Figuring curbside leaf removal

[nobagger]

My advise.....don't offer curb side removal! Its never worth it. People rake all kinds of sticks, rocks and whatever else will damage your loader and expect to pay 50 bucks for it. We used to offer it but only ever did less than 5 and out of those 5 or so we took more time picking out good sized branches, rocks, dog leashes and anything else these people thought our "huge vac" could suck up.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by FerrisDiesel

All of my weekly lawn customers have me do full service fall clean-ups. There are some people in the towns that I service that just can't afford a $300.00 clean-up, or they just like to rake the leaves themselves. There are alot of companies around here that do "You rake them, we take them" and make a boatload of money doing so especially if you have a very efficient setup.

$300 for a clean up.....

that's part of your problem.

I service my clients weekly for fall clean ups and I charge them like $10/$15 extra for the 10/15 extra min I'm there dealing with the grass catcher and blowing out the mulch beds.

[FerrisDiesel]

Originally Posted by yardguy28

$300 for a clean up.....

that's part of your problem.

I service my clients weekly for fall clean ups and I charge them like $10/$15 extra for the 10/15 extra min I'm there dealing with the grass catcher and blowing out the mulch beds.

I'm not sure where you are located, but most of my lawns are pretty big and COVERED in oak trees $300.00 is not alot of money for a full service clean-up. Istart servicing my lawns bi-weekly in October until all the leaves fall, and it doesn't take anywhere near 10-15 minutes extra.

[nobagger]

Originally Posted by yardguy28

$300 for a clean up.....

that's part of your problem.

I service my clients weekly for fall clean ups and I charge them like $10/$15 extra for the 10/15 extra min I'm there dealing with the grass catcher and blowing out the mulch beds.

You must do some very small lawns with minimal trees....like 1 sapling.

[yardguy28]

quarter to half an acre is the average with usually not more than half a dozen trees.

mulch on the first pass, bag on the second pass. doing it that way I empty the catcher twice total.

[gene gls]

Originally Posted by yardguy28

quarter to half an acre is the average with usually not more than half a dozen trees.

mulch on the first pass, bag on the second pass. doing it that way I empty the catcher twice total.

I run a Walker with a 7 bushel hopper. I did a 1.5 acre property last week that I had 63 hoppers full ......

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by gene gls

I run a Walker with a 7 bushel hopper. I did a 1.5 acre property last week that I had 63 hoppers full ......

did you mulch them up first or collect on the first pass?

I throw the catcher make the first pass and don't empty it until I've made a pass over all turf areas. once the catcher is full it makes rows of mulched up leaves.

then I make a second pass in a different direction. usually I can make it through the yard again without dumping but if I can't I keep going and empty when done and make a third pass.

my grass catchers are 3 bushels. so average I get 6 bushels from each property on a weekly basis.

[grasscutter24]

Originally Posted by nobagger

My advise.....don't offer curb side removal! Its never worth it. People rake all kinds of sticks, rocks and whatever else will damage your loader and expect to pay 50 bucks for it. We used to offer it but only ever did less than 5 and out of those 5 or so we took more time picking out good sized branches, rocks, dog leashes and anything else these people thought our "huge vac" could suck up.

So true. I no longer offer curb side pick-up either. Got tired of all the trash that people would put in the piles. On top of that the same people expect to pay nothing because "they did all of the work." No thanks!

[SDLandscapes VT]

I really get a kick out of the guys from the midwest telling us guys in new england to mulch leaves--that would be an exercise in futility

I worked for three seasons in Minnesota, four seasons in South Carolina, and the rest of my life in Vermont--New England has the most leaves by far and you have to own and know how to manage several different leaf control systems--from blowers and leaf plows to bagging systems and most definitely a truck loader

We take care of properties all less than 1.5 acres and with a three man crew we clean between 4 to 6 a day

[Uranus]

Labor rate + disposal fee + extra profit to stick in your pocket.

Don't do it if your not hitting a homerun. If you dump for free still charge them a dumping fee. They need it gone, you need $$$$, and you have other jobs that could be getting done. If you find trash, rocks, or large sticks, toss them back into their yard. Keep your eyes open. It's a leaf vac not a wood chipper.