What is the minimum you are charging for aeration this year?

[david shumaker]

I saw ads for core-aeration last year for $60.00-$65.00 any size yard. Last year I charged a minimum of $65.00 for a small yard and price went up with size. Most of my yards are under 1/4 acre.

Even at $65.00 - $75.00, some people growl at the price.

Anyway, I was looking on the Rental Works website for Richmond and the cost to rent an aerator for 4 hours is $86.03 including taxes and insurance. This price is for customer pickup and return of the aerator. The total price if you want Rental Works to deliver and pickup is $161.03.

The point is, I could make more money renting my aerator than taking it to the customers house and doing all the labor. There would also be more money in delivering and picking up aerators. I've even heard of people doing aeration for $40.00 or $50.00.

Shouldn't the minimum for aeration be at least what it would cost to rent an aerator plus labor? It seems that I and maybe others are not charging enough for this service.

I make out pretty good if I have several yards together on the same day, but that doesn't happen all the time.

I think I'll try to go up on price this season. Aeration is too back breaking to do for less than rental rates.

[delphied]

You guys can run your core aerators til hell freezes over for that kind of money.

[mainstreet1984]

My price is price of the lawn cut times 8 or 10 depends on the difficulty (hills, ets.) If property is $40 for cut then aeration will run about $350 to $400 and for $50 $55 you can do my customers and I gonna sell my aerator...

[david shumaker]

Originally Posted by mainstreet1984

My price is price of the lawn cut times 8 or 10 depends on the difficulty (hills, ets.) If property is $40 for cut then aeration will run about $350 to $400 and for $50 $55 you can do my customers and I gonna sell my aerator...

I won't take the aerator off the truck for $50.00 - $55.00, but I've seen classified ads in the paper for these cheap rates. I've been doing really small yards for $65.00 to $75.00 (aeration only...no seeding or fertilizer). I think this is too cheap if it would cost the customer $86.00 to rent their own aerator. That's why I was thinking of going up. I know my market wouldn't pay $350 to $400 for a yard that costs $40.00 to cut.

[Exact Rototilling]

Before I started aerating I was convinced aeration should be...would be 2.5x times the mowing rate.

Now that reality has sunk in ... it is at the 1.5 times to maybe 2x the mowing rate. Aeration is a good cash flow generator. Generally I prefer dealing with aeration customers vs. mowing because they actually care about their lawn and are not looking for the cheap cut can we go bi-weekly mowing as a necessity.

If I could go aeration only I would ... but I need the consistent cash flow from the mowing season to make the business worth while.

Senske and Truegreen have now dropped aeration prices to a level that makes me question how they can make much money at it with their overhead.

[Stingray63]

Originally Posted by mainstreet1984

My price is price of the lawn cut times 8 or 10 depends on the difficulty (hills, ets.) If property is $40 for cut then aeration will run about $350 to $400 and for $50 $55 you can do my customers and I gonna sell my aerator...

Does your price also include raking up the plugs and fertilizing the lawn. I know my market wouldn't support 350 to 400 per average size yard. I can understand if the yards are bigger than I would head for those figures. What size are the yards that you're charging for those prices? If you can get it, GREAT! I know my area wouldn't pay those prices.

Stingray

[Danscapes]

Originally Posted by Stingray63

Does your price also include raking up the plugs and fertilizing the lawn. I know my market wouldn't support 350 to 400 per average size yard. I can understand if the yards are bigger than I would head for those figures. What size are the yards that you're charging for those prices? If you can get it, GREAT! I know my area wouldn't pay those prices.

Stingray

What the hell?!?!?!

[Stingray63]

Originally Posted by Danscapes

What the hell?!?!?!

Yes, some of my customers want the plugs raked up too. I tell them that the plugs will go back into the ground. But, some still want' em raked up. I know I'd be saving alot of time if my employees didn't have to go through all the trouble.

Stingray

[GrandMaster]

Here in Utah most guys will beat you to it for 20-30 bucks a 5000sqft home. So I see it as a good advertising and selling point for me (fertilizing, mowing, Maintenance etc.) I'll get 25-30 bucks a 5000sqft yard only here. We do alot though and volume makes big bucks this way. Cant charge more or wont get the job. SUCKS!

[Glenn Lawn Care]

I start at $65.