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.