I seem to have a hard time getting people to pay my rates when it comes to trimming hedges. I'm not sure if most just include it into their monthly price or what, but most times I find it's just a hassle, but luckily I don't get asked too often or I'll notice a particular vine or bush that needs to be trimmed on a property and i'll do it for an extra 20 bucks while I'm there. I only offer if it's something I can make quick money on usually. I told somebody one time I'd trim their hedges down to be even with the fence that was probably 20 feet long and another bush in the back, plus mow the yard. The yard was super small. I told him 100 bucks. Luckily he didn't take that price and said he had a another guy do it for cheaper. Would have been a pain cause the branches were thicker than a hedge trimmer could cut for the most part.
Ready to Mow
I don't do much pruning. Problem is most people don't realize what goes into doing the job right, and therefore don't want to pay what it's worth.
I don't want to do it wrong, and more Importantly I don't want to do it cheap.
I've literally had a homeowner tell me it takes him 10 minutes to prune a 10ft tall x 50ft long privet hedge. I'm thinking to myself it'll take that long to unload and reload the ladder from the truck. Nevermind doing the actual work.
How do you explain to the customer that what he thinks is a "10 minute job" will cost him $150?
I don't want to do it wrong, and more Importantly I don't want to do it cheap.
I've literally had a homeowner tell me it takes him 10 minutes to prune a 10ft tall x 50ft long privet hedge. I'm thinking to myself it'll take that long to unload and reload the ladder from the truck. Nevermind doing the actual work.
How do you explain to the customer that what he thinks is a "10 minute job" will cost him $150?
Some people don't have the proper equipment and the job takes longer for them to do. So here is how I think about bush jobs. I charge by the job and the time it takes. Both ways. Mowing is easy money for me so if i'm going to work harder I'm going to get paid for doing so. I like trimming bush jobs until you hit the mother load wasp nest. LOL So now I hit the bushes with a leaf rake.
I price every shrub trimming job by the job. I'm not a fan of set hourly rate but I do have a target number that I try to beat. I've won a bunch of jobs based off of my shrub trimming so people don't mind paying my prices because they know they're getting a really good end product
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I walk around the property and price each shrub then give them a total price. If the customer likes to talk or is a pita I add a few hours to the total. Charging per shrub I can make more then my hourly rate. I've only had one customer complain about the price and they had another person do then, about a month later they had me do them.
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I came across these online almost 2 months ago,and I'm considering buying. http://www.shrubcoat.com/c/27/clip-catcher-shrub-clippings
Old towels work great and are wayyy cheaper. Even bed sheets or something similar work really well, are bigger and less money
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I like this idea, but yeah seems like a tarp would be just as effective....won't snap or tear like a bedsheet...
Also you can just more over the clippings then blow them into a corner (or under the hedge) and collect them.
Great thread. Not all hedges are the same...when I quote a property if I feel the hedge can be done in a timely manner (10 min or less) and it's not too tall I'll include it (6ft or below). Anything bigger I charge extra...especially when ladders need to be used...
Here in South Florida it's become popular to have 10-15 ft privacy hedges. I have two houses that have about a 15 ft hedge on all three sides!! The hedge takes me way, way more time than the rest of the lawn....I price it separately and it helps for a few reasons.
1. More work means more time means customer should pay more.
2. Hedges don't need trimming on each visit for lawn service. So if you build it in customer might start saying "why did I just pay him so much...."
4. Likewise if it is built in customer might expect trimming upon every visit even if there's just two or three spikes sticking up...
3. By pricing separately, if customer gets picky and starts asking for hedge trimming more often, I say no problem (as long as they pay the extra).
In general we need/deserve to be paid a fair wage for our work. A hedge can easily add a lot of extra work...
DKF
Here in South Florida it's become popular to have 10-15 ft privacy hedges. I have two houses that have about a 15 ft hedge on all three sides!! The hedge takes me way, way more time than the rest of the lawn....I price it separately and it helps for a few reasons.
1. More work means more time means customer should pay more.
2. Hedges don't need trimming on each visit for lawn service. So if you build it in customer might start saying "why did I just pay him so much...."
4. Likewise if it is built in customer might expect trimming upon every visit even if there's just two or three spikes sticking up...
3. By pricing separately, if customer gets picky and starts asking for hedge trimming more often, I say no problem (as long as they pay the extra).
In general we need/deserve to be paid a fair wage for our work. A hedge can easily add a lot of extra work...
DKF
If we have to get on a ladder, hedges are not included in the price. You really have to add a little time on what you initially think it's going to be to factor in fatigue, especially in the summer. Going up and down ladder, moving ladder, cleanup can be underestimated.
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I just found this on Youtube regarding this particular product. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSBj27PbRQUq43KwzUedcpjOFCk51ngD1
Those actually look like they would save a ton of time, much faster then a bed sheet or tarp.
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