you measure the beds......

[bobbygedd]

ok, client calls for mulching of beds. i like to put a nice 3" layer of mulch. so, you measure, and tell them it's $400 for the mulch, material, delivery, and installed. you tell them 3" deep. the customer says, how about going only 1.5" deep, and charging me $200? seems right, don't it, you're using half as much mulch, why not go, half the price. even if u charge "per yard" and your measurments show that at 3" deep, u need 6 yds. if the customer asks for 1.5" deep, would it be half the price of the 3" deep? yes, no, and why

[ProMo]

It takes me about an hour to clean out my truck and go get the mulch even if its a half a load it still gets the same delivery charge.

[bobbygedd]

Originally Posted by ProMo

It takes me about an hour to clean out my truck and go get the mulch even if its a half a load it still gets the same delivery charge.

wrong answer

[grass-scapes]

Because of your "fixed" cost. Depreciation on your dump truck. Fuel for your dump truck. Travel time to the site. Travel time to get the mulch. Screw off time to waste on lawnsite.

[daveintoledo]

a 1.5 inch bed of mulch will not do its job, it will not retain the moisture properlly, or help with the reduction of weeds...... its just astetic, not functional......3 inches of mulch please......

[bobbygedd]

wrong, wrong, and wrong. and please jodi, don't answer, you know the answer, cus we discussed it today, while i was doing the job.

[grass-scapes]

It may not be the exact answer you are "fishing" for, but I am correct. Your fixed expenses are the same whether you do one yard or 10

How about you tell us the answer you want so we can worship your highness.

[sildoc]

Now This all depends on how many sq ft you have to go and how far the mulch needs to go from trailer to bed. Do I weed the beds prior to installation or install over sprayed or non sprayed weeds? Is it a regular customer?
I have to get the bark and deliver so there is one price. Installation is another price. Weeding the bed out and making a nice edge on the bed is another. So if they want half the mulch then I still bill for delivery fee and edging and weeding the bed. So in actuality total cost would be more like 325-350. Most will opt for more mulch.

[1MajorTom]

Originally Posted by bobbygedd

wrong, wrong, and wrong. and please jodi, don't answer, you know the answer, cus we discussed it today, while i was doing the job.

i thought you didn't want anyone to know that you now carry your laptop to the jobsite so you can stay connected to lawnsite all day long. but now you let the secret out of the bag, how come?

[Dweezil]

I wouldn't go half just because your using less mulch. It's still going to take the same amount of time to get it there and clean everything up when your done. It's just going to take less time to put all the mulch down, but I wouldn't expect it to take half the time, maybe 3/4 after all is said and done. I could see cutting down the material cost, but labor is going to be about the same either way.

Without seeing the job, I'm going to say tell them $300 instead of $400 depending on how much your labor charge is.