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VJinTownsville
16-09-2009, 10:57 AM
While I am new to the game I've had a few qoutes and won a few. Underqouted on a couple and charged high to reluctant customers.

Whats a reasonable rate to charge a lawn in my suburb where it's 5 minutes to travel from one end to another. I happen to live in a suburb where houses are from 300sqm to 900sqm so no massive yards and gardens. These new houses are so close you can see what brand toilet paper they use!!!

How should I qoute so that I am on top of competition, building my rounds and making money at the same time?

I have a few customers who just call me whenever they want their yard done. They are around $55-$65 per cut. I was thinking of dropping $5-$10 just to make them a regular, routine cut every 2 weeks. Therefore have them on an organised schedule. The $5-$10 I lose I make up for turnover and less mucking around as it is more stable to manage the rounds.

Also I am getting faster and maintain endurance. Thanks to the 37 duplex (didn't have to unload, edge or blow) and house yards I did yesterday all in one day! Phew I thought I was going to pass out!! I am not an expert yet but I am keen for the challenge.

VJinTownsville
16-09-2009, 11:27 AM
To make things a little clearer let me explain it a bit more. Charging low isn't just about lowballing but build up a customer base who is happy to have you come in every 2 weeks rather than stretch it out and having it in the back of their mind to look somewhere cheaper or do it themselves.

Having a close round saves 10-15mins each cut. Thats roughly around $10 saved if you think in terms of 'time is money'. Four close trips around my suburb is like having a $60 cut paid instantly if putting on more customers per day.

I have a customer i qouted by riding my bike there. Takes me 25 seconds to get to her place. I charged her $65 for her little cottage for the initial hairy cut, then $55 fortnightly. So far she is very happy with the service but reluctant of the price. For the price nice she is tempted to just stretch it out to let it grow long, but with say $45 or $50 per fortnight it is LOCKED-IN-EDDY!!! That way I wouldn't have to worry about her going to someone else or stretch for another week to save $10 when I stand to lose $25 over that week stretched.

As a newbie building a customer base and a solid round. Would it be better to just build the round first and then raise the price closer to christmas?

Andy B
16-09-2009, 11:29 AM
Hi VJ,

I'm a newbie too, sounds like you're doing well and I'd say on the right track. Some of the more experienced guys will say charge as much as the market can handle but while we're building our business I reckon we charge what's going to make sure all our bills are paid plus some for us and some for future cause equipment doesn't last forever.
:wave-hi:

Fresh_Cut
16-09-2009, 12:05 PM
Hi VJ,

I'm also another Newbie of a similar age. What I plan to do, is have a lowest prices guarantee that will say be in effect for only a few weeks or 'limited time only' like what maccas have with their meals, that way I may be underquoting a little, but it gives me a chance to build up a customer base, then I can start quoting to what 'the market can handle' as then the incoming work matters, but not as much.

I Made a thread on this, and the guys suggested that I don't ever 'lowball' but i've found that in a previous business i started and sold, i had to intially drop the price to get a customer base and reputation, then I marked up the price with new customers as the work came piling in..

But Remember this is only my 2 cents, and I'm not gonna say it'll work, because it may not and I've had no experience in garden businesses, only enteratinment businesses.


Cheers :)

VJinTownsville
16-09-2009, 12:12 PM
Funny how us newbies are on this forum on the middle of the F*CKN day with no work lol.


CUSTOMER BASE and REPUTATION vs INSTANT PROFIT

Its hard to have both when you are starting.

administrator
16-09-2009, 12:45 PM
You have to start some where and your business demands that you put 8 hours in so get out there and canvass lol

or be on here and learn .

Dinoz
16-09-2009, 02:04 PM
[QUOTE=VJinTownsville]

I have a customer i qouted by riding my bike there. Takes me 25 seconds to get to her place. I charged her $65 for her little cottage for the initial hairy cut, then $55 fortnightly. So far she is very happy with the service but reluctant of the price. QUOTE]

Hello, you say the client above has a little cottage, so I am assuming the lawn is around 30 mins mow time? If this is the case, then charging $55 sounds steep. This would be more like an hourly rate. I try and work my lawns, so including travelling time I make X dollars an hour. For arguements sake you want to make $55 an hour. At the end of your day you should be able to divide your sales for the day by the hours worked and come out at $55 per hour. On this basis if you quote on a lawn that is going to take 30 miins including travel then you should be charging $27.50.

If you charge too high, then your customer will try and stretch out the length of time between mows. On the other hand if you charge too low, it is often difficult to raise the price in the short term. Normally you would have to do it on an annual basis, and even then people won't accept more than a 5-10% increase.

Another piece of advice, don't be tempted to take on a crap lawn, just because you want the money, because 1) you will always hate doing the job 2) the effort you put in for the money you get back is never going to be great and 3) in a year or two, it's still going to be a crap lawn.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
16-09-2009, 03:49 PM
To make things a little clearer let me explain it a bit more. Charging low isn't just about lowballing but build up a customer base who is happy to have you come in every 2 weeks rather than stretch it out and having it in the back of their mind to look somewhere cheaper or do it themselves.

Having a close round saves 10-15mins each cut. Thats roughly around $10 saved if you think in terms of 'time is money'. Four close trips around my suburb is like having a $60 cut paid instantly if putting on more customers per day.

I have a customer i qouted by riding my bike there. Takes me 25 seconds to get to her place. I charged her $65 for her little cottage for the initial hairy cut, then $55 fortnightly. So far she is very happy with the service but reluctant of the price. For the price nice she is tempted to just stretch it out to let it grow long, but with say $45 or $50 per fortnight it is LOCKED-IN-EDDY!!! That way I wouldn't have to worry about her going to someone else or stretch for another week to save $10 when I stand to lose $25 over that week stretched.

As a newbie building a customer base and a solid round. Would it be better to just build the round first and then raise the price closer to christmas?

If you are getting customers purely on the fact your the cheapest when the next cheap guy comes along they will go to him. Mate Ive said it before and ill say it again tell them price they dont like it walk away.

If you go back to her now with a cheaper price she is going to start thinking why??

When you qoute you should say regular fortnight is x regular 3 weeks is y other wise price is z and first clean up is z

VJinTownsville
16-09-2009, 04:42 PM
That cottage i do easily fills up 2 catchers on a 216. Plus moving her trampoline and taking some weeds out. Only a small yard but a lot of mucking around.

What should I do with this client to keep her happy and stay with a fortnightly cut?

Daniel, how much do you charge on average on lawns at Riverside Gardens approx 600sqm property? I mean a regular cut every fortnight.

Andy B
16-09-2009, 04:44 PM
In regards to Fresh Cuts cheapest quote strategy, I think it does have merit in the fact that the clients have to show him what his competitors are quoting. How better to get a grip on what to charge in a certain area surely it gives him a competitive advantage? I'm not doing it myself but it would be nice to know what others in my area charge.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
16-09-2009, 05:18 PM
That cottage i do easily fills up 2 catchers on a 216. Plus moving her trampoline and taking some weeds out. Only a small yard but a lot of mucking around.

What should I do with this client to keep her happy and stay with a fortnightly cut?

Daniel, how much do you charge on average on lawns at Riverside Gardens approx 600sqm property? I mean a regular cut every fortnight.

I have not done a single lawn in riverside not by choice just never had a call from there i have done every other suburb i think but no no calls from riverside.

600 meters thats the same size as my yard.

Look at the person too mate if they look like they have a bit of money and would rather pay some one than do it them selves 65 if they look as though they need to count there pennys maybe 50 if im in a geneourse mood usally though 60.

Scooby Steve
16-09-2009, 07:57 PM
In regards to Fresh Cuts cheapest quote strategy, I think it does have merit in the fact that the clients have to show him what his competitors are quoting. How better to get a grip on what to charge in a certain area surely it gives him a competitive advantage? I'm not doing it myself but it would be nice to know what others in my area charge.

