what to charge?

basicaly i want know what i can get for aerating a lawn per foot,wether i buy one or rent,,,,and if i was to seed it how much per foot can you charge,,and the correct process for both,,I HAVE A CLIENT THAT NEEDS IT DONE BUT I DONT WANT TO BRING IT UP TILL I KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT,,,THANKS,Tim<br>

 

i could use some input please,thanks,Tim

 

Hello Everybody:<p>I do not have the experience in this, that a lot of other guys do here in this great forum when it comes to aeration.<p>But when I did it, I charged 2X to 3X what I got to mow (mostly 3X). But where I did it there was no competition. I also figure my fertilizing at the same price I got to mow 1X to 1.5X.<p>When I say mow I mean cut-bag, trim with trimmer, edge & blow all concrete surfaces.<p>I wouldn't consider buying one unless I had enough jobs to pay for it or come real close to paying for it. But this is just my idea on it.<p>Hope this helps & I will keep up with this post so I can learn more!<p>----------<br>GrassMaster - Home: www.lawnservicing.com<br>My Start Up Page www.lawnservicing.com/startup/<br>

 

It takes me 1.5 times as long to aerate a lawn as to mow it with my setup and I charge 3 times the mowing price. Seeding, just figure out how long it will take to spread it, plus the seed. That shouldn't be to hard to figure and it can be done fast. Just add some for picking up and delivery. I hope this helps you Tim.<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.townserver.com/elm/&quot;&gt;Eric@ELM&lt;/a&gt;<br>

 

o.k. what do you do with all the terds???<p>thanks<br>timcampbell_cleancutlawncare@hotmail.com<p>ps. how do i make my email address a link???<p><p>

 

Leave the plugs on the lawn. They breakdown within a few weeks and they are supossed to stimulate micro organisms that help to break down thatch...plus no way do you want to have to rake them or pull chainlink fence over them after you have beat yourself half to death behind a walk behind aerator. I use a lawnaire V. It is a great machine but it took awhile to learn how to use it without killing myself. I would love to have a lawnaire 28 but I can't afford one. I generally estimate the time that a lawn will take and charge accordingly. You will learn quickly how fast/slow your aerator will do an area. I then try to charge at least $1.00 a minute possibly more. keep in mind you will earn the money. Give your quote with confidence, do not backpedal or give reasons. You can probably tell I've learned from experience. If one customer doesn't want to pay what you are worth don't sweat it. Others will pay and you WILL sweat for them.<br>Also, set a minimum and hold to it. Sometimes smaller lawns are harder than large due to all the turning that is required. most folks think small lawn = small price. That may not always be the case for you, set that minimum and that way you don't have to defend or rationalize your price.<p>

 

wont mowing every week make it a mess with the terds left on or does it kinda mulch em up???thanks alot,Tim

 

Mainly the plugs make it dusty the first time you mow over them then they are pretty well broken down and become a non issue. The way to look at is the more plugs the better and the deeper the plugs the better the job. This is one time were leaving the lawn looking trashy is evidence of a job well done... and it can serve to give other people the idea to have their lawns aerated. Aeration is one of those jobs that tends to spawn more jobs. People see you doing the neighbors and they figure it would be good for their lawn also, often they ask for a quote, accept it on the spot, and you know have another job you can do in minutes...no extra driving, pretty much pure profit except for the extra aching muscles.

 

Hello,<p>The plugs will disappear in about a month basically. We did it last fall and we had the same worries, but no one noticed them except for the day we did it. <p>The only people I know who pick up the plugs are golf course when they aerate the greens. It was pretty neat how they did it.<br>They had a golf cart with this conveyer belt system mounted on the side that ran across the ground, picked up the plugs, and then dumped them in the back of the cart. Real neat, but only works on those perfectly flat and 1/8 inch low grass areas.

 

I charge $24.00 per 1000 sf to aerate and seed at 4-6 pounds per 1000, with a 5000 sf min. For aeravation I charge $41.00 per 1000 sf.