30 thousand square feet to install

[nepatsfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Oomkes

Agreed



Really? Just because he thinks someone should have the capital to front LABOR only for a sod job?

I did 4 acres worth of sod a couple years ago. Not a dime up front. Not even materials. Owned this business for a few years. I'm 4th generation, business has been around since 1932. I think Kiril was dead on.



Oh sure, because we all know that everything we read on the internet is true.

I mean really, I could be a 16 YO girl from Miami and no one would know the difference.



And you're in Massachusetts and the other guy is in Ohio.

Different businesses. Different overhead. Different labor costs. Different equipment costs. Different profit desires.





PS Of that 4 acres, not a single bit was a 1 yd roll.

For the OP, find a sod company with the big rolls and sub it to them. Add your percentage, sit back and let them get dirty. I subbed out a job a couple weeks ago that was about 4500 sq ft.

Why would you sub out 4500 sq. ft?

[Mark Oomkes]

Originally Posted by nepatsfan

Why would you sub out 4500 sq. ft?

Because they have rolls 4' wide by 150', the equipment to roll it, the trucks to deliver, all for far less than I can install 1 yd rolls by hand.

Fewer seems, faster install and my employees can do other productive work while these guys are installing my sod.

Same reason I sub out my:

Hydromulch

Bark blowing

Irrigation

Trenching

Stump grinding\large tree removal

If I can find someone that can do the work better\faster\cheaper than I can, I partner with them and start a relationship.

I am not a jack of all trades, we do what we do best and find someone else to do the work that we can't do efficiently.

[PerfectEarth]

Originally Posted by Mark Oomkes

Same reason I sub out my:

Hydromulch

Bark blowing

Irrigation

Trenching

Stump grinding\large tree removal

If I can find someone that can do the work better\faster\cheaper than I can, I partner with them and start a relationship.

I am not a jack of all trades, we do what we do best and find someone else to do the work that we can't do efficiently.

Amen. I do exactly the same. Had a stump ground out just tonight. Get relationships going, refer work, make customers happy by getting jobs done, Pick a niche and stick with it.

[nepatsfan]

Originally Posted by PerfectEarth

Amen. I do exactly the same. Had a stump ground out just tonight. Get relationships going, refer work, make customers happy by getting jobs done, Pick a niche and stick with it.

We have a niche, landscaping. Sod is part of that I thought.

[Mark Oomkes]

Originally Posted by nepatsfan

We have a niche, landscaping. Sod is part of that I thought.

Can you provide me with the sod, equipment and labor to install 4' wide and 150' rolls cheaper than I can provide 5, 10, 20 laborers to install 1 yd rolls at a time?

So is hydromulching, but I don't do enough and the company I work with can do it within a day.

So is bark blowing, and if I need it badly enough, they will also schedule it within 24 hours.

Same with trees or stumps. Or irrigation.

Because I use these companies exclusively and have used some of them for 20+ years.

Even if I did a lot lawn installs, if these guys want to provide this service and own the truck and sprayer, why would I want to tie up my capital?

Same with any of the other services.

[straightlineland]

write a contract that describes you are installing sod, require a deposit as it is normal part of business, and make sure she knows you arent going to warranty it.

[Patriot Services]

I would never let the customer supply the sod. You have no control over the quality. It could be half burned crap that is left over from last week. 3/4 of my sod business is from referrals of previous work. No way am I putting my name on a job i didn't do from start to finish.