rototilling a garden?

[1MajorTom]

Who offers this service? You have a minimum charge? I'm not even talking about for existing clientele, i'm talking about a new customer just calling for that service. What would be your price on a 6 x10 plot. That's right a 6 x 10 piece she claimed it was on the phone. Drive time would be 12 minutes one way.
p.s. I am NOT looking for bidding advice, i gave the price over the phone already.

[Kiril]

Who offers this service? You have a minimum charge? I'm not even talking about for existing clientele, i'm talking about a new customer just calling for that service. What would be your price on a 6 x10 plot. That's right a 6 x 10 piece she claimed it was on the phone. Drive time would be 12 minutes one way.
p.s. I am NOT looking for bidding advice, i gave the price over the phone already.

If you own the tiller, minimum 1 hour charge + travel time.

[Big Bad Bob]

Who offers this service? You have a minimum charge? I'm not even talking about for existing clientele, i'm talking about a new customer just calling for that service. What would be your price on a 6 x10 plot. That's right a 6 x 10 piece she claimed it was on the phone. Drive time would be 12 minutes one way.
p.s. I am NOT looking for bidding advice, i gave the price over the phone already.

Minimum: $35.00
That's for an existing garden. For a new garden, Minimum: $55.00 That would be for the 6 ft x 10 ft plot you are talking of.
Also, don't believe them when they tell you the size. ALWAYS look at the site 1st. In some cases it is best to actually do a utility locate 1st. I have seen phone and cable lines as shallow as 3 inches when breaking ground for a new garden.
And it is a good idea to include mileage as most want it done as soon as they call and don't want to wait for you to get 3 or 4 on the same day in the same area. Take the tiller with you when you estimate.

[topsites]

30 dollars.

If you own the tiller, minimum 1 hour charge + travel time.

Charging a different price for when it's rented? :nono:

[Jason Rose]

Well, around here, to rent a tiller is going to cost you a minimum of $50. So most guys charge a minimum of $50 for tilling. Yes, many people will squak at that price, but what's their alternative? Go rent a tiller and do it yourself for the same price? And most people that don't own a tiller don't own a truck either, so how do they get the rented tiller home?

Yes, I suppose for an already 'broke' plot $30 to $35 would be fine. Certianly not for a new plot though.

[Big Bad Bob]

Well, around here, to rent a tiller is going to cost you a minimum of $50. So most guys charge a minimum of $50 for tilling. Yes, many people will squak at that price, but what's their alternative? Go rent a tiller and do it yourself for the same price? And most people that don't own a tiller don't own a truck either, so how do they get the rented tiller home?

Yes, I suppose for an already 'broke' plot $30 to $35 would be fine. Certianly not for a new plot though.

I have had people whom I bid $45.00 for a 20 ft x 40 ft plot, new, because I was going to be out tilling anyways and gotten turned down. I found out they got some fool to till the new plot for $20.00. They can spend the time and have the wear and tear on their tiller for $20.00 but not me. A lot of new plots have heavy, hard sod and they don't want to spray round up and wait a week, nor do they want the sod removed so tilling a new garden can be a long hard task even with a tractor.

[FYS777]

I just did a 15x15 plot in my back yard in a house we are leasing, took the shovel first, dug out about 300 lbs of rock which took to hours, then took my mantis, and tilled it up another 30 minutes, tilling and removing rooks didn't get with shovel, I guess its whats under the ground that counts. if its good soil just do it with a shovel. on that small of a plot.

[Kiril]

30 dollars.
Charging a different price for when it's rented? :nono:

And I suppose you will charge for the tiller rental and do the work for free, or perhaps cover the rental costs out of your own pocket?

So let us get down to the nitty gritty.

~ 30 minutes travel time
~ 30 minutes time to pick up and return tiller
~ 30-60 minutes to do the job

= ~ 2 hours of time + overhead

So at your rate of 30, even if you did pick up the cost of the rental, you are not even making 15 bucks an hour. Good luck with your business. :laugh: