i would say that the $200-225 for just the labor is fine... then add the cost of the sod.

 

My general price range was going to be somewhere between $200 to 225. Any body with professional advice would be greatly appriciated. Thanks.

I agree, the $200-$250 is okay for the labor only. In the Savannah Georgia area, we charge about $300 per pallet to lay sod (this includes the pallet of sod) and then we add the ground prep fee and any chemical treatments (fertilizing or Roundup, etc.) on top of the $300 per pallet.

If you charge $200-$250 for the entire job, you are underpricing...

 

I'm going to be doing a sod laying job for one of my annual customers. It's an area of 12' x 17'. The price of the sod is $92.40 and I'll have about 10 bucks in gas for traveling. I'll be doing the job by myself. Before I got there contract, they had a crab grass spot that was spreading. They sprayed the area to kill it. I have to pick the new sod up and load it on my trailer. (1/2 of a palet), I also have to remove the dead st. augustine and take that to my compost pile. For this job what's the general price I should charge them? My general price range was going to be somewhere between $200 to 225. Any body with professional advice would be greatly appriciated. Thanks.

Two different companies in this area charge 275.00 per pallet and that includes removal of the old stuff. How do you plan to remove the dead stuff?Do you have a Sod Cutter? I think 225.00 is fair, it won't take but about 45 minutes to put it down once its prepped.

 

wow... that's really cheap.

 

I use a company that charges me .55c per sq.ft. an they do everything, i charge the client .56c
Win win for me

 

I use a company that charges me .55c per sq.ft. an they do everything, i charge the client .56c
Win win for me

You're kidding right?

 

Thank you for the replies. No Kmann, I don't have a sod cutter, I haven't worked my way up to that point to be honest with you. I'll be doing it the old school way. :hammerhead: The area was sprayed a while back, long before I got the contract. I looked over the grass, it'll be fairly easy to remove. My guess was around 250-300 per palet. I just started about three months ago. Poncho, you said 56c. per square foot? How do you even make any money on that price once you figure in sod, gas, and labor? There's no way I can charge that, I'll be doing the job on my time, expense and labor for almost nothing.

 

I use a company that charges me .55c per sq.ft. an they do everything, i charge the client .56c
Win win for me

Actually guys, think about it. At .56c per square foot and on average about 450-500 square feet of sod on a pallet, then they are being charged about $250-$280 a pallet. If his contracted company does all of the transort and installation labor, then Poncho is making about $5 a pallet while standing back and watching, or from his living room chair. (10,000 square foot lawn, 20 pallets, that is $100 for someone else doing the work) Then two weeks later, Poncho gets up and goes and cuts the grass, every week for the rest of the season at (on average) about $40-$50 per visit.

Not bad if you do not really want to be in the Sod Business...

 

Actually guys, think about it. At .56c per square foot and on average about 450-500 square feet of sod on a pallet, then they are being charged about $250-$280 a pallet. If his contracted company does all of the transort and installation labor, then Poncho is making about $5 a pallet while standing back and watching, or from his living room chair. (10,000 square foot lawn, 20 pallets, that is $100 for someone else doing the work) Then two weeks later, Poncho gets up and goes and cuts the grass, every week for the rest of the season at (on average) about $40-$50 per visit.

Not bad if you do not really want to be in the Sod Business...

Not bad gig huh, Yes 250$ for labor sounds good then add the price of the sod and you should come out ahead nicely.

 

Actually guys, think about it. At .56c per square foot and on average about 450-500 square feet of sod on a pallet, then they are being charged about $250-$280 a pallet. If his contracted company does all of the transort and installation labor, then Poncho is making about $5 a pallet while standing back and watching, or from his living room chair. (10,000 square foot lawn, 20 pallets, that is $100 for someone else doing the work) Then two weeks later, Poncho gets up and goes and cuts the grass, every week for the rest of the season at (on average) about $40-$50 per visit.

Not bad if you do not really want to be in the Sod Business...

yup thats excatly right, if its a larger lot, i charge 75 cents. The contrator I got no only gives it to me at that price but they remove and will clean out the area prior at no additional cost, so if I really wanted to, i can charge for a clean up also. But Total got it right, I make about 100.00 and up for all of the sod jobs I have done so far, and I don't lift a finger till its rooted in an needs to be maintained

 

I understand Poncho. When you said 56c per square foot I thought you went you were doing the work. That's why I said how do you make money. That is a good gig for you. I see how it works now.

 

I use a company that charges me .55c per sq.ft. an they do everything, i charge the client .56c
Win win for me

your still leaving alot of cash on the table. I do the same thing but the nursery i use charges $0.65/sf for everything and I charge $0.99.

If you stay busy doing other stuff you can charge more for sod jobs. Most guys in the area are between 0.55- 0.65/sf, but you need your own sod cutter to even be compete at that price...

For something small like that I would do it myself for $300. I usually charge $450.00 for 500sf of sod installed includes prep work as well. I charge more than alot of guys b/c I stay busy doing palm trees and our regular lawns....

just my $0.02

 

that sounds really cheap. We are laying a job in the morning we got 642 a pallet (9k for 14 pallets) with about 60 man hours of prep work and 300 in irrigation parts.

even after prep and parts comes out around 365 a pallet i think.

