How much would you charge to cut this yard? It took me 6 hours. There was a lot of weed eating. A ton of debris, and rocks everywhere. There is a very steep hill. There are two separate houses. But i am doing both. And for both they gave me $140. It seems low to me. I was super tiered afterward, it was no cakewalk. Here are some pics:
The property line in the first photo is that tree line in the upper right hand corner of the picture. (Were that dirt meets those trees) The second photo is part of the backyard, there is another section, about the same size. In the last photo (photo #4) the property line is about the far left hand corner of the pic. IN this photo it is that front yard of the second house. Remember everything had to be weedeated. Trees, driveways. . .
If it makes you feel any better it appears as if Google may not have been charging enough for their services either, so maybe they're super tiered too.
If it makes you feel any better it appears as if Google may not have been charging enough for their services either, so maybe they're super tiered too.
I bill at 40 an hr. 6x40=240. I'd knock it down to $225. That's for residential. Commercial is more.[/ I'm assuming the hill is split evenly by to owners. $150/ owner If they allow you to keep it maintain monthly. If not the rate goes up.
$240ish. I had a similar property as in it was rocky, didn't take as long. Took about as long as a regular mow.
I dropped the property this year because business has been good, but when I took it I had them sign an addendum on the contract saying I'm not responsible for broken windows due to the condition of the lawn. I was careful and never broke a window, but it took me longer and I charged accordingly to walk the lawn first, then mow and trim. By the end of the season I had a pile of rocks against the house that would have made a great rock garden.
As I said I dropped them this year. I have more clients, and there isn't a drought that kind of forced my hand to take them on to get in some sort of money, but in the end even with the extra charge to walk the property it wasn't worth the time and effort to keep a property in which the owners had no desire to improve.
You might want to think about not even doing this property, it made me miserable.
This is my first year doing "acreage" I got my license last month so my parents dont have to take me everywhere anymore. I have a scag sfw 36" (which conveniently broke the pully on the wheel came off all 4 bolts so back to the dealer) And a honda push mower. It could all be cut with a 48 52 60 etc. I just have not satisfied the need to get one. As of now its my FIRST large yard. If i get more clients like this though I will get a used WB 48, or 52, and bootleg, until I satisfied the need for a ztr or stand on either or. Both yards are similar, but one of them has so many rocks its a nightmare to deal with. MY blades need sharping. He is going to scrap the ground eventually, but has of now its pretty bad.
The size of the property:
BOTH properties are lakeside. Just theres no water so...
House #1
Front yard 200ft by 100ft. Lots of trees/bushes. Back yard about the same. But steep hill.
House #2 Debris everywhere, junk, sheetrock, 2x4, rocks. (remodeling the house) Back yard similar to house number 1 back yard except even more trees.
Any suggestions for posting pics so you guys can see them?
Some people have no pride in their yard. I politely decline this type of customer. It happened a couple weeks ago to me. Lady called saying she had three houses in a row, her's, her mother's and her sister's. She desribed the area as a gentle slope that could all be mowed, no trimming aside from around the houses.
I pull up and look at a yard that would make a mountain goat cry. It was also littered with lumber, cinder block, red brick, old pipe...etc and obviously had not been cut since mid summer of the previous year.
No way I am fighting that crap all year. Even if you cleaned it up they looked like the type that would junk it up in a few weeks. Posted via Mobile Device
Simple answer is drop that property. I wouldn't even attempt to raise the price $140 for 6 hours of work is ridiculous. Also, you mentioned rocks and debris everywhere. The likelyhood of you throwing a rock or something else through a window or into a vehicle goes way up.
We had a similar property but it was much smaller. The whole yard was a hill with a steeper decline towards the front of the property. Shale rock all over the place. We cut it 2 times then the owner came out talking to us about her landlord cutting one time and breaking her car window and not wanting to pay for it. That was the last time we cut her property
You are a kid and they took advantage of you so shame on them. They know their property is a chit hole and I do NOT take on those types. The price that has been given for $220 to $240 is about right BUT again, I wouldn't touch it.
Could it be the op is just slow. I may have taken him 6 hrs but it could have taken another possibly better equipped LCO 2 hours. I don't know just a thought. Still sounds like a pos property Posted via Mobile Device
@chesterlawn. That's how I cost a residential job. I work on getting more in the same area. As I bid them out my hourly rate goes up. Example: I pick up a residential account for 75 a month. If I pick up one next door it only adds a few minutes to my time but increases my hourly rate a lot. I probably avg. 60 an hr. residential.
Could it be the op is just slow. I may have taken him 6 hrs but it could have taken another possibly better equipped LCO 2 hours. I don't know just a thought. Still sounds like a pos property
I think the problem is THEM telling YOU what they are going to pay instead of the other way around. 23/hour is not enough. By the time you calculate in your gas, use of equipment, insurance, travel time, etc etc you're earning peanuts. If you're in the position to be able to tell them what price you were thinking I would tell them 300. If it is your honest mistake, you can tell them 140 is fine, but from now on it would have to be 300. Don't get stuck working for nothing all season. Nip it in the bud even if it means not earning much this first time.
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