Hey Andy B to find out what the blokes in your area charge is simple. Get them to quote your lawn (hide your stuff), your neighbours lawn, your relo's lawns. Its the most accurate way to find out what they charge. Might even give you an insight as to how they go about it as well.

bks07
16-09-2009, 08:26 PM
I got given a job off a guy who was mowing a lawn that she would call when she required it usually every 2 months. he was charging her $65 for 20 minutes work small yard use ride on. When i took it on the first time i did it i said to her i would prefer to do it every 2 weeks but i would do it for $45 to keep her on the 2 week cycle she said fine im happy to do that so maybe VJ you could approach your pita ring ins the same way worth a try. You will also find that they will want it done just before christmas to.

Andy B
16-09-2009, 11:27 PM
Hey Andy B to find out what the blokes in your area charge is simple. Get them to quote your lawn (hide your stuff), your neighbours lawn, your relo's lawns. Its the most accurate way to find out what they charge. Might even give you an insight as to how they go about it as well.

Yeah I know, just not comfortable wasting their time. I want to keep them onside for now.

I've been watching all the local fellas, all indi's, only ever seen one franchise working in area. Haven't seen any of the big players from around town in my target area yet either.

glassngrass
17-09-2009, 06:29 AM
I struggled with the same question when I started - charging low to get started.

If you offer cheap pricing, then a low paying client base is what you will build. Surely that is not what you want!

In hindsight this was a silly thing for me to do.

At the same time - it did get me working, build up confidence and experience.

Likely at this time of year when work is abundant, discounting should not be necessary!

VJinTownsville
17-09-2009, 07:51 AM
Check this sample. Please feel free to look at both front and backyard.

Sample 500sqm House (http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=o&id=105960607&f=20&p=10&t=res&ty=&fmt=&header=&cc=&c=38503872&s=qld&tm=1253137060)

Say, how much would you charge for the initial cut if it looks like it hasn't been cut in 3-4 weeks. Then how would you set it up so that they would want it done every 2 weeks. Mulch or catch

Is it fair to say charge around $60 for the initial cut then $50 every cut. That includes Mow, snip and blow the clippings away. Preferably mulch too.

Let us know how you qoute for these ones. I could be wrong but I am here to learn

bellarinelawns
17-09-2009, 09:59 AM
I'd charge $30 to $40 because its small and easy, also flat terrain. I'd be in and out within 30 - 45 min. The edging is minimal and easy, a lot of it seems to be flat edging as against vertical. Blow off is also minimal. depending on seasons and growth rates, some mows would be with catcher others without. I also quote with the hope that I'll get a referral for another job or a job nearby. The thing that gets me with quoting is that there doesn't appear to be an industry standard, everyone seems to be hush hush about what they charge. With all these mowing forums I have yet to see a posting that gives a deadset firm way of quoting. Its all airey fairy, work out your costs, what YOU want to make an hour, charge by the hour or by the job etc. No one has said, ok this year the flat bottom minimum charge is $40 for a "flat block, square layout of lawns, no terraced gardens, no garden beds placed here and there thru out the lawn area, no obstacles, no dog crap, no moving furniture, easy access". I think that it is about time that as an industry that we must form a firm and definite way of quoting and charging. we need a tick the box type of way of quoting, so the owner is clear that because of certain aspects of their property they are being charge extra. I've got some lawns which are littered with obstacles such as island garden beds, dog crap, terraced lawn areas, etc. I get to the stage where I jokingly say I mow for free, I just charge for the snipping, and moving about obstacles. We need to have flat minimum charges, and let the owner know that part of that charge includes covers costs such as insurance, machinery replacement, fuel etc. We need to get rid of the lowballers, uninsured and cash in hand operaters.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 10:52 AM
Check this sample. Please feel free to look at both front and backyard.

Sample 500sqm House (http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=o&id=105960607&f=20&p=10&t=res&ty=&fmt=&header=&cc=&c=38503872&s=qld&tm=1253137060)

Say, how much would you charge for the initial cut if it looks like it hasn't been cut in 3-4 weeks. Then how would you set it up so that they would want it done every 2 weeks. Mulch or catch

Is it fair to say charge around $60 for the initial cut then $50 every cut. That includes Mow, snip and blow the clippings away. Preferably mulch too.

Let us know how you qoute for these ones. I could be wrong but I am here to learn

Mate i would say $50-$60 who owns it a doctor accountant lawyer who wouldnt be seen in the yard $60 $65 if i thought i would get away with it. A single mum with young kids an old pensioner who flat out walking $50

I mow 3 like that for a builduing company discount for all 3 i do them at 130 including gst 2 are next door to each other so that makes life easy

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 10:55 AM
I'd charge $30 to $40 because its small and easy, also flat terrain. I'd be in and out within 30 - 45 min. The edging is minimal and easy, a lot of it seems to be flat edging as against vertical. Blow off is also minimal. depending on seasons and growth rates, some mows would be with catcher others without. I also quote with the hope that I'll get a referral for another job or a job nearby. The thing that gets me with quoting is that there doesn't appear to be an industry standard, everyone seems to be hush hush about what they charge. With all these mowing forums I have yet to see a posting that gives a deadset firm way of quoting. Its all airey fairy, work out your costs, what YOU want to make an hour, charge by the hour or by the job etc. No one has said, ok this year the flat bottom minimum charge is $40 for a "flat block, square layout of lawns, no terraced gardens, no garden beds placed here and there thru out the lawn area, no obstacles, no dog crap, no moving furniture, easy access". I think that it is about time that as an industry that we must form a firm and definite way of quoting and charging. we need a tick the box type of way of quoting, so the owner is clear that because of certain aspects of their property they are being charge extra. I've got some lawns which are littered with obstacles such as island garden beds, dog crap, terraced lawn areas, etc. I get to the stage where I jokingly say I mow for free, I just charge for the snipping, and moving about obstacles. We need to have flat minimum charges, and let the owner know that part of that charge includes covers costs such as insurance, machinery replacement, fuel etc. We need to get rid of the lowballers, uninsured and cash in hand operaters.

you must be heaps faster than me i dont think i could be out of there in half hour 45 minutes, between the two of us yes

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 12:01 PM
Bellarinelawns - I'm with you. 30-40 mins. On that basis the $30-$40 dollar you mentioned would be right. Anything more would be over charging.

A problem I see is people charging on how long it takes for them to mow rather than the size of the lawn. Take the above lawn for example. If one person takes 30 mins and charges $30 and another person goes at a lesiurely pace and takes 60 mins should the customer have to pay double? I think not and neither would the customer.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 12:07 PM
Check this sample. Please feel free to look at both front and backyard.

Sample 500sqm House (http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=o&id=105960607&f=20&p=10&t=res&ty=&fmt=&header=&cc=&c=38503872&s=qld&tm=1253137060)

Say, how much would you charge for the initial cut if it looks like it hasn't been cut in 3-4 weeks. Then how would you set it up so that they would want it done every 2 weeks. Mulch or catch

Is it fair to say charge around $60 for the initial cut then $50 every cut. That includes Mow, snip and blow the clippings away. Preferably mulch too.

Let us know how you qoute for these ones. I could be wrong but I am here to learn

Might be different where you are, but I couldn't get away with charging $50 for 30 mins work.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 01:03 PM
Bellarinelawns - I'm with you. 30-40 mins. On that basis the $30-$40 dollar you mentioned would be right. Anything more would be over charging.

A problem I see is people charging on how long it takes for them to mow rather than the size of the lawn. Take the above lawn for example. If one person takes 30 mins and charges $30 and another person goes at a lesiurely pace and takes 60 mins should the customer have to pay double? I think not and neither would the customer.

