IS the price right?

[tramahor]

Hi guys, I have a pricing question. I have a client that does not want sod but wants to overseed. I just bought a used bluebird dethatcher ( 120.00 ) and a used ryan aerator ( 300.00 ). My plan is to aerate, dethatch and overseed. My question is would you dethatch or aerate first and what would you charge. The dimensions are:18' x 27'2" one area and the other is14'9" x 7'4" there is a sidewalk seperating the two. Materials will run me $45.00. Is $350.00 in the ballpark, this would also include a soil test prior to the seed going down and fert. Thanks in advance.:blob3:

Ramirez Landscaping Co.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Not even 1000 square feet.

$350 sounds excesive.

$250 including soil sample sounds better.

[2 man crew]

I would say you should definitly dethatch first. If you aerate first it will be a big mess trying to dethatch and bag with plugs on the surface.
$350 sounds good to me.

[tramahor]

I was thinking 350.00 because I would charge 750.00 to sod. It comes to 597 ft2 @ 1.25 ft2 for sod install= 746.25 (750.00) so I figure saving 400.00 and getting good results for his lawn seeding would be worth it for him. Its a win/win situation. Thanks for your input and keep um comming. Dethat or areate first and why?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Sod around here come in 1 square yard sections.

Price per a peice $1.10.

You have 22.11 sq yrds of area.

Cost $24.32 + tax.

Your figuring a peice of sod at 1' X 1' sections?

Ours comes squares of 18" X 24" at $1.10 or rolls of 18" X 4' at $2.20.

Sodding will take more peperation than dethatching, aeration, and seeding.

But $750 still sounds excesive. The sod is actually the cheaper route.

Dethacth it, aerate it, fertilize it, then "SOD" it. $250. maybe your $350.

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by tramahor
Materials will run me $45.00.

If you think that you will be spending $45 for fert and seed to do 1k sq ft you need to check your numbers.

To dethatch, aerate 2x, broadcast seed, drag and roll 1k sq ft should take no more than 2 hours if you were a one armed man.

How are you going to justify charging the customer $450 for two hours work?

[walker-talker]

Dethatch (pick up and haul), aerate, overseed and starter fert.
$240

MATT

[TOSLC]

I agree with the others, the price sounds a little high. However if you can get the money, and still sleep at night, go for it. As far as the job goes you'll want to dethatch and clean-up first. Next aerate, then seed. It will be much easier. BTW where did you find a dethacher for $120, and an aerator for $300?

[tramahor]

Guys,Guys I dont want to sound like a price gouger, thats why im asking here first to get everyones ideas. Also, remember I live in Sacramento Ca. I break the price down like this:
Dethatch-75
Aerate-65
soil test-50
fert-seed-top soil--50
labor x 2 hours 80.00
grand total=320.00

dethatcher and areator are paid for
soil test cost me $ 4.00
fert-seed-topsoil cost me $50.00
total profit $266.00
remember out of the $266.00 I have to pay for gas in my truck, ins, taxes, biz lic fee. Ya he could pay the neighbor kid down the road $ 40.00 bucks and a soda pop to do it but you all know you get what you pay for. Thanks Stone, it was 350.00 not 450.00. Toslc, I get great deals on stuff (commercial ) from a company here in Sacramento that there main biz is construction ( multi million dollar co ) but they do some landscape maint. After they use there stuff for a couple of seasons they just keep it around and they buy new. I found them on accident and a talked to the owner and he agreed to sell. I got the thatcher bluebird for 120.00 and the ryan aerator 300.00. He has 2 toro wb 44" he wants 400.00 each with almost new kawisaki engines, they start on the first pull. On Friday im going to pick up a 36 exmark for 300.00. In Sacramento everyone has small gates so you need a smaller mower. Well not to ramble on, thanks for all the input guys.......

Ramirez Landscaping Co

[kutnkru]

For about 600sf of turf to be seeded and top dressed with peat moss to keep the birds out I would charge them about $135 bucks. If they wanted the soil tested charge em another $19.95 and it still only gets you about $155 - including taxes etc.

I KNOW that Cali is going broke, you guys have a higher cost of living, but I still couldnt justify that much money for such a small area!!!

[tramahor]

Here in Sacramento the homeowner could rent the two machines for that price. I dont think Ill have any trouble getting 320.00

[Scraper]

Originally posted by tramahor
Here in Sacramento the homeowner could rent the two machines for that price. I dont think Ill have any trouble getting 320.00

Then why would they pay you your price to do it? Pretty high for 600 square feet. $65 to aerate? It'll take you 5 minutes to do that area. I'm with KnK...$150 with soil test.

