Mowing Ground Cover

[Chuck Sinclair]

Hello,

I have an 72 unit apartment complex that wants all the ivy mowed down and I'm not sure what to charge here's what I have

15,500 square feet
30% is on a hill
25% is on a terraced retaining wall area 3 levels (Will have to lift the mower up there)
100% has the following bushes, trees, sprinklers, cans, bottles and trash in it.

I will be renting the equipment to do it cuz I not going to tear my equipment up.

Any idea or suggestions?

Chuck

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Figure a price for the sq/ft you already have.

Get a cheap push mower and your set.

We use a weed eater to trim back ivy.

$2 per a 1000 sq/ft sounds like a very fair price.

Unless they want you to clean up the trash also.

[fshrdan]

$2/1000 sq. ft.? Well, they probably wouldn't turn that $31 bid down.

$500 is more like it. Probably more. So you've got all these hazards, and then you have to watch out for irrigation heads, too? Sound's like a real pain in the butt. It sounds like you've got a good idea... renting equipment.

I know people don't like this on here, but I'd do T&M, with a rough estimate on time. There might be hidden cinder blocks and all kinds of stuff in there. Might be a good job for a bush hog or sickle bar mower... and a couple day laborers:(

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Correction $20 per 1000 sq/ft.

Just to trim the Ivy down won't take that long.

Most time will be spent cleaning up.

A weed eater with .105 string, 2 guys, and a blower 3 hours tops.

I use .095 and don't go through it very fast.

I do one place 4-5 times a year at half that sq/ft.

Takes aprox. 15 min. with 2 guys, = 1/2 hour $50, but no clean up.

[HOMER]

Good luck!;)

I'm just glad it's you and not me.

After it's done it might be a good time to put a PGR on it.

[gusbuster]

Chuck,
You know my area, so what kind of slope you're talking about. There aren't hills in Sac. Just kidding.

I help my uncle do a couple apartment complexes(run the equipment) doing what you describe. Some of them we use a bushhog type mower, some of them, not to screw around lifting machines on the slopes, we put on metal blades(star blades) on our shins and husq. Just depends if you hit any big stalks on ivy.

Do you have to pick up clippings afterwards? mulching machine to go, if using weed eater type machine, use it with metal blade. Cuts instead of tearing.

How much you need to cut down?? 1' or 6" ect...

John

[Chuck Sinclair]

John,

Some spots are knee deep to me and it needs to come down to 6" i'm lening towards a cyclebar mower, this stuff has not been touched in the last 15 years so it's pretty big vines.
I hadent thought about the blade on my weedeater (i ran honda 4 stroke) thats a idea
The slope is 6 feet in twenty feet this place was built by a creek so everything is built up.

I'm thinking about $650.00 and a couple temp employees with all the clean up and stuff i need to do