Question on price......what would you guys charge for this?

[syzer]

Please dont flame me I know its very difficult to give me an aproximation of this so I'm just asking generally. I had to give an estimate on a lawn that was 9,060.00 SF. There was a garden around the front, and both sides of house, all around back deck. The back lawn wasnt cut for a couple weeks and the bottom of fence untrimmed. Back yard was fenced. He cant get a commercial guy to cut his back cause of fence. This is in a neighborhood of houses that are pretty nice about 250k-300k. What is an idea of a good price? Thanks, this is first time so very difficult.

[Ocutter]

First explain to him that you dont want to lose money in the deal or overcharge him. First cut, by the hr. Then 30-35 if done weekly since theres a fence. Add for rolling hills and beds etc. Hope you get it.

[BUSHMASTER]

well depending on how bad it looks ...do you own a 36" wb to get in the back yard if so the cut shouldn't take long, how bad is the edgeing?since its out of shape and the owner seems to think that he donsen't want to handle it.....with the right equiptment(remeber i have not seen it !!!) you should be able to clean it up a about ....oh say 2.5 hrs with the right equiptment working alone start up to make it right....i would try to get around $180 or so remeber its hard to be exact without seeing it thats if your not doing the garden.are you going to be doing the yard on a regualr basic?if not charge a little more.
good luck hope this helps

[Edited by BUSHMASTER on 09-23-2000 at 01:58 AM]

[syzer]

Thanks, I have a 32" wb that i will be doing the back with and I beleive he wants this on a weekly basis. Also this place is about 30 minutes from my house, and it will be for now the only customer up there. So i also have to factor in travel and all that good stuff just to get there for one job. Im hoping that if we get it that I can pick up more accounts as I have noticed quite a few ppl get a cutter to do there turf. Not a bad yard, or a bad job I would like to get it. Also he has a company now that does it but his 52" wont get in the gate and h wont cut the back. He has called a couple ppl and they wont do it either because of gate. THanks again for the help guys.

[Ocutter]

Tough call, if youre sure you can get others in the area then you can temporarily take a hit. Otherwise my original bid would be raised to 60 just because of travel time.

[Doug406]

Are some of you guys crazy?
Do you really think you are going to get a 1/4 acre lot for $60 bucks? Too bad for you it is 1/2 hour away, that does not bother the homeowner, either you will do it or not.
We would not do the account because of the drive, but, if you do not have anything else to do on a saturday or whatever, than it is an open market for you.
We would takle it for probably 35 + 5 for the fence + 5 for the fact that you have to use the small 32. Charge him 2 times (90 for the first cut to get it under control. Also if it is in a good target area ask him to please refer your services to any neighbors WHEN he realizes you are a quality fair contractor.

[thelawnguy]

I think (hope) bushmaster was joking.

Once the heavy growth is knocked down should be in and out in 1/2 hour total, even if you need to bring a 21 inside the back area.

[Edited by thelawnguy on 09-23-2000 at 02:43 AM]

[BUSHMASTER]

Originally posted by thelawnguy
I think (hope) bushmaster was joking.

Once the heavy growth is knocked down should be in and out in 1/2 hour total, even if you need to bring a 21 inside the back area.

[Edited by thelawnguy on 09-23-2000 at 02:43 AM]
i was talking about a clean up $180.2.5hrs clean up
weather its 1hour or 2.5 charge $180 for fisrt cut .id go $65 per service if the market could bare .no less than $45 on any new service. HARD TO ESTIMATE WHENI HAVEN"T SEEN IT. his eyes don't see things they way i do 2.5 / $180. first cut $72. phr. regarles of time i always charge extra for a fisrt cut ...it hasn't been cutt i a couple of weeks. .. he's not out anything...working alone decent money fair money extra trimming .extra effort.its worth it just cuse we have fast equiptment dosen't mean we make less .... maybe I am not charging enough...never do a job cheaper in hope to gain more bizz...maybe i am wrong???after all were out to make$$$ maybe i am too lonw

[BUSHMASTER]

we have an area of town that is upper middle class and the cheapest job i know of in this area is $55.avg yard under 10,000sqft the area just above that the minum there 1 acre+ upsacle lot acre $65+ glad in down here .........i havea resis' 5000 sqft i charge $35 per week "old account" the neibor has a aonther co diong their 8000sqt grass its $65 per service to weekly mow/edge/trim/blow leave.plus annuals/ straw/chemical/bushes etc etc all extra... they do millions every year....."i want to be like mike"

[Edited by BUSHMASTER on 09-23-2000 at 03:40 AM]

[Ocutter]

Doug- aparently Im not crazy. Others here seem to think the same. Time is money. You could do it for less too if you lived closer or like taking hits on your lawns. Later on If I did get other lawns in that area I would drop his price a little, but for now let the customer pay for it.