I would be closer to around 400 to cut out and prep that area. Gotta figure in your load and unload time if you wanna make a profit. If your not going to turn profit you may as well just find another lawn to cut to make a few bucks on.

I dont think I was over priced because another bid came in at 13k

 

im in the clermont area where the highest prices ive seen are 350 per pallet the lowest ive seen is 175 icharge 260 to 275 perpallet all included unless terrain or other variables warrant more

 

im in the clermont area where the highest prices ive seen are 350 per pallet the lowest ive seen is 175 icharge 260 to 275 perpallet all included unless terrain or other variables warrant more

Charging by the pallet is not unlike charging by the sqare foot to lay sod, or by the square foot to paint a new home, or installing drywall by the square foot.

Problem with the square foot type of pricing is everyone with a grade 5 can calculate it. It leaves hardly any room to make money as it's easy to go down real tight.

I found that the services where I make the most profit are not easily charged by the square foot. For example, changing a rock bed, redoing stucco, pruning, repairing damage on buildings... Find a way to add to the job, and get away from square foot pricing. That will lead you straight to the poor house. You can bet on that!

 

I wouldnt touch a pallet of sod for what some of you guys get unless the prep was done.

I thought my bid was high til 13k came in. They told me I could of been 12k and would of got it.

I guess there was more than average prep and tear out but still aint been that bad at all

 

Chuck, were both located in the same general area. 250 to 300 is the going rate for sod. A lot of you guys that are in other states make way more than us guys in Florida. To be honest, I can't figure it out. The holmes are being built by the thousands here

 

Chuck, were both located in the same general area. 250 to 300 is the going rate for sod. A lot of you guys that are in other states make way more than us guys in Florida. To be honest, I can't figure it out. The holmes are being built by the thousands here

yeah but your also in a super super high competition area.. Im sure you have seen how many landscapers are around the villages. I dont see how yall do it. Guy cuts my parents lawn in the woodbury village for like 50 a month... thats like 10 bucks a cut. sure he does half the street but geeze... yall are choking eachother off and just drop your prices instead of raising them

 

yeah but your also in a super super high competition area.. Im sure you have seen how many landscapers are around the villages. I dont see how yall do it. Guy cuts my parents lawn in the woodbury village for like 50 a month... thats like 10 bucks a cut. sure he does half the street but geeze... yall are choking eachother off and just drop your prices instead of raising them

YEah that is very big, but honestly that 50 dollar a month guy for the most part is not reliable, never returns calls, blah blah blah...I know this because more then half my clients are willing to pay that extra amount for someone who will be there when they say, who will return their calls the same day, someone who cares about them....I am also very picky now, I will not take jobs that will kick up more dust then grass clippings. I am very professional and it shows in my appearance, the way I treat them, and the quality and care I take in my work...so I can justify my prices as well as caring 2mil insurance. All my equip is clean every day, the trailer is enclosed and cleaned every week as well as my truck. I am blabbing on here

 

In Texas , they charge $30 a pallet to lay sod.


I dont lay sod.

 

the 50 a month guy is reliable but trying to get him to do extras takes weeks sometimes. He does a "good" job on most everything except the edges are done with a trimmer and usually about 2 inches from the concrete.

im not chasing 300 accts for 15k a month with 3 employees

Just a different world..

Yankee some sod companies will do it..I cant find one here that will install it. I use my own guys and charge 120 per pallet. Took us 24 man hours to lay 14 yesterday with lots of curved curbs (parking lot islands) and lots of tree rings to cut.

 

Chuck, were both located in the same general area. 250 to 300 is the going rate for sod. A lot of you guys that are in other states make way more than us guys in Florida. To be honest, I can't figure it out. The holmes are being built by the thousands here

This is true. Like i said before the big companies can lay 20 pallets in a couple hrs and drive the price way down by doing volume. I guy last week told me ha had his whole yard resodded after putting in a pool for 30cents a sq ft. So if you can get 300 per pallet, your'e doing pretty good. I'm about 30 miles east of you guys and the prices seem the same.

 

Thank you for the replies. No Kmann, I don't have a sod cutter, I haven't worked my way up to that point to be honest with you. I'll be doing it the old school way. :hammerhead: The area was sprayed a while back, long before I got the contract. I looked over the grass, it'll be fairly easy to remove. My guess was around 250-300 per palet. I just started about three months ago. Poncho, you said 56c. per square foot? How do you even make any money on that price once you figure in sod, gas, and labor? There's no way I can charge that, I'll be doing the job on my time, expense and labor for almost nothing.

Just so you know depending on what the grass was sprayed with you will need to remove soil to as well as the grass if not you are taking a chance of killing the new grass as well. Do to left over chemicals in the soil.

 

This is true. Like i said before the big companies can lay 20 pallets in a couple hrs and drive the price way down by doing volume. I guy last week told me ha had his whole yard resodded after putting in a pool for 30cents a sq ft. So if you can get 300 per pallet, your'e doing pretty good. I'm about 30 miles east of you guys and the prices seem the same.

.30 a sq ft ? CHIT I cant even buy st aug that cheap shoot i charge a quarter or a bit more just to install it without prep..and Im usually more reasonably proced than most guys. Too many construction contractors here just box blade and have thier guys drop sod on new constructions

 

3x whatever it cost you , 95 for the stuff , 30 for the chemical and 10 for gas , around $405.00 sounds good