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Fair price for mulch?

9K views 38 replies 11 participants last post by  unkownfl 
#1 Ā·
Hey guys. I'm giving a price for a small mulch job. I have 1existing bed that's 17ft x 8ft which needs to be cleaned up and remulched. I also need to create a bed around a Magnolia tree approx. 6ft round. I figured about 1 1/2 yards of red mulch and about 3 hours labor including picking up the mulch and getting rid of debris. I came up with $280.00. Does this sound like a fair price or am I to low?
 
#27 Ā·
Ninety percent of my thatch jobs are on sa lawns. They are usually overwatered and over fertilized and almost always benefit from verti cutting.
Fl

I have seen your correct verticutting and know you even had a special Reel made for SA. Most people who verticut butcher the yard by trying to remove too much thatch. I believe Ifas.fla.edu./ has proper verticutting direction.

BUT MY MAIN POINT HERE IS. Proper cultural and chemical practise must be followed if the yard is to stay healthy. 99% of the time I see the same people over watering and the Lawn goes right back to what it was before the Verticut.

.
 
#29 Ā·
Ninety percent of my thatch jobs are on sa lawns. They are usually overwatered and over fertilized and almost always benefit from verti cutting.
Bryan,

As you know we have been discussing this and I am doing my first property tomorrow. Will let you know, but I do not remember if I told you or not the other day, the fert company for the customer we are doing tomorrow said when I called them to let them know the lawn was getting verticut that if I want they have a stack of work for me as no one is offering it around here. I think with your help I may have found a nice little extra bump in income if I continue to get fair prices for this. The one tomorrow is a little less than 6k and is bringing in $400. If it takes no longer than what you have informed me that is a very profitable little gig. As discussed the Zoysia lawns we have around here maintained at 4 inches are great candidates also.
Thanks again for your input and guidance through this first verticut.
 
#30 Ā·
That's really great......hate to say I told you so....but.....I told you once people know you do it, you will sell a lot of it because no one else is doing it AND it is truly beneficial.

Bryan,

As you know we have been discussing this and I am doing my first property tomorrow. Will let you know, but I do not remember if I told you or not the other day, the fert company for the customer we are doing tomorrow said when I called them to let them know the lawn was getting verticut that if I want they have a stack of work for me as no one is offering it around here. I think with your help I may have found a nice little extra bump in income if I continue to get fair prices for this. The one tomorrow is a little less than 6k and is bringing in $400. If it takes no longer than what you have informed me that is a very profitable little gig. As discussed the Zoysia lawns we have around here maintained at 4 inches are great candidates also.
Thanks again for your input and guidance through this first verticut.
 
#31 Ā· (Edited)
Mike, you will hardly be the only one doing it.:walking: I haven't done well selling it. Seems like fert companies talk them into core aerating and then I end up making the money up on fixing irrigation wires and pipes. I guess you can't win on both sides. I have a dethatcher though but it verticuts I guess this is what you guys are talking about. Hard fixed blades and not the thin wire kind. It use to be used on my grand parents Bermuda after the rye starts to die out.
 
#32 Ā·
Funny I never see anyone on this Florida forum talking about verti cutting they do. I think it absolutely is a service mostly untapped. So who on here actually owns a vert cutter? From mikes fert guy saying he doesn't know anyone who does it to all the people I do it for who say they can't find anyone to do it. I'm not saying anyone is reinventing the wheel, but this is a service most people don't truly provide and own the equipment to do it. Maybe your town is a unique situation full of companies de thatching?
 
#33 Ā·
Funny I never see anyone on this Florida forum talking about verti cutting they do. I think it absolutely is a service mostly untapped. So who on here actually owns a vert cutter? From mikes fert guy saying he doesn't know anyone who does it to all the people I do it for who say they can't find anyone to do it. I'm not saying anyone is reinventing the wheel, but this is a service most people don't truly provide and own the equipment to do it. Maybe your town is a unique situation full of companies de thatching?
Being that I lived in SWFL it is a totally different breed of people here. Down there it seems more people are use to having grass and dumping money into it every year from them being from the north. Here it seems we have more home growns and lawn hacks. They seem to think Crabgrass is St Augustine and that Zoysia is what's on golf courses.
 
#34 Ā·
Mike, you will hardly be the only one doing it.:walking: I haven't done well selling it. Seems like fert companies talk them into core aerating and then I end up making the money up on fixing irrigation wires and pipes. I guess you can't win on both sides. I have a dethatcher though but it verticuts I guess this is what you guys are talking about. Hard fixed blades and not the thin wire kind. It use to be used on my grand parents Bermuda after the rye starts to die out.
The only reason I am doing this first one is I have a customer that every year ask me if I know of anyone. I do not and I have called several connections here locally asking anyone if they know anyone who does trying to help this guy out. Nobody that I know in the local green industry knows of anyone. So when I called to inform the homeowners L and O company the owner got really excited. He said if I wanted more he would throw lots of work my way as he did not know anyone that did it either. We will see. I have one of the other chemical sales reps informed now to as of a few minutes ago. He said he has a few people in mind that have seville in full sun that he knows would be interested. We will see but it sounds promising.

I can see the market being here because of those from up north are familiar with it on their cool season turfs...so they can understand it and know the benefits ......well if you tell them it is dethatching that is.
 
#35 Ā·
The only reason I am doing this first one is I have a customer that every year ask me if I know of anyone. I do not and I have called several connections here locally asking anyone if they know anyone who does trying to help this guy out. Nobody that I know in the local green industry knows of anyone. So when I called to inform the homeowners L and O company the owner got really excited. He said if I wanted more he would throw lots of work my way as he did not know anyone that did it either. We will see. I have one of the other chemical sales reps informed now to as of a few minutes ago. He said he has a few people in mind that have seville in full sun that he knows would be interested. We will see but it sounds promising.

I can see the market being here because of those from up north are familiar with it on their cool season turfs...so they can understand it and know the benefits ......well if you tell them it is dethatching that is.
If he has so many that want it why hasn't he bought one and started doing it. Seems to me 300+ a yard with 3000 in equipment is not a hard decision. Just do yourself a favor and buy a bagger to fit on your walk behind or smallest rear gate mower it helps with clean up big time.
 
#36 Ā·
If he has so many that want it why hasn't he bought one and started doing it. Seems to me 300+ a yard with 3000 in equipment is not a hard decision. Just do yourself a favor and buy a bagger to fit on your walk behind or smallest rear gate mower it helps with clean up big time.
The offer the aeration but not this as he told me he had quoted this customer for that. I do not know. Maybe because the are happy with the fert and squirt side of the business? Don't know but if he wants to get me more and I think it can remain profitable then so be it. :clapping:
 
#37 Ā·
The offer the aeration but not this as he told me he had quoted this customer for that. I do not know. Maybe because the are happy with the fert and squirt side of the business? Don't know but if he wants to get me more and I think it can remain profitable then so be it. :clapping:
Definitely for sure. Have you got any replacements yet?
 
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