I dont know what machinery you guys are using and im not in the yard to have a decent look but im guessing this lawn would take me on my own an hour and half, 45 minutes with 2 you have to add in travel time.

Gees i wish i could see some of you supermen going hard one day.

Like the old guy floating around that does rocket mowing telling me how fast he mows but it takes him 20 minutes to walk across the car park. He also claims that he charges $75 an hour.

Dont you go into buisness for yourself so you dont have to work so hard and can have some lesiure and not be a worne out old man or am i all confused about this buisness stuff.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 01:22 PM
I dont know what machinery you guys are using and im not in the yard to have a decent look but im guessing this lawn would take me on my own an hour and half, 45 minutes with 2 you have to add in travel time.

For a 475 sqm section. Take away the footprint of the house/driveway and you would be looking at 300sqm. I did a lawn that size today and took approx 25 mins. That's using an 18" push mower, edging and blowing. Another example I have a customer on a 1200 sqm slightly sloping section. I can edge, mow (push mower) and blow that in 60-70 mins. Admittedly that's hard work, but keeps you fit.

phaedo
17-09-2009, 01:29 PM
you must be heaps faster than me i dont think i could be out of there in half hour 45 minutes, between the two of us yes
I think this is where a lot of contention comes in with the 'guys at the tip bragging' about the 20 lawns they did today. You are saying to do this lawn would take you 90 minutes, so on an 8 hour day you would knock over 5 to 6 jobs. Probably 5, with travel time. Versus those of us who look at this job and say 40 minutes tops, from turning the car engine off to turning it back on. And personally, if i was there any longer than that using the 216 I would think I have underquoted after checking how long it took me. With the ride on I would probably look at about 33 minutes probably for this job. Of course that is ballpark without actually doing the job. Would probably look at around the $45 to $50 mark. As for a first mow, although it seems a majority of lawnies do a first time extra cost, unless it is a one off, and looking at the condition of this one - it looks to have been probably done by a professional previously - aside from working out the quickest way around the property I wouldn't be charging any extra or if so only $5 more for a first mow - as a general rule my first time mow regulars are genuine regulars, either that or I am good at selling myself to them to convince them they should be a regular!

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 01:52 PM
I think this is where a lot of contention comes in with the 'guys at the tip bragging' about the 20 lawns they did today. You are saying to do this lawn would take you 90 minutes, so on an 8 hour day you would knock over 5 to 6 jobs. Probably 5, with travel time. Versus those of us who look at this job and say 40 minutes tops, from turning the car engine off to turning it back on. And personally, if i was there any longer than that using the 216 I would think I have underquoted after checking how long it took me. With the ride on I would probably look at about 33 minutes probably for this job. Of course that is ballpark without actually doing the job. Would probably look at around the $45 to $50 mark. As for a first mow, although it seems a majority of lawnies do a first time extra cost, unless it is a one off, and looking at the condition of this one - it looks to have been probably done by a professional previously - aside from working out the quickest way around the property I wouldn't be charging any extra or if so only $5 more for a first mow - as a general rule my first time mow regulars are genuine regulars, either that or I am good at selling myself to them to convince them they should be a regular!

Lets look at this week

Monday 4 yards first on own becasue side kick slept in spent bit of time on pr as she is an old lady who lives on her own. 10 picked up side kick we mowed 3 yards and a dump run finished 2:30

Tuesday 7:30 start cleaned up yard in kelso(took out about a dozen dead plants 4 stumps and a small tree), dump run, went weeded and i mean weeded 2 large gardens, Dump run in the middle of these, finished 2:30.

Wednesday 7:30 start dump run from stuff left day before mowed 3 yards at 12 droped off machines and went to landscaping supplies mulcher 2 gardens used 1.5 cubic meters 2:30 finished

Today (thursday) 7:30 start brought sprinkler mowed 2 lawns replace a sprinkler came home 10:00 side kick mowed my yard (still new at snipping so i get him to practice on my yard) 11.30 he finished.

So yeah i would love to see you guys doing these yards in half an hour snip mowed blown poisioned and half you claim that you catch all the time. I know im not the fastest around but gees.

I dont charge extra if its a first mow or a last mow i charge depending on how long it will take me if its long or thick grass slowing my machine big time then yeah charge more.

I try to work to live not live to work

redbackmowing
17-09-2009, 01:55 PM
i would charge $40 for 2 weekly mow. It shouldn't take any longer than 40 mins. Straight easy small lawn. Newbie's should realise as they get more conditioned to mowing that the actual mowing time will decrease. A newbie may take 50 mins to hour. good lawn if your getting it done for $50.

quicker if guys like to mulch :laughing:

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 02:11 PM
Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care

It's probably difficult for me to compare what I do to yourself. The majority of my work is straight edging/mowing/blowing, where as you also do weedpspraying,gardening, landscaping, fixing sprinklers etc. The dump runs must also chew up quite a bit of time. You sounds like you use a catcher for most if not all of your work, which will add 30-40% extra time over mulching.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 02:21 PM
Here is an example of some work I did today -

8 lawns (1 catcher 7 mulch), all edged and blown. Combined area of 3900 sqm. Took me 3.75 hours plus 30 mins for travel. 4.25 hours all up. I start early and usually don't stop for a break until I am done. That's always how I have worked for the last 4 years.

VJinTownsville
17-09-2009, 02:37 PM
Working with other seasoned contractors put the emphasis on "just get on with it and hurry up" whenever i stop to put my hands on my knees.

So I mow for 6 hours (with break in between to fuel and eat). The mower never stops and so are the wheels. I do 32 villas and another 3 with just only the front yards. I didn't have to trim the edges or use the blower cos the boss does that. We used to race and see if I can mow as fast as he can trim each villa.

First price is I can rest 32seconds before him hahaha.

While cutting it properly, I have to do it as fast as I can. If I take too long it makes me even more tired as the sun heats up. If I take shortcuts I'll have to backtrack which is stupid and makes it longer. I am not satisfied with sh*t popping out and too obvious.

After I finished I go have my healthy hungry jacks, got hungry again so I ate some lasagne. And then head out to another yard around my suburb. After that I did my own.

So that is about 37 properties done in one day.

gjs
17-09-2009, 02:40 PM
redback got it spot on $40 2 wkly 30-40 minutes absolute tops.Its about the easiest mow you can get.
10 mows that size per day = easy wages probably wouldn't even deserve a cold beer at the end of the day.
Oh what the heck we always deserve a few coldies, that's why we mow isn't it ? job satisfaction and all that, unlike desk jockeys go home wonding what they acheived for the day.
Cheers
gjs

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 02:47 PM
redback got it spot on $40 2 wkly 30-40 minutes absolute tops.Its about the easiest mow you can get.
10 mows that size per day = easy wages probably wouldn't even deserve a cold beer at the end of the day.
Oh what the heck we always deserve a few coldies, that's why we mow isn't it ? job satisfaction and all that, unlike desk jockeys go home wonding what they acheived for the day.
Cheers
gjs

Before I got into mowing I was in a management position and used to come home mentally exhausted. I'll take physical over mental exhaustion anyday. Mainly cos if you are fit you recover quickly from physical tiredness, but I remember some days when I was a desk jockey I would be mentally shattered and plonk down on the couch and that would be me for the night. You know what I mean?

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 02:47 PM
Here is an example of some work I did today -

8 lawns (1 catcher 7 mulch), all edged and blown. Combined area of 3900 sqm. Took me 3.75 hours plus 30 mins for travel. 4.25 hours all up. I start early and usually don't stop for a break until I am done. That's always how I have worked for the last 4 years.

yeah i dont usally stop for a break unless im getting fuel or some one has rung me for a quote and i am on the phone to them or quoting them. There is a few small exceptions to the rule. I try not to get pensioners cause they love to chat but at this time of the year what ever i can do for bucks.

your area must be quite small as I often drive half an hour between one client to the next i have clients all over the city I service the entire city.

We have one small yard snip around the edges and clothes line no mucking around in middle we can do it in 25 miniutes with 2 of us I did it in 40 minutes on my own but have never done a lawn in under half an hour.

487.5 meters per yard they are small yards but still i dont belive i could do it in that time.

I also have stolen yards cause there last mower man was like you and they wheren't happy as the palm leaves where not collected and hedges where not maintained and gardens and cracks in concrete end up full of weeds etc etcand hopefully illl steal more.

What about fertilize or checking irrigation do you never do that.

Hence why i am Tender Loving Lawn and Garden Care and i can say I do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 02:51 PM
Working with other seasoned contractors put the emphasis on "just get on with it and hurry up" whenever i stop to put my hands on my knees.

So I mow for 6 hours (with break in between to fuel and eat). The mower never stops and so are the wheels. I do 32 villas and another 3 with just only the front yards. I didn't have to trim the edges or use the blower cos the boss does that. We used to race and see if I can mow as fast as he can trim each villa.

First price is I can rest 32seconds before him hahaha.

While cutting it properly, I have to do it as fast as I can. If I take too long it makes me even more tired as the sun heats up. If I take shortcuts I'll have to backtrack which is stupid and makes it longer. I am not satisfied with sh*t popping out and too obvious.

After I finished I go have my healthy hungry jacks, got hungry again so I ate some lasagne. And then head out to another yard around my suburb. After that I did my own.

So that is about 37 properties done in one day.

If you were mowing in the same time the boss was edging a lawn, then they must have been pretty small lawns, but 37 in one day still impressive.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 03:01 PM
yeah i dont usally stop for a break unless im getting fuel or some one has rung me for a quote and i am on the phone to them or quoting them. There is a few small exceptions to the rule. I try not to get pensioners cause they love to chat but at this time of the year what ever i can do for bucks.

your area must be quite small as I often drive half an hour between one client to the next i have clients all over the city I service the entire city.

We have one small yard snip around the edges and clothes line no mucking around in middle we can do it in 25 miniutes with 2 of us I did it in 40 minutes on my own but have never done a lawn in under half an hour.

487.5 meters per yard they are small yards but still i dont belive i could do it in that time.

I also have stolen yards cause there last mower man was like you and they wheren't happy as the palm leaves where not collected and hedges where not maintained and gardens and cracks in concrete end up full of weeds etc etcand hopefully illl steal more.

What about fertilize or checking irrigation do you never do that.

Hence why i am Tender Loving Lawn and Garden Care and i can say I do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care.

Hey, don't have a go at me. You don't know me. I've never had an unhappy customer or lost a lawn through my workmanship in 4 years. I gave you an example of straight mowing. Who mentioned hedges/fertilizing/irrigation?? Obviously I wouldn't be doing any of that as part of a 30 minute mow. I do weedspraying, hedges etc, but to me they are separate jobs to mowing. You are comparing apples to oranges.

VJinTownsville
17-09-2009, 03:06 PM
Some are small some are big. The smallest ones can at least fit a large trampoline and have dogs. Its a 2 man operation. All lawns are mulched too.

But these are duplexes. No travel and unloading time. Rock up to the complex at 7. Make sure I've got my camelpak and ipod on and her we go. Stopping and taking breaks just makes the day seem so long and can fatigue suddenly. Here's a tip keep the mower in motion at all times providing you have great coordination with it. That way you have momentum and you get into that rhythm. Once you get into that zone its awesome.

I'd like to see how many residential lawns I can do on my own. Travel and unloading time just kills progress and momentum.

I would love the satisfaction of smashing a big day and come home to a nice meal and a massage.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 03:11 PM
I also have stolen yards cause there last mower man was like you and they wheren't happy as the palm leaves where not collected and hedges where not maintained and gardens and cracks in concrete end up full of weeds etc etcand hopefully illl steal more.



Hey I'm offended by this comment. Who said I don't do any of these things?

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 05:49 PM
Hey I'm offended by this comment. Who said I don't do any of these things?

You said you dont do any of these things you just edge mow and blow i quote

[quote] The majority of my work is straight edging/mowing/blowing, where as you also do weedpspraying,gardening, landscaping, fixing sprinklers etc.[quote]

palm leaves concrete craks gardens hedges are all part of mowing when your my customer

Bluey
17-09-2009, 05:54 PM
You blokes in downtown Townsville are on a good thing if you can pull $60 for that lawn. Well done. I reckon the best I could get would be $45 and then the lawn grubs would probably undercut me. I agree with somewhere between $30 and $40

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 06:15 PM
You blokes in downtown Townsville are on a good thing if you can pull $60 for that lawn. Well done. I reckon the best I could get would be $45 and then the lawn grubs would probably undercut me. I agree with somewhere between $30 and $40

I honestly would not be in this buisness if thats what people are paying it is hardly worth while at $50 at the end of the week i earn a little more than my side kick by the time i pay advertising fuel and i have the risk of expensive equipment being destroyed.

Bluey
17-09-2009, 06:37 PM
It must be the geography. Plus I guess there is a lot more competition down here. It would be good if we could all pull that much. I have tried to steadily up my rates but I have found you get far less customers. Agreed they pay more but if you lose a few you are suffering more too.

Funny how it works in some areas. I also think the drought has really affected how well we can charge here. Most lawns are not really lawns anymore unless the people have access to bores or recycled water. Take away the water restrictions and we would see an increase in the rates we could charge I reckon.

I think the guys in Vic are similar to us as well.

Scooby Steve
17-09-2009, 06:40 PM
You blokes are lucky you dont live in Melbourne. Most guys doing a fortnightly cut would charge $30-$35 for that place. And the bloody lowballers :mad: would charge you $20. Its a straight forward job no crap in the way easy. Geez be nice to have them all as easy as that place. Once you learnt the ropes thats a 20 to 25 min job.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 07:03 PM
You said you dont do any of these things you just edge mow and blow i quote

[quote] The majority of my work is straight edging/mowing/blowing, where as you also do weedpspraying,gardening, landscaping, fixing sprinklers etc.[quote]

palm leaves concrete craks gardens hedges are all part of mowing when your my customer

Get it RIGHT!!!!! I said the majority of my work is mowing, but I also do hedges, weedspraying, garden waste removal etc, but I price separately for that.

So when you quote $50 for a lawn does that include all the gardening/weeding and hedges included as well in the price?

Mowing is obviously not your core business as I counted only 12 lawns done in 4 days.

Stripes
17-09-2009, 07:13 PM
I would charge $45-$50 for that. It would take me about 25-30 minutes.

As for the people that seem to have a dig at "the bloke at the tip", I know there are some people who talk out of their ass, but what if "the bloke at the tip" works very hard, has spent a lot of money on very good powerful equipment (and knows how to use it), and knows how to take shortcuts without compromising on quality?

Bluey
17-09-2009, 07:14 PM
I quote separately if it is just a lawn. What I try to do is get my customers on a garden maintenance program. Then the lawn is only a part of the program and I do all the other work that needs doing. I am looking at the the $60 an hr mark there plus incidentals and a margin.

If they only want the lawn and every now and then ask for some gardening then the gardening is done separately and i tell them how much they are up for before I do it.

Bluey
17-09-2009, 07:19 PM
Interesting range we have isn't it

Melbourne = $30 to $35
Adelaide (well me at least) = $30 to $40
Sydney = $45 to $50
Townsville = $50 to $60

So what is Cairns $65 to $70. Seems to go up the further north you get? Heaven help the clients in Darwin. :laughing: Still cannot help thinking I am under quoting though.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 07:20 PM
Get it RIGHT!!!!! I said the majority of my work is mowing, but I also do hedges, weedspraying, garden waste removal etc, but I price separately for that.

So when you quote $50 for a lawn does that include all the gardening/weeding and hedges included as well in the price?

Mowing is obviously not your core business as I counted only 12 lawns done in 4 days.

depends on what the customer wants but defenantly all gardens are spot poisioned.

Defenantly all palm leaves and other green waste is removed.

Rubbish on ground that is not green into the customers bin.

Several of mine there hedges are included.

There is many lawn mowing companys floating around and several low balling but the thing is i do there lawn and garden and they dont have to ever worry about it

Others do it and then they want extra for this and extra for that if you maintain all these things fortnightly the customer pays a little more each fortnight and constantly look good.

Other wise they pay less than 2 months down the track when they have the s%$*s with the way it looks they pay a big sum usally to me and then i steal the contract. People rather pay an extra $10 a fornight that they dont really worry about loosing or they pay 100 every 2 months.

I know what i would choose and what my customers choose.

And as for drought we have not had any rain here since february and unless you water you have no grass to mow.

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 07:22 PM
Interesting range we have isn't it

Melbourne = $30 to $35
Adelaide (well me at least) = $30 to $40
Sydney = $45 to $50
Townsville = $50 to $60

So what is Cairns $65 to $70. Seems to go up the further north you get?

I would have thought grass growth up in Townsville would be a lot less than in the wetter areas, which makes the price even more puzzling?!? Where I am we are getting approx 5-6" of growth a fortnight

geoff
17-09-2009, 07:22 PM
the lawn displayed seems small and would take me under 30 mins to do,in fact a lot of the lawns generally take around 20 mins but thats not assuming its lush growth probably like you get in townsville..we get 35 to 40 a lawn and if we can do 10 to 12 daily thats heaps of income for us poor vics...chaging 50 to 60 has to be a big lawn taking up to an hour to do....we dont get many like that ..
if you get 60 bucks by 10 to 12 a day you are cruizing..very profitable indeed....stii reckon if you can average 300 to 400 a day thats very good and is achievable..600 daily is near impossiable in melbourne and thats 5 to 6 days a week..i say no way ...

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 07:30 PM
Get it RIGHT!!!!! I said the majority of my work is mowing, but I also do hedges, weedspraying, garden waste removal etc, but I price separately for that.

So when you quote $50 for a lawn does that include all the gardening/weeding and hedges included as well in the price?

Mowing is obviously not your core business as I counted only 12 lawns done in 4 days.

Mowing is a major part of my buissness but the money is in gardening, mulching, Irrigation you can charge for the job plus mark up what supplies.

In an area thats probably a 50 Klm radius with 64 lawn mowing companys in yellow pages and a lot are not even in there 12 in paper each week about 20 000 people and no rain for 9 months a year you have to do what you have to do to survive.

Bluey
17-09-2009, 07:35 PM
Mowing is a major part of my buissness but the money is in gardening, mulching, Irrigation you can charge for the job plus mark up what supplies.

In an area thats probably a 50 Klm radius with 64 lawn mowing companys in yellow pages and a lot are not even in there 12 in paper each week about 20 000 people and no rain for 9 months a year you have to do what you have to do to survive.


Geez. I didn't think there would have been that type of competition in Townsville. How do you see your self price wise with the other lawnies. Are you about midway or the higher end of the market. What price do the lawn grubs hit you with. It is interesting to compare.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 07:38 PM
You guys all so forget that we live in a much more expensive part of the country than you guys. We pay more for food and groceries due to transportation. more for fuel. more for rates than any one in the country. more for cars. more for bikes. the only thing thats less which is funny as is rent but thats not by much. and im on a mortgage. so a little more to mow your yard is nothing. when my father in-law was mowing in mission beach he just snipped and mowed no blowing no catching and he reckons i should double my price as in mission beach he would be charging atleast double.

Bluey
17-09-2009, 07:41 PM
Aint that the truth. Anyone who owns a house in Mission Beach could afford $300 a cut per week.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 07:41 PM
Geez. I didn't think there would have been that type of competition in Townsville. How do you see your self price wise with the other lawnies. Are you about midway or the higher end of the market. What price do the lawn grubs hit you with. It is interesting to compare.

Im more expensive than lots of them but i offer a lot more bang for the buck as i said earlier.

Bluey
17-09-2009, 07:43 PM
So what do you reckon the average lawn is there. What are the lawn grubs charging?

Dinoz
17-09-2009, 07:46 PM
Im more expensive than lots of them but i offer a lot more bang for the buck as i said earlier.

Just so I'm clear the example 500 sqm house you said would take you 90 mins to do, does that include going round doing the gardening, hedges etc?

Bluey
17-09-2009, 07:53 PM
I had an email enquiry off my website from a woman a couple of days ago wanting me to quote on her lawn. Average size block (if there is one) she says. Wanted a quote for a monthly cut. The reason she gave for making the enquiry was because her current bloke had put his price up from $25 to $26. This was my reply to her.

****
Hi ******

Thank you for contacting us. If you are getting your lawns mowed on a monthly cycle for this amount you are doing extremely well. My minimum price is $25 on a two weekly cycle and that is for a very small lawn with no edging.

If you are requesting a 4 weekly cycle from me for your lawn I am going to have to decline to do it as it is not good for the lawn and it makes our work so much harder. It takes a lot longer to mow lawns left for this period of time.

If for example your lawn was a $25 a fortnight lawn I would be looking at least $60 to $65 on a monthly basis.

If your current contractor has only put his price up by $1 then this is a minimal increase for the extra work he has to do. In my view it is not a sustainable price for him.

In this line of business you get what you pay for. I don't do very cheap lawns. I supply a quality and professional service at a reasonable price. You will find a few shonky operators out there that do but they are unreliable and do poor work if they manage to turn up at all. Plus most are not insured or guarantee their work.

Professional contractors will not be the cheapest on the market. If you are after the cheapest price then it is likely you will get a sub standard job.

Kind Regards

Bruce Kingdom
Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
Ph: 0431103114
Email: info@ahgs.com.au
Web: www.ahgs.com.au

*****

This was her reply

*****
Thanks for your very detailed email Bruce, I appreciate it.

It looks like I am onto a good thing, the standard is very high too. I just wasn't sure what a normal price would be as I am new to the home owner/maintenance thing.

Have a great day!

*****

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 07:55 PM
So what do you reckon the average lawn is there. What are the lawn grubs charging?

Ive been told at places that jims do yards around 35-40. I went to one place that was an acer and the lady said to me to do it for 30 then 40 she said i have another lad willl do it for 50 dont know if she was telling the truth but i told her well you better ring him back before he changes his price.

A mate mine lives in these flats near the strand on a acer and a half and was winging to me about how bad the mowing was i went and spoke to his property manager and she said put me in a qoute so i did and never got the job he asked the guy mowing it why he does a **** job and what he gets paid the guy pulled out his invoice book and said $60 showed my mate several invoices and said thats why it never gets snipped and the mowing is run over it if you miss a strip you keep going.

yeah so its all over the show unsure what Townsville Lawn Care charge. They are members here maybe they might have something to contribute.

Stripes
17-09-2009, 07:57 PM
haha. Some people are unbelievable!!

I put one of my fortnightly lawns up from $50 to $70 because they were annoying me. They accepted :russ:

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 08:01 PM
Just so I'm clear the example 500 sqm house you said would take you 90 mins to do, does that include going round doing the gardening, hedges etc?

I would say with the 2 of us we would have an hour from leaving job to getting to next job. on my own yeah hour and a half from last job to next job cant see most of the yard in pic. I am not the fastest at snipping all yards are walked around 3 times to make sure there perfect which is what is in my advertising anything that needs pruining is pruined all garden beds are spot sprayed all rubbish removed all concrete blown everything.

My company moto "we do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care" and thats exactly what we do.

Scooby Steve
17-09-2009, 08:33 PM
New two weekly domestic jobs are few and far between in Melbourne anyway. Most are asking me for 3 and 4 weekly cuts.

Judging by some of these posts it seems Melbourne has the most lowballers out of all Australia.
Its amazing how the price varies between the states.

We need rooread back for this thread. He was averaging $92 an hour and surfing by 2pm.

Glenofcarwoola
17-09-2009, 09:27 PM
I try not to get pensioners cause they love to chat but at this time of the year what ever i can do for bucks.

Hence why i am Tender Loving Lawn and Garden Care and i can say I do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care.

No offence mate but your missing the most important piece of the gardens your working on. The people that love the gardens that you are looking after are usually the older generation and you can learn a lot from them. I love the fact that they like to stop you to have a chat. We should all stop and smell the roses every now and then as it makes the job more than just an income.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
17-09-2009, 09:47 PM
No offence mate but your missing the most important piece of the gardens your working on. The people that love the gardens that you are looking after are usually the older generation and you can learn a lot from them. I love the fact that they like to stop you to have a chat. We should all stop and smell the roses every now and then as it makes the job more than just an income.

I have a couple that come up everynow and then but i used to have a whole retirment village. Plus i find the pensioners want it cheap cheap cheap and will leave when john comes down the road and does it $2 cheaper even if it is not up to standard.

Glenofcarwoola
17-09-2009, 09:58 PM
Yeah fair call, but please don't fob them all off as wasting your time as most oldies are really worth spending a few minutes talking to.

redbackmowing
17-09-2009, 10:51 PM
i went to my local Brisbane northside mower shop the other week & picked up a flyer from a local mowing business advertising all his rates. I found it a bit strange a mower shop letting a contractor advertise. must be friends? I won't name the business but below is the list prices of his services.

min charge $40
reg. bookings approx 20 service calls a year
mow, edge, blow, clippings removed :

standard house access for ride on $40
push mowing from $45
corner blocks from $55
side discharge ride on $75 / hr 1 hr min
grass colllected ride on $85 / hr 1 hr min

Labour
min hrly rates apply:
2 hours for non-regulars
1 hour for regulars
general labour $50 per hr per person includes basic hand tools only eg shovel, wheel barrow, secateurs...
all other power equipment $65 per hr. eg hedger, blowing, push mowing brush cutting...

rubbish removal
garden bale $17 full ute $70 full trailer 6m3 $220 1/2 trailer $150
3/4 trailer $180 1/4 trailer $90


hope this helps some north brissie indy's.

twin_cities_lawncare
17-09-2009, 11:25 PM
I reckon $50/hr is a fair figure (+ a greenwaste disposal amount, if there is a lot of it to take to the tip). Lots of people are prepared to pay for the privilege of not mowing their lawn in the heat in Townsville, and that's where we come in. We usually quote $50 on the phone for an average lawn (without any greenwaste component) based on an hour of work (trimming edges, mowing, blowing paths clear of debris, etc.) We have charged $60/hr for ad hoc work at times (mostly for feral sites - bond exit work, etc.) but we find $50/hr is a good figure for most work, and wouldn't consider going any lower at this point in time -We used to charge less but upped it when the petrol price went up around the time of our change of business name - helped cover some of the costs of transition ;)

The example yard in this thread looked like it might have to be push mowed due to limited access to the back yard for a ride-on....not sure :i dunno: That's where actually seeing a yard before making a firm quote can come in handy, as it will give you an idea if there is access for the ride-on or whether it will be a longer haul with the push mower, whether there is a pool/rockery/garden that will reduce mowing time, etc. The length of grass will also give you an idea of how much to quote as you might have to factor in the extra time taken to empty the catcher + a greenwaste component. (People are often unaware that we have to pay a minimum of $12 to dump our greenwaste, and it takes an hour or so to/fro the tip for most of us, so explaining that can help as well.)

Hope this helps...

holdenhead
18-09-2009, 02:54 AM
Hi, When you are starting out you do what you can to get money coming in. I was cheap when I started and have still got some of my original customers, and some of them customers have had their prices put up by $10 or more. I believe that you have to underquote and at times "lowball" to learn where the boundaries are. I have a good mate who has just started mowing. He asked me to come out quoting with him a few times till he got the hang of it. I had a look at a few, but told him he needed to do it himself. He quoted one hedge trimming job for $80 as he thought it would take an hour + $30 tipping.......1 day and 2 trailer loads later he was done. The lady gave him $100 so he made $40. The lesson he learned that day was priceless. Turns out this hedge hadn't been trimmed for 10 years and what doesn't look like much on the tree turns out to be 3 times more on the ground. Then add to that never using a hedge trimmer before.

Get out there and quote what you think is right and watch for a reaction. Once you have their trust and respect be honest and let them know if you have underquoted.

Cheers Rick

VJinTownsville
18-09-2009, 12:56 PM
I hear the going rate over in Mount Isa, Qld is around $100. Can anyone confirm this?

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
18-09-2009, 01:21 PM
I hear the going rate over in Mount Isa, Qld is around $100. Can anyone confirm this?

I dont know but last time i went to mt Isa there was no grass to mow.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
18-09-2009, 01:32 PM
I reckon $50/hr is a fair figure (+ a greenwaste disposal amount, if there is a lot of it to take to the tip). Lots of people are prepared to pay for the privilege of not mowing their lawn in the heat in Townsville, and that's where we come in. We usually quote $50 on the phone for an average lawn (without any greenwaste component) based on an hour of work (trimming edges, mowing, blowing paths clear of debris, etc.) We have charged $60/hr for ad hoc work at times (mostly for feral sites - bond exit work, etc.) but we find $50/hr is a good figure for most work, and wouldn't consider going any lower at this point in time -We used to charge less but upped it when the petrol price went up around the time of our change of business name - helped cover some of the costs of transition ;)

The example yard in this thread looked like it might have to be push mowed due to limited access to the back yard for a ride-on....not sure :i dunno: That's where actually seeing a yard before making a firm quote can come in handy, as it will give you an idea if there is access for the ride-on or whether it will be a longer haul with the push mower, whether there is a pool/rockery/garden that will reduce mowing time, etc. The length of grass will also give you an idea of how much to quote as you might have to factor in the extra time taken to empty the catcher + a greenwaste component. (People are often unaware that we have to pay a minimum of $12 to dump our greenwaste, and it takes an hour or so to/fro the tip for most of us, so explaining that can help as well.)

Hope this helps...

Yeah i agree with you. I always work on an hour to the tip and it pretty much always is.

I did say early in the piece im not in the yard just looking at the photos.

We did a yard this morning which is possibly the same size as that one and it took us 35 minutes it is done on a weekly basis.

I do 2 hedges there and take palm leaves and weeed spray. i didnt do the hedges this week but it took 35 minutes 2 of us to do the rest not including travel time thats getting out of car to getting in.

We also did one that is a 3 bedroom house on a 700sqm and it took an hour all though i spent about 10-15 minutes speaking to my ex buisness partner well the side kick finished off mowing and blowing.

I have no idea how these guys think they can do what it takes the 2 of us to do.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
18-09-2009, 01:42 PM
i went to my local Brisbane northside mower shop the other week & picked up a flyer from a local mowing business advertising all his rates. I found it a bit strange a mower shop letting a contractor advertise. must be friends? I won't name the business but below is the list prices of his services.

min charge $40
reg. bookings approx 20 service calls a year
mow, edge, blow, clippings removed :

standard house access for ride on $40
push mowing from $45
corner blocks from $55
side discharge ride on $75 / hr 1 hr min
grass colllected ride on $85 / hr 1 hr min

Labour
min hrly rates apply:
2 hours for non-regulars
1 hour for regulars
general labour $50 per hr per person includes basic hand tools only eg shovel, wheel barrow, secateurs...
all other power equipment $65 per hr. eg hedger, blowing, push mowing brush cutting...

rubbish removal
garden bale $17 full ute $70 full trailer 6m3 $220 1/2 trailer $150
3/4 trailer $180 1/4 trailer $90


hope this helps some north brissie indy's.

people can advertise anything though that does not necisarily say they would be doing it for that price. When i first started i put out flyers saying domestic yards from 38.50 including gst and you know what the phone rang and i did not do one yard for 38.50 i did and still do. Do one place where i mow the medium strip and thats it 4 runs with the snipper 4-5 runs with the mower pack up go home it is 38.50 my minum charge. Would have went cheaper if i could have run it in with other jobs but wants specific time and day. It is 17 minute each way drive from home so i belive he should pay for us to drive not me. and when you look at it like that there is an hour between the 2 of us in travelling

redbackmowing
18-09-2009, 02:00 PM
people can advertise anything though that does not necisarily say they would be doing it for that price. When i first started i put out flyers saying domestic yards from 38.50 including gst and you know what the phone rang and i did not do one yard for 38.50 i did and still do. Do one place where i mow the medium strip and thats it 4 runs with the snipper 4-5 runs with the mower pack up go home it is 38.50 my minum charge. Would have went cheaper if i could have run it in with other jobs but wants specific time and day. It is 17 minute each way drive from home so i belive he should pay for us to drive not me. and when you look at it like that there is an hour between the 2 of us in travelling


i would do this job at end of the day. Get your off-sider to go home before you do it. Save yourself 1 hour of wages to pay him. The full $38.50 in your pocket.

VJinTownsville
18-09-2009, 02:03 PM
The biggest killer with jobs are travel time between worksites especially when you have a sidekick

63impala
18-09-2009, 02:05 PM
I am printing this out.




i went to my local Brisbane northside mower shop the other week & picked up a flyer from a local mowing business advertising all his rates. I found it a bit strange a mower shop letting a contractor advertise. must be friends? I won't name the business but below is the list prices of his services.

min charge $40
reg. bookings approx 20 service calls a year
mow, edge, blow, clippings removed :

standard house access for ride on $40
push mowing from $45
corner blocks from $55
side discharge ride on $75 / hr 1 hr min
grass colllected ride on $85 / hr 1 hr min

Labour
min hrly rates apply:
2 hours for non-regulars
1 hour for regulars
general labour $50 per hr per person includes basic hand tools only eg shovel, wheel barrow, secateurs...
all other power equipment $65 per hr. eg hedger, blowing, push mowing brush cutting...

rubbish removal
garden bale $17 full ute $70 full trailer 6m3 $220 1/2 trailer $150
3/4 trailer $180 1/4 trailer $90


hope this helps some north brissie indy's.

redbackmowing
18-09-2009, 02:19 PM
I am printing this out.

yes i liked the 2 hr minimum for gardening/labour for non-regulars.
i thought his rubbish removal was a bit cheap though. he would have to add travelling time you would think & loading time.

Bluey
18-09-2009, 07:45 PM
My second last job today. By myself it took 29 mins exactly. That's doing all the edges (vertical) and catching the grass. I also have to use her mower on a ridicuously low setting. She is Italian and likes it short. Capice. I have to use her mower which is ancient but still good because this lawn has never been mowed by anything else. It's done every 2 weeks

Bluey
18-09-2009, 07:55 PM
Forgot to say. It is a 40 dollar lawn. That works out to $82.20 an hour. Job also includes the nature strip.

geoff
18-09-2009, 07:56 PM
would be a 60 buck lawn bluey :i dunno: nah reckon around 35 ???

Bluey
18-09-2009, 08:04 PM
Labour
min hrly rates apply:
2 hours for non-regulars
1 hour for regulars
general labour $50 per hr per person includes basic hand tools only eg shovel, wheel barrow, secateurs...
all other power equipment $65 per hr. eg hedger, blowing, push mowing brush cutting...

rubbish removal
garden bale $17 full ute $70 full trailer 6m3 $220 1/2 trailer $150
3/4 trailer $180 1/4 trailer $90



How does he work his labour. Is he saying it is $100 minimum if your a non regular despite how long the job takes. That's how I read it. So if it is 30 min job it is $100. Bet he doesn't get a lot of takers on that

For the rubbish removal what are the tip prices. What is his mark up. I am assuming he is also charging labour on top of this.

So for example if it was a half hour job and filled half a trailer it would cost $250. Correct. Lets say the tip fees are $50. He has made $200 for 30 mins work. Seems a bit steep to me.

Bluey
18-09-2009, 08:07 PM
would be a 60 buck lawn bluey :i dunno: nah reckon around 35 ???

I originally quoted her 35 when I first got it but upped it after a while because of all the edging involved. She likes nice deep straight edges.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
18-09-2009, 09:14 PM
My second last job today. By myself it took 29 mins exactly. That's doing all the edges (vertical) and catching the grass. I also have to use her mower on a ridicuously low setting. She is Italian and likes it short. Capice. I have to use her mower which is ancient but still good because this lawn has never been mowed by anything else. It's done every 2 weeks

Beats me how as it would take 15 min for snipping you must be runnning with that mower and blower

geoff
18-09-2009, 09:32 PM
Beats me how as it would take 15 min for snipping you must be runnning with that mower and blower
he didnt say 15 mins whipper it was probaly less....and 29 mins for us old experienced contractors isnt that hard..when you mowing for a long time short cuts with affecting quality is a skill to acquire..isnt that hard once you are oraginised...many of our lawns by one person is done 20 to 30 mins...

Bluey
18-09-2009, 09:32 PM
I don't muck about but i must admit the edges are already formed on this lawn so it is just keeping them trimmed. Did work up a sweat at the end though. I also preposition everything so it is at the right spot when needed.

Bluey
18-09-2009, 09:38 PM
I didn't actually time the whipping but yeah it was less than 15 mins. The edges are actually the easiest part on this lawn. The hardest part is the mowing and trying not to scalp it as she wants it cut so low. I always blow grass onto lawn before mowing and it is only a quick clean up at the end and your done.

geoff
18-09-2009, 09:41 PM
well done bluey...always blow before ya mow :laughing: seen som many good mows stuffed up appearance wise when contrators blow all the crap leaves and all on a nicely cut lawn.......

Bluey
18-09-2009, 09:48 PM
Very true. What i particularly hate is leaving the grass in the gutter. I always blow this into a heap and use my square mouth shovel to scoop it up. I like to leave the front of the property looking clean as. This is what catches the clients eye when they get home as they are driving up the road. The neighbours have high grass and cr*p in the gutter and theirs stands out because it is nice and neat. Creates the wow factor

ian
18-09-2009, 10:37 PM
Very true. What i particularly hate is leaving the grass in the gutter. I always blow this into a heap and use my square mouth shovel to scoop it up. I like to leave the front of the property looking clean as. This is what catches the clients eye when they get home as they are driving up the road. The neighbours have high grass and cr*p in the gutter and theirs stands out because it is nice and neat. Creates the wow factor
just blow all the crap onto the neighbours gutter makes mine look better :laughing:
p.s your edges look great and good edges always make the lawn look better

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
19-09-2009, 10:53 AM
I didn't actually time the whipping but yeah it was less than 15 mins. The edges are actually the easiest part on this lawn. The hardest part is the mowing and trying not to scalp it as she wants it cut so low. I always blow grass onto lawn before mowing and it is only a quick clean up at the end and your done.

Yeah well whipping would have taken me about 15 minutes i dont know i need to maybe watch you guys and see where our short cutting ive watched several contractors in townsville and ive seen some quicker and some slower than me but i doubt ive seen one that would have done that yard in 29 minutes

ian
19-09-2009, 01:47 PM
i would allow 30-35 min for that lawn

dan1312
19-09-2009, 03:40 PM
good job bluey. 30 mins is spot on for that lawn. here 30 bucks would pull that lawn up...maybe 35. i smile when i see contractors taking an hour to do these size lawns. got to feel sorry for them.

