Estimating mulching

[Vandora Lawn & Landscape]

How do you guys estimate mulching? I know how to figure costs based on size, but I'm not sure how to estimate the size? Any special techniques?

[MOW ED]

Try this one
http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=2981

Get a wheel and sake it easy on yourself, just measure out squares and multiply. If you have extra mulch, it always fits somewhere.

[Greenkeepers]

Get a wheel, like Ed said. I've tried them all and the wheel is the easiest and fastest way to go..

[Scraper]

And if you do buy a wheel make sure it has a large diameter whhel as it is more accurate and rolls easier.

[Vandora Lawn & Landscape]

I've got the wheel and have been making squares, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Cool. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

[powerreel]

Does everyone figure 1 man hour per yard to spread?

[Vandora Lawn & Landscape]

I figure .75 man hour per yd. With two guys I can usually spread 3 yds per hour. If the site is hard to work on then its 1 man hour per yd.

[chrisbolte]

Our company does it different than many. We charge a flat rate per yard. This way we never take a beating. I would recommend to try that.

[leeslawncare]

I charge 65 per yard .i get it for about 18 per yard so that leaves me with 47$ per yard.

[cleancut]

Some of you guys seem to make this mulch estimating to difficult..If you've been in the biz for a little while you should be able to just look at a job and estimate the amount of mulch..All of this measuring with a wheel just seems to me to be a waste of time..I've always been able to eyeball a job within a 1/2 yard of mulch..And that little bit extra can just be added to the beds..No big deal..I don't mean to bash any of your methods but it just seems like a little much..Clean-Cut

[parkwest]

I would use a good measuring wheel. We like to know what we are going to make before we do the job not after.

[bobbygedd]

we figure on one yard of mulch covering 125 sq. ft. we use a wheel or tape to take the measurements, and round it up to the 1/2 yd. we charge 65 per yd., for class "b" mulch, which is a nice looking root mulch,cost us $19. and 75 per yd., for a better mulch which cost us $22. this includes some minor re-edging of beds, and resonably close distance to wheelbarrow the mulch, if we have to wheel it a further distance cus we cant get the truck in , the price goes up. BOBBY

[TJLC]

How many bags of mulch are in a yard?

[Premo Services]

TJLC:

100 square ft. in a yard
100 divided by 12 (for cubic ft.) = 8.3
each bag has 3 cubic ft. in them
8.3 x 3 cubic ft. in a bag = 25 bags for a yard

I believe thats how its done :)

[LoneStarLawn]

100 sq feet = a yard...that depends on how think it would be....so thats not always true.

If it's 10' by 10' at 3.25 in think then that would be true.
12' by 9' at 3 in thick is also a yard.
Depends on thickness as well as area.

Plus not all bags are 3 cubic feet some are 2.
There is 27 cubic feet in a yard.

[Edited by LoneStarLawn on 12-23-2000 at 11:34 PM]

[cclllc]

I figure mulch like I would if I were doing concrete.LxWxT divided by 324.I get within a half yard everytime.I always round up to the next yard because of the bucket varies from place to place.Better to have a little left over than to have to go get a wheelbarrow full.

http://cclllc.homestead.com/home.html