weekly bid

[jayandlo]

I'm about to give a potential customer a bid on their residence. I'm just wondering, do you guys usually include the cost of fertilizer application, aerating, trimming hedges etc... in your weekly bid amount? Or, do you give a cost for cutting and edging, and charge for the others seperately, when they are needed?

[Pro-Cut Lawns]

I always give a quote for weekly mowing/trimming and then do any side work as separate billing. I explain to them up front that I can do their landscape maintenance, trimming, etc. throughout the season and will give them quotes on the work for their approval. I never try and figure what they need in advance and do a rate for all the work. This is just what works for me. I do maintenance on some properties that are mowed by other LCO's. I like keeping it all as separate work.

[Jimbo]

Seperate the lawn maintenance and other landscaping work. I have found that you will always bid too low when trying to guess "what needs to be done" (plus the customer can throw in extras unless everything is spelled out).
Furthermore these extra jobs can bring in some really nice revenue which you had not figured on getting.

Good Luck.

[KDLAWN]

I have a question on this subject and this might help you out on the original question...

when you price shurb, mulch, work etc.. do you give an hourly price or a total job price up front. It just seems to me that if you give a total up front then you could under price the job very easaly...

[Ajays]

You should never price by the hour to your customer. You can figure out in your head about how long it will take and multiply that by the hourly rate you desire but give the customer a standard fee. That way when you get faster and you will; you will make more profit.