price for installing trees and shrubs

[kingcuts]

I'm new to the landscaping business, and have a job next week installing 10 (5-6 foot tall trees, balled and burlaped) and 21 shrubs. No heavy equipment just hand tools, how much should I charge for labor? Thank you for any advice.

[tyler_mott85]

Charge your hourly rate x how many hours it will take you. And there ya go.

I hate to tell you but no one on here can tell you how long it will take you to plant those shrubs. You'll just have to learn a lot of it as you go.

I come up with a basic price for trees that include any soil amendments, stakes, and mulch that should automatically be used with a tree. Then when a customer asks me how much to plant a tree I tell them that price plus the cost of the tree.

Good Luck.

[M RASCOE&SONS]

I'm new to the landscaping business, and have a job next week installing 10 (5-6 foot tall trees, balled and burlaped) and 21 shrubs. No heavy equipment just hand tools, how much should I charge for labor? Thank you for any advice.for existing customers i charge the price of the tree or plant to install,so say the material cost is 350 thats what im gonna charge to install for a total of 700.

[PerfectEarth]

for existing customers i charge the price of the tree or plant to install,so say the material cost is 350 thats what im gonna charge to install for a total of 700.

Wow, so basically you're doing the install for free.

[ferdinand711]

A. Charge them with how much the materials are listed on the garden centers assuming you get 35% contractors discount. (like where I am) BUT don't give them a warranty for that price.
B. Add 50% more on the price from the garden centers and throw in a one year warranty.
"this might not be what everybody's formula is and not the best out there but I hope it gives you an idea"

[tyler_mott85]

Wow, so basically you're doing the install for free.

No he charges $350 in labor to install $350 worth of plants.

so if you're planting a $300 tree you charge $600...

[kingcuts]

I really appreciate everyone that responded thank you very much , i think ill try the per hour rate.

[PerfectEarth]

No he charges $350 in labor to install $350 worth of plants.

so if you're planting a $300 tree you charge $600...

No, I understand. I was being sarcastic. If he's buying 350$ worth of wholesale nursery material and not making anything on it, he's leaving money on the table. Anyone ever hear of "markups?"

I hover around a 2.8/3x rule. So for a rough example, a 120$ 2.0-2.5" tree would be $330ish delivered, installed. I'll estimate jobs at around 80% mark-up on material, hourly estimate on install time. And then I'll check it at around a x3. I try and get those numbers to match. It's been working so far- end of year numbers tell you what your percentage of materials purchased vs. revenues are. I've been around 30% which works when you go back to the 3x rule.

[M RASCOE&SONS]

Wow, so basically you're doing the install for free.
what!!! read it one more time