids on what the job will take you in heavy spring growth, that way by the time summer hits
you'll be blowing that time out of the water, also
don't use the time to compete aginst your self, in that you won't be doing the quality job that your clients deserve. Try to use it as a tool to stay on track through out the day and to help with you ajust your bids if needed.
Jerry

[casey]

I time our jobs down to the minute. All small res. props.
10 min lawn $21-12 min. lawn $25-15 min lawn $29-18 min. lawn $33. No drive time less $1 or $2. This usually works out to $105 to $110 per hr. since we end up with multiple lawns on each street.

[Hardy Enterprises]

Definitely

I think Kris said best

[Just Cut]

Yes, I do on every lawn

[GreenQuest Lawn]

Like some of the others every lawn every time. This helps at the end of the year, I add up all the times to get the average so i know if the price needs to be raised.

I just write it on their mowing card when I stop and write the time out when i get back in the truck.

[65hoss]

I check times about once every few weeks. I'm not too concerned with time very often. I make sure we are on target. We are down to about 6 hours days now that I have the "new" guy trained.

[whitleys]

We record start / stop times on every lawn. At end of day, I post this information on Access data base. At end of week I use this information to pay my kids (mowing team) and at the end of the month it's used to bill customers. From time to time I query the data base and review the average time to mow specific lawns. Helps me determine $ produced per hour and fine tune the bid process on like properties.

[awm]

i keep a record of date and any specifics of cut. occasionlly
ill run a check on time taken to do each job.
by the way the time i watch more closely is the 20 -40 yrs
i got left on this earth,and how best to get the most out of each day. i know it could be tomorrow.:)

[HOMER]

I have done it in the past but have really been checking it this month with the stop watch. I log it down and at the end of the month will make a chart. It's going to be a useful tool and one that I can compare my fall time to as well to see how much the time differs when the leaves begin to fall pretty heavy. My $1.00 a minute goal has been met so far with every yard, most of the time I've beat it by a few minutes........especially on the lawns side by side. I don't race against the clock so my quality isn't affected by it. All the ones I did yesterday were right by myself and I averaged around 30 minutes per lawn and most of these were priced at $35.00 per cut...........makes me feel a little better knowing my estimating skills are on track. I did one the other day that I had estimated at $45.00 and it took me 44 minutes..........pretty close huh. I will continue this trend throughout the year so I will have accurate numbers to really compare my times to...........I'm having fun with it.

[TGCummings]

I log time in and time out on every job, keep a daily spreadsheet and an individual spreadsheet for each customer. I started doing this a year ago when I first discovered lawnsite and became aware of the possible returns I was missing out on. Before I started doing this, my business was a mess. I knew approximately what I was doing, but had no real idea of the job costing before I began this process.

Like most scrubs in my area, my average rates were around $20/hour a year ago (in other words, I was working for free or right around minimum wage, after costs. :( ). This process helped me tag the properties I was losing money on and I began the process of raising prices, starting at the very bottom. At the time, my actual rates ranged from around $12/hour on some accounts to upwards of $90/hour. By targeting what I needed to improve, I've fixed my business income. My average rate, in just over a year, has doubled to app. $40/hour (finally making money!). I'm not finished, and every month I know which customers are due an increase right now. My rates continue to improve, my business continues to improve, and my knowledge of my business gets better each week.

Before lawnsite, I was the worst of the worst simply because I didn't know any better. I've upgraded every detail of my business and have become the standard for individual LCOs in my town. However, without reluctance, I would say that the single most important thing I've done to improve my business was track time.

It's an eye-opener.

-TGC

[AltaLawnCare]

Yes, my next step is to make a log to fill in per job, now I jot it on my schedule sheet under the name of the job. I'm going to also time the maintenance on the mowers, and weekly book keeping.
I can average that time over the number of jobs I do.

[GroundKprs]

1980 - Write all times, start/finish, on log sheet. Then spend 2-3 weeks in winter calculating times for all jobs on each property.

1990 - Computerized now, spent an 1/2 hour each week typing logs into computer. Review reports of times during winter.

1996 - Really computerized now. Notebook mounted in truck is used to log in and log out on all jobs. Transferred to desktop for billing.

And I am still timing jobs that have been clients for 20 years. How else will I know that I'm getting too old and slowing down. (also helps to modify pricing if landscape is modified.)

Do you know that it takes 2 minutes longer for two people to mow a property than it takes one of them alone? Whether it is a 2 hour job or a 20 minute job, the 2 hr job will take 1 hr, 1 min, & the 20 min job will take 11 min.

[LoneStarLawn]

Originally posted by GroundKprs
Do you know that it takes 2 minutes longer for two people to mow a property than it takes one of them alone? Whether it is a 2 hour job or a 20 minute job, the 2 hr job will take 1 hr, 1 min, & the 20 min job will take 11 min.

I think I know what you are trying to say, but that statement is very baffling when presented that way...It takes 2 minutes longer for two people to mow a property than it takes one of them alone.

I guess what you are trying to say is that the job of two people should split the time it takes one person in half....or the job of one person should double the time it takes two people to do, but it doesn't work that way by your examples.

[geogunn]

but since I am getting older, the results are very depressing.

if any of you young pups want to know the advantages (?) of getting older just PM me and I'll share my OTJ experience!

GEO

[cos]

Alan,

I thought you don't have to worry calculating the time? Don't you have lawn monkey? That usually tells you whether you are making money or not.

I look at the clock in the truck also and just get a rough idea of how long it takes and where I can improve.

[LoneStarLawn]

Originally posted by cos
Alan,

I thought you don't have to worry calculating the time? Don't you have lawn monkey? That usually tells you whether you are making money or not.

I look at the clock in the truck also and just get a rough idea of how long it takes and where I can improve.

Your right, but you still have to put in the numbers for estimated time and actual time. I just got it in the middle of the season, so I will start doing that next season.

Our biggest drawback on time is travelling. Since we are a fairly new company (2 1/2 years) are travel times between some places are rather far. Our estimated time on each property is accurate but that driving time is eating it away. We will have to work on the routes next year.

[kris]

Allan,

I agree that windshield time is the killer in this racket. We too are only in the second year for maintenance division so some propertys are spread out...good thing is that we are now spread from one end of the city to the other. Just have to fill in the blanks now!
Our best day is probably Mondays because we have 8 commercial propertys(in the morning) in a 3 block area..in fact...you only have to move the truck once. The afternoon is much the same..

What I find is the real killer, is the "every 10 day" cuts..First and last year for those!

[Randy]

I don't use a stop watch.But I do look at my watch. So I have some idea what time it takes me. I am most of the time pretty close. It's go to know the time it takes of corse. Randy :eek:

[GLM]

I look at the time getting out of the truck and than again geting back in again every minute counts!

[dj'slawnservice]

I started a daily time sheet this year. Enter the time I arrive at property and the departure time, also enter all work that was performed, what equipment was used, any downtime, and now I'm entering temps after realizing that our hot and humid summers definetely effect productivity. I also log how much time I spend for lunh and any extra stops for the day. Some days I do wind up having to run to the dealer for parts, or to the nursery for something.....last week I had to go and pick up extra bedding plants to replace some that had expired . Working on ways to avoid these extra stops, but don't think I'll ever be able to eliminate all of them.

[Turfdude]

Hey guys,

Always record sart/stop times when ding snow removal! Ths is verycriticaland may come into play (hopefully in your favor) if ever there is a lawsuit. We fortunately have nver had one and hope not to,but always record times at property, as well as any/all conversations w/ management regarding ice meting, conditions, etc.

For regular maintenance all times should also be recorde as it gives you a better idea as to where you are making th best moey, and where you may have to bid more. It also lets yu see how much time is lost intavel, how much time is really spent on breaks ad lunch, etc..

[Green Care]

I time myself all the time.

[Henry]

What about 5 lawns next to each other. Do you average it or do you actually complete each one before going to the next?

[cantoo]

How many know how much time they spend here online? Maybe Chuck can post the "winner's" name every month. Might even lead to an
ADDICTED TO LAWNSITE.COM tee shirt
The 50 hour club
The 75 hour club
The 100 hour club
The how do you get anything done 125 hour club.

[TGCummings]

Hey Henry,

I figure the total time for the stop, and the total amount made, no matter how many are there. ;)

[PaulJ]

I write down start-stop times for every job. I'm finding out the accounts I took over were way low on pricing. So now with my time records I have an idea of how much I want to raise for next year. I want to get to $30/mh w/36" WB. i don't know of anyone in this area getting more than $40/mh and thats w/ZTRs. I dont want to raise the prices to much at once but I will be pricing new accounts higher.

For cleanups I give them the average mowing time at the mowing price then the extra time is the higher rate. Does this sound reasonable?

[GroundKprs]

Henry, take the time to time them separately two or three times during the season. Then you know for sure how to charge each one. Only place I would not do this is with a condo or other type property with multiple units, where you have the contract for the whole complex.

In the past I have even timed the different parts of a single property: blow before, mow front, mow back, mow side, trim, blow after; did this in order to be able to assign a crew to the job most efficiently.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

We use the clock in the trucks to WRITE DOWN the time on every job. It goes on the route sheets.

Also I use the hour meters on the mowers to check times too. (oly get a ball park) At the start and end of the day they are to write it down too.

If they worked 40 hours a week and the mowers show 50 then obviously there is something wrong.