[tramahor]

If people can cut there own lawn why pay you? For whatever the reason is, it does not matter. lazzy, no time to do it, would not get the same results, not knowing what there doing, it is besides the point. My customers want good results and thats what I provide. I am also the person that goes the extra mile for them. So paying 320.00 is fine for them. You need what you need and it costs what it costs. Im here to run a biz not to work for free or be a price gouger. Later now

[Randy Scott]

If they are willing to pay this amount, give 'er hell. I wouldn't plan on everyone agreeing to something like this, seems a little high. That pricing may haunt you a little ways down the road, but that's your problem, not mine. I think two hours labor for this is way high. You already have labor costs incorporated into the dethatching, aerating, and soil test based off your numbers. Labor to spread seed, fert., and topsoil should take you half hour tops. But, I guess I don't know what the cost of living is in Cali.
Also, your multi-million dollar landscape company equipment connection may not turn out to be some screaming good deal on equipment after all. Once maintenance sets in you'll know why he got rid of it. A good business person doesn't build a big company by giving away 2 year old equipment for pennies on the dollar. Time will tell with that.

[Scraper]

Sounds to me like you're trying to pay off your "equipment" purchase on one job. Too bad it doesn't work that way in the real world. :p

If paying $320 is fine for them...why did you even ask us?:confused:

[tramahor]

well I have three accts in the same street that want this service. After doing this last year for a diffrent customer on the same street everyone wants it done now. they all very in size, I think up to 2000 ft2 ( front and back ) The reason I asked is I wanted to get an idea of what other people are charging on this site, but it looks like the prices are so diffrent from west to east coast. As far as the equipment goes, I had my best friend who is a mech. at the local exmark dealer check it out an do a compression test and all that good stuff and he said its a great deal. I thought so as well. Thanks...

[Chuck Sinclair]

You asked me to look at your post so here is my answer:

Aeration = 75.00 my min
Dethatching = 150.00 seed included 8# per k so 4# on your job

Total = 225.00

Here in sac you don't really need to do a soil test as we have real good soil here ( Unless you see a problem)

I would be in and out in 1 hour MAX on that size yard.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by Chuck Sinclair
Total = 225.00

Schucks I was $25 off.:cry: :cry: :cry:

[LawnLad]

A couple factors to consider on this job when pricing:

1) Travel time to job
2) Warranty on the lawn (even if you don't, what's the expectation?)
3) What is the minimum size before economy of scale kicks in?
4) What is your selling time?

You've got to travel to the job regardless of the size, set up and clean up. Same travel/set up costs for this job as one that you'd be there all day for. As well, you have the same adminstrative (paper work) costs for $350.00 job as there would be for a $2000 job.

If you do the job for $150 or $200, will you feel as if you're loosing money if you have to travel back there to spot seed an area because the customer wasn't dilgent about watering or Rover was digging in the corner of the yard?

Just because an area is small doesn't mean that it should be cheap. What's your minimum cost to show up? I often tell people when I'm looking at their 1,500 sq ft back yard for a new install, I tell them to add their front lawn for not that much more. Why? Because I'm already there and it won't cost them much more to do it. Travel, equipment, set up/clean up, etc.

Bottom line... charge what they are willing to pay for the job - assuming you'll make profit on it. Particularly if you're backing up your work with follow up service. Sell it for at least $350 and give them good service.

[tramahor]

Thanks for the input Lawnlad, LGF, Chuck and all that gave a reply...

[garydale]

In Balt./Wash. DC area we would use minimum charge basis.
Aeration= $75/00 per K
Dethatch = $150.00 per K
Slice seed =$50.00 per K ( $75.00 for two directions)

Sell time travel time,cleanup, equipment wear,followup and guarantee all have to be covered
.

[fastrunner]

I dont know about the rest of you but..... $75.00 bucks to do a 10 minute thatch job? And $65.00 bucks to do a 5 minute aerate job.... Lets get real here. its only 600 sq. ft.... I dont think i am a lowballer and i charge about $60/5000sq.ft to thatch and about $50/5000 sq. ft to aerate. someone please tell me if im wrong.. but i figure an averado subdivision type lawn to we what..... $10,000 sq. ft. approx. so thats $120.00 to thatch, and 100.00 to aerate, in about 1 1/2 hour. how does that sound?