My formulas

[FrankenScagMachines]

I figured I can do about an acre an hour with trimming, so here's what I came up with. What do you see wrong with it? The price is about $35/hour depending on difficulty. The spring cleanups are a special deal right now to get my first batch of customers. kind of a discount to get them hooked maybe. most of the lawns i'm aiming at don't need it anyway they're clean no sticks no leaves grass is short. Whaddya think? If it's A-OK, then maybe it will help someone else too.
Eric

[LawnLad]

If I read your table correctly, a home, just about an acre, would run the customer on the very heavy side of clean up (assuming worst conditions), $43.00. 1 acre x $43. I think you're light in your calculations. I'm sure you could add in a cut and additional services. I would think for a two man crew to be at an acre property cleaning up sticks, debris, leaves, etc. for 3 to 4 man hours if you're not that detailed. I guess it depends on how many beds, etc.

I would caution that using strict formula pricing, though neat/clean and quick, may mislead you into believing that you're accurately pricing - when you may not be. Estimate your job two ways to check your numbers. Your formula method and then estimate the hours and charge based off of a time estimate. Track your time and double check the accuracy of your formulas.

[southside]

I agree,you should always try and use 2 ways to price a job.
Estimated hours and per square metre or foot.

[walker-talker]

Not bad for a base. You will have to calculate in different variables. I hope you have a minimum for dropping the gate?

MATT

[65hoss]

Don't get so carried away with formulas that you screw yourself. You would be better off using some historical data of your own. If none, start gathering info this year.

I wouldn't even cut only an acre for $43.

[TOSLC]

Formula's are not all bad. I think the majority of the American public is afraid of numbers. Most people know what they are, their just afraid of putting them on paper. WHY? I don't know.

However I also agree that you need to make room for exceptions. Not everything can be a model! I don't have a formula for lawncare, but I do have one for landscpaing. I bid a landscaping job from the formula, then from experience, and come up with a number somewhere in between. After I'm done with a job I review what I did wrong/right, then come up with a solution for the next time. It works for me, and that's what you need to find. . . something that works for you.

[FrankenScagMachines]

Yea I know don't use formulas blah blah.... I did say that it depends on difficulty etc. And I don't think there's anything wrong with formulas at all as long as they're setup right. You are just an old school person maybe??? This is the new age man! wake up! Once I do the first job i can get a better idea of the time it'll take. For you who don't know it's a one man show.
Eric

[Russo]

I'm pretty new to this site but find the people here a FANTASTIC resource........so I have to wonder,BushHogBoy, why you ask for opinions and then dis them? Perhaps I misunderstood, It's happened before.

I price the same way as you, with a formula that adjusts for variables......if you care.

Good Luck, Landscraper.

[FrankenScagMachines]

I guess I was asking not what do you think of formulas but what do you think of how my formulas are setup? Not what do you think of Democracy, but what do you think of Bill Clinton? Get it? I'm asking the pro-formula people like yourself to help me out here, not asking the non-formula old timers to put me down. I do want advice but i don't want put downs for using a formula.
Also, my services are very basic that is why the price isn't sky high. I'm trying to not be a scrub/lowballer (whatever i'd classify as) but i'm trying to be professional but also give people what they pay for, I mean, I guess it's a special niche in the market I want. just cut and trim. no blow or fertilizer etc.

[juststarting023]

bushhogboy

im starting out this year also i kinda like your idea i do think you should maybe kinda adjust it a little, i would not even think about dropping the gate for less than 30, think about your overhead make sure you can cover it and still make a nice profit. i dont think you want to spend the day running from customer to customer cutting a yard for 9 bucks !!!!! i hope not anyway .i understand you not wanting to take money you did'nt earn but you must never forget you are a business.i dont live in the greatest market but to cover my overhead thats the way it has to be.by the way i started about 3 weeks ago and i have 9 new accounts and not one person has complained about my prices even had a customer tell me thats not a bad price and asked me to lay 5 yards of mulch for him too,charged him 35 bucks for a little less than a half acre(alot of trimming)..i do have a question for you i see your economy pack is 30 and your standard and deluxe are both 35,, why??????

[FrankenScagMachines]

juststarting023-
I'm aiming for a community of nicer newer houses built within the last 4 years. About an acre apeice, but these people have two lawnboy pushers in their garage. So I think it might not be easy to get my foot in the door so to speak. They bought two mowers to mow one lawn... O-K! Maybe they just want the exercise or have two teenage sons i dunno. But my economy cut is mowing once a week and trimming every other week. Std. is mow and trim once a week and deluxe is mow and trim however many days customer wants. These houses are all close together. I'll probably jack up my prices though, and the spring cleaning really doesn't need done, there aren't but a few sticks in each yard and a handful of leaves (they're small trees because it's a new area) and they didn't leave the grass go. So spring cleanup is gonna be a breeze. Really just mulching or bagging everything and trimming. That's why i have a bottom of the barrel price (and it's a hook for first time customers). I will probably tack on say $5 or so to each number to make it 'fair' but so far I figured (if numbers don't lie) that after all expenses and a new walkbehind or used ZTR and a new push mower and a new trimmer and all other costs i'll still have more than $10k leftover. That's with 15 1-acre lawns at an average of $1,050 each. That can get me a good used truck and plow. Then next year with that setup and I'll have my license, i can really get to work and raise prices etc. Now that I think on it, i guess I could raise a Standard mowing to $45 per acre. But these places have hardly no trimming (about half a dozen trees and the house, that's it). Any more ideas or comments? Thanks I appreciate it.
Eric

[Russo]

BushHogBoy,

Thanks for clearing that up for me . I get it.

I'm in the same boat as you...one man show, so your questions are the same ones I have.

Good Luck, Landscraper

[FrankenScagMachines]

I changed it some. As i said, most are more than 3/4 acre. Do I need to go higher yet? How much? Thanks,
Eric