[MOW ED]

You have to ask yourself - do I really need this job?
Then you have to add all the numbers up. Unless this is a hobby, you have to make some money - on YOUR terms. Good Luck.

[cos]

Like he said, the lawn is in a good area. It might be worth the risk to go ahead and cut it (for a fair price of course). Sometimes you have to take a chance in order to get the big lawns even if you have to stick out for a season or season and half. Once the foot is in the door, who knows he might be cutting the whole neiborhood in a matter of 2-3 years. (maybe, maybe not). Business is always a risk, its always nice to have 8-10 houses in a row,but what do you do to get them? NOT sit on your duff awaiting them to call all at once.

I am not dissagreeing with anyone, but if your well established you can pick and chose who's lawn you want to cut. If not, you do what you gotta do.


Best Wishes

[Cutter1]

$60 a cut for a yard that small!!! Can I move there!! I have about 185 lawns, If I am making $60 an hour per crew, I'm happy. I don't care what fences or beds there are, I would charge no more than 35. I could do that with two people in about 10 to 15 minutes.

[syzer]

OK, I went today to cu that back. I told him yesterday 35.00 for the back alone. What a damn mistake took my brother and i an hour to get it done and we had to bust our rumps. Really high grass along the fence. Anyway...I told him yesterday $60.00 to cut the grass and i would drop it $10 if i can get a couple more houses in the development. So today we get there, he loved the lawn service we provided on the back. He still seemed hesitant of the price so I'm thinking this sucks i srewed first account. Anyway, we told him $55.00 and thats it. $5.00 off with more clients. I just got home, and he's on my machine, he accepted. Going to sign the contract tomorrow. THanks for all the help guys!!! OUR FIRST ACCOUNT!!! hehe =)

-Chris
Precision Landscaping, LLC.

[Ocutter]

Too bad it took you longer than your est for the back, but youll soon make up for that. Good luck and go for the neighborhood now!

[LoneStarLawn]

Your first estimate was not to bad for your first account....it will get easier to cut once you keep it maintained and are used to the area. You estimates will get more accurate as you learn from experience as well as from here. Keep positive and as Ocutter says now show the rest of the neighborhood that your the man. (leave flyers or cards on neihbors doors after cutting)

[Edited by LoneStarLawn on 09-24-2000 at 01:46 AM]

[syzer]

Thanks for the motivation guys =), we left 200 flyers that night in the neighbohood, one customer, i guess not too bad. I was thinking of putting and edge on his gardens for free to make his lawn look really nice. What do you guys think. Also he has a couple bare spots in front lawn, it was just arated and overseeded. I would like to do something if i can to help these spots grow and look better, any ideas? Again thanks. I just hope (well kinda)none of these million dollar houses call me hehe I would be totally lost ont hat estimate.

[LoneStarLawn]

We try not to do things for free...(maybe discounted) If you do something free most customers will expect it all the time. May cost you in the long run, but its up to you.

[BUSHMASTER]

see $55 per service is fesable,$180 would have really sounded good for first cut...and on 9600. who was it that said i was cazy for charging folks that much for soo little ....uhmmm.....i am not doing this for my health if people want me to keep up their yard it will cost ...lawn care is a luxury .just like a cadi...and they don't give them away either .... make sure you tell you new cutomer not to talk price with his neibors now everyone will thier knows upfront that your at least $55 for basic service start making your self shine...lets see three more yards same nehborhood at $55.done in 3.5 hour for all four thats...$62.85 per hour MAKE THAT CHEEZE CONGRADULATIS. AND YEA WE GOT PLETTY OF ROOM DOWN HERE FOR MORE CUTTERS ....COME ON DOWN .good l=uck on the rest of the subdivions .. make sure you show up their when the neibors are moveing around great way to pick up new cutomers one suddvion i do has 8 year round accounts and i do lanscaping projects for 3o out of the 140 homes total. and evryone knows me...thaks all.and don't do anything for free,, except bringing up the trash can for them if your thier when there empty

[Edited by BUSHMASTER on 09-24-2000 at 02:04 AM]

[Ocutter]

Whoa cowboy dont get carried away. I know you want to please the customer, but wait till he comes to you to do the improvements. Let your current work do the talking. Maybe you can look around and suggest a few things. I did a freebie once and the customer held it over my head for a while. Dont spoil them or they will get used to it.

[syzer]

OK, ogt it no free stuff =) i was just wondering if it would be better to make my lawn stand out a little more......but forget it heh. I need that money anyway.

[thelawnguy]

"who was it that said i was cazy for charging folks that much for soo little "

That would be me. Last I checked the difference between $180 and $55 is $125. Big difference between your quote and the one that got the job. And you lost once never to see the lawn again, syzer will be cashing in every week. Whether the lawn is in Crack Alley or Highbrow Ave $55 is good money for a postage stamp lot (by my area standards).