Labor for 14 acres?

[John kostyz]

Hi everyone,
I am looking to bid a 14 to 15 acre site and was looking to get some advice on how to price out such a large proposal? No permagreen,it will be hand spread. Thanks

[grassmasterswilson]

Hand spread? You gonna be filling up your spreader more than spreading!
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[John kostyz]

It would be my first real large account! Last application for fall and lime.
If I get the contract for next season walking will not be an option

[jbturf]

time + materials

[kbrashears]

2100 at least if it was flat and wide open.
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[Ric]

Originally Posted by John kostyz

Hi everyone,
I am looking to bid a 14 to 15 acre site and was looking to get some advice on how to price out such a large proposal? No permagreen,it will be hand spread. Thanks

IMHO there is no way you can compete hand spreading that much acreage. Labor will kill your bottom line if you get the Bid. But more important if you bid it high enough to cover labor costs, Your competeiors will under cut your bid.

Lawn mowing prices haven't gone up percentage wise with other costs. The reason is modern equipment has brought down the labor cost. The moral or the story is don't bid work you can't handle. Or gear up to handle bigger work.

.

[lawn king]

Originally Posted by Ric

IMHO there is no way you can compete hand spreading that much acreage. Labor will kill your bottom line if you get the Bid. But more important if you bid it high enough to cover labor costs, Your competeiors will under cut your bid.

Lawn mowing prices haven't gone up percentage wise with other costs. The reason is modern equipment has brought down the labor cost. The moral or the story is don't bid work you can't handle. Or gear up to handle bigger work.

.

The voice of wisdom (ric)! Strap an old lesco truckster to a garden tractor, or even pull a drop spreader with a horse, but dont do that kind of footage by hand. Offer someone with a ride on a couple hundred for a one day rental?

[rcreech]

Originally Posted by lawn king

The voice of wisdom (ric)! Strap an old lesco truckster to a garden tractor, or even pull a drop spreader with a horse, but dont do that kind of footage by hand. Offer someone with a ride on a couple hundred for a one day rental?

Totally agree with u and Ric

If u can't do it...stay away
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[RigglePLC]

Need details...is it a condo or apt that is cut into many small parcels with flowers and curbs? That is perfectly suited to a hand spreader. Plan to do about 1000 sqft per minute (because you need to fill it up every 10 minutes). 11 man-hours spreading time. Labor should be about a dollar per minute...except...more if you have to sweat...more if you are a high school graduate (then it is skilled labor), more if you have uniforms (because then you look professional). Save time by driving your truck around and place fert bags every hundred feet or so. Devise a method with bungie cords or something to tie the empty bags to your spreader, maybe put them in a backpack. Suggestions needed here.

If is is more wide open, its easier to do, but it is more suited to a ride-on and your competition may underbid you. The manager will laugh when he hears you only have a push spreader.

Do you mean you will spread pellitized lime at the same time? (Not recommended). And lime is problematical--you need to apply about 50 pounds per thousand sqft--refill every minute. You need three men at minimum. One drives truck. One spreads. One refills a second spreader and trades off when first one is empty.
Be sure to have an extra spreader or two--there is a good chance you will break one.

Has anyone invented a way to make a tow behind spreader out of a push spreader?

[Trueturf]

Hey man do not worry about these guys telling you not to do it. If you feel like it is something you can handle then go for it. I do applications for a large site all done by hand about 12 acres. Anything ride on pretty impractical for this site, lots of small grass islands, narrow corridors etc. Really the key is staging your product in convenient fill up points. I can walk spread the whole thing by myself in about 6-8 hrs.