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Appartment Complex Bid Help

5K views 35 replies 11 participants last post by  LwnmwrMan22 
#1 ·
A local appratment complex asked me to meet them next Tuesday to give them a bid on their property. It's probably the largest complex in town but its mostly open areas with few obstacles. Theres a total of 27 buildings that would have to be trimmed around as well as a community pool. I am thinking between 8 and 10 hours with just 2 guys. No spraying round up or fert to put down. Trimming hedges will be a seperate bid. My main concern is this complex isn't the nicest one in town (i.e.: the tenants, welfare low-life type thing). I will have to leave the truck and equipment out of my sight for a while. I've got locks on the trailer and everything but what do you add to cover the risk? Also would it be better for both guys to mow, or one mow one trim? If I use the one mow one trim method, I can leave some equipment at the shop so I don't have to worry? So basically what would you bid and how would you recommend tackling it?

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#27 ·
That's what I was thinking. After the first couple cuts I should be able to knock a couple hours off. My total costs involved would be around $250 (includes employee pay, fuel, trimmer string, wear and tear, etc.)
Another thing you could do... if you're licensed for chemicals, is to spray a growth regulator around the buildings. Not round up, but something like Embark, Primo Maxx, there's more too.

This will keep the grass green, but not growing, to the point where you can get by with trimming once / month or so.

It's not cheap, might cost you $500 for one app, but it'll save in labor, if for no other reason that 3 weeks of the year you can have 2 guys mowing and no guys trimming. Which means onto the next account that much sooner.

In order to get it done in 8 hours, you're going to have to do each building with the light brown roofs in an hour each, mow and trim. Then the buildings in the triangle on the other side of the road, you have 2 hours to get all the mowing and trimming done there. Then in the top right, where it sort of trails off into another oddly shaped "triangle", you have an hour to mow that field.

I suppose it could get done in 8 hours. But like others have said. You get a rain storm in the middle of the day that slows you down, or as you said earlier, it's a lower cost of living place, so be prepared for stuff in your way, even though they're not supposed to have stuff in your way.
 
#29 ·
When I walked there to get the bid they actually only own everything on the right side of the street. By looking at it I was thinking 6-8 hours. I bid $620 per cut. When I turned it in the lady looked surprised so I asked her how far off was I. She told me the current company (biggest in town) is only charging $225 per cut. They bring 4 guys and it takes them 4-5 hours. She also told me that is the same price as they quoted 10 years ago. Why they are only charging that I don't know. Heck a normal 1/4 acre yard they charge $50 and it takes 2 guys less then 20 minutes. Some things in life just don't make since.
 
#30 ·
When I walked there to get the bid they actually only own everything on the right side of the street. By looking at it I was thinking 6-8 hours. I bid $620 per cut. When I turned it in the lady looked surprised so I asked her how far off was I. She told me the current company (biggest in town) is only charging $225 per cut. They bring 4 guys and it takes them 4-5 hours. She also told me that is the same price as they quoted 10 years ago. Why they are only charging that I don't know. Heck a normal 1/4 acre yard they charge $50 and it takes 2 guys less then 20 minutes. Some things in life just don't make since.
She was blowing smoke up your rear.
 
#31 ·
She was blowing smoke up your rear.
I don't think so.

I mow a 1/4 acre for $50, but I have 6-8 acre properties that I mow for $250.

It's all in the property. If I've got an 8 acre property that I can get the 15' mower in and no trimming, I'll knock it out in an hour.

If I use my 48" walkbehind, in a gated property, with oodles of trimming, I could be there for the same hour, or 45 minutes anyways, and still only charge $50.
 
#32 ·
I actually knew the lady, and I believe her. She told me they don't even go looking for bids since they know it's impossible to compete at that price but since she knew me she took it in case the other company goes up. Some of the things this other company does around here doesn't make since but thats life I guess.
 
#33 ·
Whats weird is I ran my numbers and my cost on this property would have been between $225-$250, and that was me, 1-2 helpers, 2 60"Z's, 3 trimmers, 1 edger, 2 blowers, and lots of fuel. This other company is running more equipment and workers but is charging less. This type of bs makes me want to stick to residenntal accounts.
 
#34 ·
Whats weird is I ran my numbers and my cost on this property would have been between $225-$250, and that was me, 1-2 helpers, 2 60"Z's, 3 trimmers, 1 edger, 2 blowers, and lots of fuel. This other company is running more equipment and workers but is charging less. This type of bs makes me want to stick to residenntal accounts.
This last line might be true, but we all know that the properties that have a $20 COST to them, there's guys that are willing to do them for $22.

Residential or commercial markets, they'll both have their properties that pay very well, as well as don't pay very well.
 
#35 ·
Whats weird is I ran my numbers and my cost on this property would have been between $225-$250, and that was me, 1-2 helpers, 2 60"Z's, 3 trimmers, 1 edger, 2 blowers, and lots of fuel. This other company is running more equipment and workers but is charging less. This type of bs makes me want to stick to residenntal accounts.
This last line might be true, but we all know that the properties that have a $20 COST to them, there's guys that are willing to do them for $22.

Residential or commercial markets, they'll both have their properties that pay very well, as well as don't pay very well.
 
#36 ·
Whats weird is I ran my numbers and my cost on this property would have been between $225-$250, and that was me, 1-2 helpers, 2 60"Z's, 3 trimmers, 1 edger, 2 blowers, and lots of fuel. This other company is running more equipment and workers but is charging less. This type of bs makes me want to stick to residenntal accounts.
This last line might be true, but we all know that the properties that have a $20 COST to them, there's guys that are willing to do them for $22.

Residential or commercial markets, they'll both have their properties that pay very well, as well as don't pay very well.
 
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