How to price residential?

[TheDrivewayDoctor]

Hi guys,

I have a few of my snow removal customers asking me to do their landscaping too because they were/are unhappy with the guy they had.

I have done landscaping for several years working for someone else but I have no idea how to quote. The prices I am being told here seem to be about $100 per month cut once per week. Does that generally include lawn cutting and edging with a weed eater? $25 per cut just seems really low to me but I don't have any experience in the pricing side of it.

I'm considering doing the landscaping one day per week and my asphalt sealing the remaining 6 days per week.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[Tuna3679]

A lawn you can edge,mow,trim,blow in an hour is about 60-75 dollars depending of course on the going rate in your area...roughly a dollar a minute but a forty-five dollar minimum if it ain't worth $45 it ain't worth doin' otherwise you get bogged down with a bunch of lawns it takes longer to drive to than to actually do...just my opinion I could be wrong :)

[TheDrivewayDoctor]

A lawn you can edge,mow,trim,blow in an hour is about 60-75 dollars depending of course on the going rate in your area...roughly a dollar a minute but a forty-five dollar minimum if it ain't worth $45 it ain't worth doin' otherwise you get bogged down with a bunch of lawns it takes longer to drive to than to actually do...just my opinion I could be wrong :)

Thanks Tuna,

Those prices sound more realistic to me. Man there are a lot of guys here killing the industry. I'm seeing landscaping being offered at only $12 per hour and snow removal being done at $15 per plow. These guys are hurting a lot of people with these prices.

BTW, I see your in florida. I use to work in Boca Raton, FL doing landscaping. Just me and 8 Cubans that couldn't speak English riding around in a dumper. lol Man what fun it was...

[Tuna3679]

Yeah there are a few companies around here that will do lawns for 20 bucks all day long it's insane

[Tyler7692]

That's the problem with this entire industry. WAY too many solo LCOs that are not charging AS IF they had employees. That is why you must 'rise above' and get outta their league. Take on work that they cannot manage due to lack of resources. Play ball with the big boys, not these scrubs. Generally, residential work requires less capability than larger commercial projects as far as maintenance. Landscaping (in the broad term that it is) is another ballgame, when dealing with high-end clientel that demand quality far beyond what these worthless bastards are capable of.

[Green Pastures]

A lawn you can edge,mow,trim,blow in an hour is about 60-75 dollars depending of course on the going rate in your area...roughly a dollar a minute but a forty-five dollar minimum if it ain't worth $45 it ain't worth doin' otherwise you get bogged down with a bunch of lawns it takes longer to drive to than to actually do...just my opinion I could be wrong :)



BASICALLY, I couldn't agree more.

I DO NOT drop my ramp to mow, trim, edge and blow for less than $45. I do not care what size the yard is. Just not interested in selling my time, experience and talent for anything less.

We, well I refuse to be in competition with un-insured, non tax paying, non business license having, non uniform wearing, old equipment having, rusty truck driving, low balling LCO's.

[Roger]

....

We, well I refuse to be in competition with un-insured, non tax paying, non business license having, non uniform wearing, old equipment having, rusty truck driving, low balling LCO's.

Nothing like stereotyping others in the industry ....

[topsites]

I have a few of my snow removal customers asking me to do their landscaping too because they were/are unhappy with the guy they had.

Yeah well I hate to be like this but maybe the $100 a month is the reason why,
on the other hand these folks are offering an opportunity so the best anyone can
do is take on one or two of them until one has gained the experience.

By the way, once a week is too often in summer, every two weeks is not often enough in spring.
Grass grows at various rates, depending on weather, seasonal temperatures, and condition of the turf.
You'll need to re-arrange your schedule throughout the year to accomodate for this.

[TheDrivewayDoctor]

Thanks guys, I have not even decided if I want to do it or not anyways. In my driveway business I average $2000 per day in gross revenue. I was/am only considering it to help out a few of my winter clients and do it on the days I can't sealcoat. Basically make office rent money from it, not a living.

[grass-scapes]

Nothing like stereotyping others in the industry ....

Thats not stereotyping, thats calling out a segment of the industry. Now, it he had said ALL LCO's were like this, then THATS stereotyping.

He refused to be in competition (i.e. stoop to the level of) that particular type of LCO.

I agree with him, I just wish people who want our services thought the same way.

[TheDrivewayDoctor]

I better point this out since its been mentioned... My company is the real deal, decaled trucks, uniforms and commercial insurance ($1 million)

[Roger]

(Webster) stereotype: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern ; especially : a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment
++++++++++

Not having uniforms, a shiny truck, no lettering, etc. does not mean a contractor that is undercutting competition with unreasonable prices. Lumping characteristics into one pot, and labeling them as being unfair competition is not justified.

In my observation, those LCOs with residential mowing customer, having uniforms, shiny trucks, neat lettering, are often the ones who are in business a year, or two, then gone. The customers really don't care about uniforms, shiny trucks and neat lettering - none of which gets better results, nor gives them a price they are willing to pay. Showing up on a regular basis goes much further to keep a customer satisfied. They know that mowing grass requires nothing special in the way of skills, education, training, or even experience. They easily see through the facade of glitz that gives them nothing in return for menial work that most anybody can do.

