Acute Cut
03-14-2004, 10:31 PM
I am sure this has been covered, but i didnt see it when i searched. If yall could point me in the right link i'd appreciate it.
Here is my delima. My landscape foreman owned his own company for 15 years. His rate that he was charging was 15 pmh and 20 for himself. Materials were pretty much at cost. Am i ignorant or is this too low? I am letting him bid because he can usually toss out a pretty close number on the spot almost. I want to defer to experience, but i also want to make a living here. If it was lawncare (my specialty) i would say it is way to low. I charge between 1-2 dollars per minute on the job with myself and one other employee. My minimum is 30$. (25 if it is a neighbor and then i lower my regular customers price as well)
Example: We just bid a job. making some beds behind someones house with allen blocks. Basically it is all layed out. We figure on about 254 man hours. (Rather elaborate, mostly hand work laying bricks and such.) Materials comes in at about 6K. I know every part of the nation is different but he was originally thinking 12K tops. I was thinking 14.5K. That still is low i think, but i am learning and have to acknowledge his experience and much superior technical knowledge. We only have wheelborrows and shovels so far. No bobcats or anything yet. (one step at a time) I know there are vairables and i am afraid i cant give them to you as i am not technically knowledgeable yet. Figure, bare bones, hand work, some digging, doing back fill, etc. Materials are 6k and labor is 254 approx man hours total.
Help?
Here is my delima. My landscape foreman owned his own company for 15 years. His rate that he was charging was 15 pmh and 20 for himself. Materials were pretty much at cost. Am i ignorant or is this too low? I am letting him bid because he can usually toss out a pretty close number on the spot almost. I want to defer to experience, but i also want to make a living here. If it was lawncare (my specialty) i would say it is way to low. I charge between 1-2 dollars per minute on the job with myself and one other employee. My minimum is 30$. (25 if it is a neighbor and then i lower my regular customers price as well)
Example: We just bid a job. making some beds behind someones house with allen blocks. Basically it is all layed out. We figure on about 254 man hours. (Rather elaborate, mostly hand work laying bricks and such.) Materials comes in at about 6K. I know every part of the nation is different but he was originally thinking 12K tops. I was thinking 14.5K. That still is low i think, but i am learning and have to acknowledge his experience and much superior technical knowledge. We only have wheelborrows and shovels so far. No bobcats or anything yet. (one step at a time) I know there are vairables and i am afraid i cant give them to you as i am not technically knowledgeable yet. Figure, bare bones, hand work, some digging, doing back fill, etc. Materials are 6k and labor is 254 approx man hours total.
Help?