[leeslawncare]

How do some of you guys charge for planting plants?I've got to install 9 dwarf nandinas an 9 mums .i've already got the mulching job @ 70$ per yard .what would be a fair price to plant these .It is a commercial property if that matters.Thanks

 

[SJR Lawncare]

I typically charge 2x what I pay for the plant, & tack on a little extra for my travel time to pick-up the plants, gas etc.
SJR

 

[Ssouth]

A good formula to use for installations is to take the price of mechandise double it and add twenty percent. This formula is used by a lot of general contractors in my area and it has worked well for me. I always like to bid jobs at $40/ hr plus material and when I compare this figure to the before mentioned formula they usually come out pretty close. You should also consider whether you are buying wholesale or retail. I always buy wholesale unless it can't be helped.
Good luck,
Stuart H. South

 

[turfman99]

Ahh, some guys that know how to charge for their work. Excellent.

Plants material times 2. Charge your going rate ( I like that $ 40 per hour)on how long it takes you to plant the plants. Mininmum 1 hour of course. I always add at least 10% contingency to everything we do.

Add support time ( drive, shop etc) at the rate of 1 hour per 7 worked or a prorate portion of that.

Good price on the mulching also. Keep it up and you'll have a good year.

 

[Vibe Ray]

Hey Turfman99, i have to admit, your profile(life story) sounds pretty impressive. do you have any spare time??

 

[KirbysLawn]

I charge 2.5 times the price of the plant with 1-year warranty. The reason it's 2.5x instead of 2x is if a plant is replaced you break even, at 2.5 you still get something.

 

[TGCummings]

Very informative thread. Answered two questions I was going to research over the weekend, all in one fell swoop.

Thanks again!

-TGC

 

[GrassMaster]

Hello Profiteers:

This was the hardest things that I had to do was figure Landscape Installation. Then I got lucky & one of the old Pros told me.

Yep he said in most cases, 2.3 X materials. Well I went 2.5 sometimes 3 X cost of materials.

But if it was a lot of manual labor I would up it some! I stayed at 2.5 to 3 X's in most cases. It sure did save me a lot of time & head scratching. Folks like it when you crank out a quick professional Estimate. Makes you look like ya gots brains!

After I did it a few times, I then came up with similar figures using the good ole X's factor for aerating, fertilizing & etc...

I love it whenever I can save time? I'm crazy about it.

Money is Work Divided by Time!

 

[leeslawncare]

Thanks for the replys!

 

[HealthyLawns]

You guys just saved me a lot of figuring. Thanx for the info!

 

[Ssouth]

KirbysLawn,

How often to you have to do warranty work? I have thought about giving a warrany on installation jobs but there are too many factors that we as contractors can't control. How do you know if they water, if their dog pee's on it, or if they run over it. I guarranty all of my work except for planted materials. Approx. what percent of installations are you called back to the site?

 

[KirbysLawn]

Ssouth, I have not had to replace anything under warranty. I give good instructions and disclamers when the product is planted. If I visit a home where a plant was planted and it is showing signs of neglect, I snap a digital photo and drop a note. If a plant dies from neglect it is not warranty.

Ray

 

[paul]

Just wondering how many plants you guys install per year? We figure around a 5% loss, last two years have run just under 3% but difference is we have to take care of our plantings( all we do are parks)

 

[turfman99]

Vibe Ray,

If you got the money honey, I've got the time.

In all reality I limit my working hours to no more than 10 per day, but sometimes in extreme cases 12. Got to keep my millionaire maintenance clients satisfied. Life is way to short to have your job or business the center of your cosmos.If you structure things right, you can work to live, not live to work.

In some states, contracting statues require a one year warranty on materials and workmanship.I had a client stain their fence with a petroluem based product and they stained the majority of the plants in the yard also. Claimed we planted faulty plants and they died. Took us to the state board and won. We documented with pictures and letters, but in this state, the contractor very seldom prevails in these disputes. Guess what, it was a builder general contractor also, imagine that.

Replacement rates should be just what Paul is quoting. Not more than 5% and less if possible. We run about 3% replacement also. I think I will raise my plant charges based upon what I've read here today also. You will always lose some plants.Makes it easier if you have the maintenance, as we do on probably 30% of our installation jobs. We got a maintenance project where the scrub ( althought licensned) contractor did a piss poor job and had over 40% mortality. He never got to set foot on any of that clients projects again.Do you have any idea what I can charge for those replacement plants for his screwup's?? Chah Ching.