[grass-scapes]

(Webster) stereotype: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern ; especially : a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment
++++++++++

Not having uniforms, a shiny truck, no lettering, etc. does not mean a contractor that is undercutting competition with unreasonable prices. Lumping characteristics into one pot, and labeling them as being unfair competition is not justified.

In my observation, those LCOs with residential mowing customer, having uniforms, shiny trucks, neat lettering, are often the ones who are in business a year, or two, then gone. The customers really don't care about uniforms, shiny trucks and neat lettering - none of which gets better results, nor gives them a price they are willing to pay. Showing up on a regular basis goes much further to keep a customer satisfied. They know that mowing grass requires nothing special in the way of skills, education, training, or even experience. They easily see through the facade of glitz that gives them nothing in return for menial work that most anybody can do.


and with your definition, you proved my point....Thank you. What he said was NOT a stereotype, because it wasn't the whole group, just a subsection.

[SouthValleyLandscapeMaint]

I agree with all of you on this. There has been an explosion of "landscapers" in my area since the economy has crashed. I have even seen guys in Honda accords and mini vans with a tarp laid out in the trunk. These guys are screwing us over that are running legit companies. They are not paying taxes, insurance or employees. I started bidding lower to compete but then after doing a few jobs like that I decided that I was going to stick with my regular bidding process. If the people were not willing to pay a legit company to do the work then I don't want to do business with them. But then there are the HUGE companies that go and underbid you by thousands on big commercial jobs. They have huge overhead and have to keep as much money coming in as possible. I have always gone by the saying that quality is more important than quantity. Those guys are the exact opposite. I am either bidding against companies that are making over 500k a year or guys that will mow for the same price as a 10 y/o kid.

[NEW CITY LAWN CARE LLC]

I agree with all of you on this. There has been an explosion of "landscapers" in my area since the economy has crashed. I have even seen guys in Honda accords and mini vans with a tarp laid out in the trunk. These guys are screwing us over that are running legit companies. They are not paying taxes, insurance or employees. I started bidding lower to compete but then after doing a few jobs like that I decided that I was going to stick with my regular bidding process. If the people were not willing to pay a legit company to do the work then I don't want to do business with them. But then there are the HUGE companies that go and underbid you by thousands on big commercial jobs. They have huge overhead and have to keep as much money coming in as possible. I have always gone by the saying that quality is more important than quantity. Those guys are the exact opposite. I am either bidding against companies that are making over 500k a year or guys that will mow for the same price as a 10 y/o kid.

I just realized your from my area as well, and I agree with you, there has been an influx in so called landscape maint. companies over the past year. I can't say I've been having the same problem as you, mine has been bidding against the larger companies and they win with a higher price because they have their LCB license, which I do not, so that gives them the advantage in case there's anything that needs repaired they don't have to go and hire a seperate licensed contractor. But yeah, I have gone to bid a couple residential properties and have them tell me their last bid was $50/month, I reponded well I can't even touch that price, that would be my per week price, and just move on, its gonna happen.

[jwalker17]

Hi guys,

I have a few of my snow removal customers asking me to do their landscaping too because they were/are unhappy with the guy they had.

I have done landscaping for several years working for someone else but I have no idea how to quote. The prices I am being told here seem to be about $100 per month cut once per week. Does that generally include lawn cutting and edging with a weed eater? $25 per cut just seems really low to me but I don't have any experience in the pricing side of it.

I'm considering doing the landscaping one day per week and my asphalt sealing the remaining 6 days per week.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Hey,
I work in toronto as well. I hate to say it but a lot of the smaller properties are at $25.00/wk.

Before i was in landscaping, my mothers property was $80.00/month and it was 40'wide by 110' long. Thanks crazy to me, but nevertheless its the truth

[Chrysalis]

Thanks Tuna,

Those prices sound more realistic to me. Man there are a lot of guys here killing the industry. I'm seeing landscaping being offered at only $12 per hour and snow removal being done at $15 per plow. These guys are hurting a lot of people with these prices.

BTW, I see your in florida. I use to work in Boca Raton, FL doing landscaping. Just me and 8 Cubans that couldn't speak English riding around in a dumper. lol Man what fun it was...

Whoah no way.. I was that same guy as a foreman for a company in Davie that did alot of landscape installs in Boca. Alot right off of Clint Moore thats where all those rich foofers live. But my guys were Mexicans and El Salvadoreans not Cubans. :p

[Roger]

Green-Scapes -- Proving the point? Not hardly. The definition is not mine, rather from Webster.

This is one more thread that discusses pricing for residential lawn mowing that migrates to a justification of charging high prices, and speaks negatively of those who charge less than some believe is right. That is one of the great things about a business such as this, everybody can charge what they choose to charge for their services. Looking at others who choose to charge less in an unfavorable light doesn't change the reality of the matter.

Mowing residential lawns isn't a task that requires a good education, special skills, or extended training. It is a menial task that nearly everybody can do. Those bringing something unique to the marketplace put themselves into a position of charging more for their services. But, the run-of-the-mill service of mowing residential lawns hardly warrants service charges that compare with other folks having unique skills.

I dare say that most residential customers are much better at business than many who post their questions/comments on LS. Many are educated, with good business skills, having business experience, earning a living that enables them to hire others to do their lawn mowing. Many of my customers are business owners themselves, very successful ones. They are running a complex business, one that is far more difficult than one offering grass cutting services. I often get the impression in posts on LS that the grass cutter understand business matters so much better than the average customer. Remember who is doing the hiring for the menial tasks. Do we really think that we can outsmart the customers with our business practices? I don't think so. No, not every customer fits into this category, but this is true for many, if not most.

Also, these threads reveal how others are running their business (e.g. paying no taxes, having no insurance, etc.). How is all this information about other people's business operations public knowledge? With so many negative comments about how others run their business, how much is written about taking steps to curb these supposed-illegal activities? Not much. Why not?

[SouthValleyLandscapeMaint]

good points.......

[Chilehead]

$25.00 a cut sounds low to me too. I charge $40.00/hr. with a $30.00 minimum (and that's for zero lot-line properties only). Weed control, fertilization, hedge trimming, etc is all extra. What you may want to do is ask your customers if they can be used as a reference. References are usually good justification for a higher price.

[TheDrivewayDoctor]

Whoah no way.. I was that same guy as a foreman for a company in Davie that did alot of landscape installs in Boca. Alot right off of Clint Moore thats where all those rich foofers live. But my guys were Mexicans and El Salvadoreans not Cubans. :p

Yeah man we did a lot of work for golf course homes with indoor swimming pools etc. I want to say my boss' name was Henry but I'll be damned if I can remember. It was almost 10 years ago. I loved working for the guy.

We use to run rain storms. We'd be half way through a lot and the rain would come in (almost every day) so we'd pack up fast and boogie to another job in places like Plantation or Sunset or Hollywood. We'd finish there then we'd go back to the first job and finish that one... lol It was crazy I tell ya...

My first day on the job its like 130F outside with the humidex. I show up in a tanktop and shorts. My new boss laughs and asked me what I am wearing. I staked claim that its too hot for pants or tee-shirts. Yeah right!!! Now I know why he laughed... The next day I was so badly burnt I couldn't even go to work... LOL The cubans all got a good laugh from the "white Canadian boy" that day I tell ya...

[TheDrivewayDoctor]

Hey,
I work in toronto as well. I hate to say it but a lot of the smaller properties are at $25.00/wk.

Before i was in landscaping, my mothers property was $80.00/month and it was 40'wide by 110' long. Thanks crazy to me, but nevertheless its the truth

Hey bud,

Yeah that is what I am seeing too. I don't even know if there is any point in doing it. I just wanted to help out some of my elderly clients but man thats really bad money... My asphalt sealing business makes about $200 per hour. I'm not convinced this residential grass cutting is worth it.

[Tyler7692]

Ok, a 40 x120 is only 4400 sq. ft. I would mow those all day long for $25. I could mow probably 7 in a hour if they were all close together. I don't see what the complaining is about.

Hell, a 30,000 sq. ft. lot only goes for $40-45 here. Takes about 35-40 mins.

[PROCUT1]

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?p=2675584&posted=1#post2675584

[Panhead]

(Webster) stereotype: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern ; especially : a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment
++++++++++

Not having uniforms, a shiny truck, no lettering, etc. does not mean a contractor that is undercutting competition with unreasonable prices. Lumping characteristics into one pot, and labeling them as being unfair competition is not justified.

In my observation, those LCOs with residential mowing customer, having uniforms, shiny trucks, neat lettering, are often the ones who are in business a year, or two, then gone. The customers really don't care about uniforms, shiny trucks and neat lettering - none of which gets better results, nor gives them a price they are willing to pay. Showing up on a regular basis goes much further to keep a customer satisfied. They know that mowing grass requires nothing special in the way of skills, education, training, or even experience. They easily see through the facade of glitz that gives them nothing in return for menial work that most anybody can do.

Very well said man! :drinkup:

There was about 1-2 properties I picked up last summer. All due to over pricing from other companies. I'm not going to mention any company names but one property was small and they charged $45.00. It wasn't very far from them either.

[paradisescaper]

panhead, roger have you seen the prices on lettering and t shirts?
24tshirts=240 lettering=300
and how long do you think that will last you? and when comparing a trucks do u factor in fuel costs, maintenance, vechile life and resale value? how about comfort appearance or reliablity ?
honestly a new reg. cab can be had for 15k
so assuming my costs are much greater because of these small expenses is silly what if i run 21"machines with no trailer?

my prices range from 20 for 1/8 acer lot to 100 for just under 2 acer lot i charge 40/50per man hr. i dont think that is high