DavidS
19-09-2009, 03:46 PM
Thats a great time Bluey, I would have charged $35.00 for that lawn and would have possibly done it in 45 minutes or a bit less. Yes whipper snipping is a art form some can do it well and some struggle.

VJinTownsville
19-09-2009, 03:53 PM
I struggled so much when I first started whipper snipping. Man, I got so frustrated but kept going at it, my boss was getting frustrated, insults came flying, "HURRY THE F*CK UP!!" taunts.

Hence why I cringe when I think about putting on a side kick. I let a few mates have a go at using my straight shaft trimmer and boy did it look hard the first time someone uses it!

I've always been taught religiously to trim at walking or even brisk walking speed at trimming. If you take too long it might take 3x as long and double the effort if you aren't doing it efficiently.

redbackmowing
19-09-2009, 06:57 PM
good job Bluey,
lawn nice & green for a low cut like that. $35 - $40 depend on grass removal. 35min without a 10 min chat to the customer.
cheers

VJinTownsville
20-09-2009, 05:52 PM
Well from now on I will just take off about $5-10 off just to around 45-50 to most lawns up here just to make up the rounds. At least I can still make up for in closer rounds.

VJinTownsville
20-09-2009, 05:57 PM
Well from now on I will just take off about $5-10 off just to around 45-50 to most lawns up here just to make up the rounds. At least I can still make up for in closer rounds.

Then when I get myself established I will be going up in prices with new customers or ones who give me the sh*ts

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
20-09-2009, 08:55 PM
Well from now on I will just take off about $5-10 off just to around 45-50 to most lawns up here just to make up the rounds. At least I can still make up for in closer rounds.

Then when I get myself established I will be going up in prices with new customers or ones who give me the sh*ts

The problem up here is we have to travel to much compared to down south. Also everything is more expensive here than down there so why not lawn mowing. Mate work on your prices that you make money dont worry about what others charge. At the end of the day its all about making money.

VJinTownsville
20-09-2009, 10:40 PM
Hey Dan we should take some time out to team up and qoute random lawns and mock up qoutes on add on jobs.

What do you reckon?

I'll free up some times this week in the afternoon if your keen

VJinTownsville
28-09-2009, 11:21 AM
So far my lawns are around $45-65. I want to average them to around $50 as I am getting quicker and no longer cringe as I use to do a 45min job and it takes 1hr 30mins. Practise makes perfect!

It also pays to know which customers are fussy. I wouldn't want to use the blower on a property where they can't tell the difference and frankly couldn't give a rat's a*ss. As long as it looks neat and not making too much of a mess to begin with. I used to blow customers path and driveway with surgical precision until I got sick of it!!!

63impala
28-09-2009, 12:41 PM
Man those must be huge blokes if you are charging that much!

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
28-09-2009, 02:22 PM
So far my lawns are around $45-65. I want to average them to around $50 as I am getting quicker and no longer cringe as I use to do a 45min job and it takes 1hr 30mins. Practise makes perfect!

It also pays to know which customers are fussy. I wouldn't want to use the blower on a property where they can't tell the difference and frankly couldn't give a rat's a*ss. As long as it looks neat and not making too much of a mess to begin with. I used to blow customers path and driveway with surgical precision until I got sick of it!!!

Mate thats the right price to be charging. I blow all the places mate blowing only takes 3 minutes max and thats driveway pathway front door and patio and it makes a world of difference maybe that client doesnt care but another potential client might be watching.

63impala
28-09-2009, 02:31 PM
That is crazy if some dude came over to my hose a said $50 to mow my lawn I would saw get bent but I do have a tight run so it still works in my faver what I charge.

Stripes
28-09-2009, 03:08 PM
Most of mine are $88 weekly. Some are $50 fortnightly but I'm getting rid of those ones.

63impala
28-09-2009, 03:26 PM
Yah but you are using a cylinder mower witch is a art form to master.

Stripes
28-09-2009, 03:40 PM
Some of them are just normal lawns though. I still quote as if they are cylinder mowing lawns and see what happens. I just make sure everything is perfect and give each job a nice clean so they can see why they are paying premium rates. Its not for everyone but there are plenty of people out there willing to pay for a very nice job.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
28-09-2009, 04:49 PM
That is crazy if some dude came over to my hose a said $50 to mow my lawn I would saw get bent but I do have a tight run so it still works in my faver what I charge.

There are people here in townsville charging 70 - 90 dollars for a lawn i had a lady who was a pensioner ring me up some one had charged her $90 to mow her lawn and when i went over and had a look it was a small block one of those 800 sqm ones that had been cut in half. She said it wasnt long at all

redbackmowing
28-09-2009, 04:50 PM
That is crazy if some dude came over to my hose a said $50 to mow my lawn I would saw get bent but I do have a tight run so it still works in my faver what I charge.

that's what you need to get your head around. i would never get someone to mow my lawn but i'm willing to mow someones for that price. this thinking can lead to quoting a low price. your running a business, it has expenses like any other business. don't think just because your mowing lawns you shouldn't be paid well. it's a tough gig. make sure you get paid well doing it.

cheers

63impala
28-09-2009, 04:58 PM
Thats true fellas I am going to change my price. :wave-hi: :russ:

Stripes
28-09-2009, 05:52 PM
As long as the job is perfect, people will look at it as value for money. If you charge big bucks and do a rough job, they will flick you. If you do it perfect, they will tell their friends "he is expensive, but he does a beautiful job". Then their friends call you expecting a high price so are more likely to accept the quote knowing they will get a beautiful job done.
This work is too hard to work for low rates.

VJinTownsville
28-09-2009, 07:37 PM
I am usually done in 45 mins so 45-50 seems good.

If the place is really well kept I blow all corners of the property. If the place has sh*t everywhere then its just anything green I blow away. Some places have sh*t caked up its better to leave it as it is as you wouldn't want to disturb a mound of crap they seem to call "homestyle landscaping".

I had one little old lady ask me to whippersnip her sons yard. They were fighting and screaming over the lawn. Man that was so awkward. I finished the job asap. Knocked on the door and said it's all done sorry for the trouble. I said it was free, no charge. Then she chased me with a $50 note as I was making my getaway. Damn it! She said do as much as you think its worth.

Man I was on a tight schedule. I was literally powerwalking on my next job. Finished about 50 mins. Got $60. They love me. I love their lawn. Karma works.

Andy B
28-09-2009, 10:39 PM
I had to tell myself to calm down last Friday, a few weeks ago I quoted a job 900sqm block with about 30m off waist high hedge. Good clean job so I quoted him $40 for lawn (clippings removed) $40 for hedge (again clippings removed). Sure thing I thought... never, someone else got it and left the hedge clippings down one side on the neighbours driveway. Client may of been happy with low price, but were renting it out so probably not another job there for 6 months and buckley's of gettings any of the neighbours.

After seeing another professional doing a hedge with a snipper the same day I had to ask myself many questions about my perception of the opposition.

redbackmowing
28-09-2009, 11:05 PM
I had to tell myself to calm down last Friday, a few weeks ago I quoted a job 900sqm block with about 30m off waist high hedge. Good clean job so I quoted him $40 for lawn (clippings removed) $40 for hedge (again clippings removed). Sure thing I thought... never, someone else got it and left the hedge clippings down one side on the neighbours driveway. Client may of been happy with low price, but were renting it out so probably not another job there for 6 months and buckley's of gettings any of the neighbours.

After seeing another professional doing a hedge with a snipper the same day I had to ask myself many questions about my perception of the opposition.

they obviously don't have pride in their work. doing hedges with the wippy & leaving cuttings on a neighbours driveway leaves a lot to be desired. they got what they paid for. as the saying goes - pay peanuts get...

one time i was talking to a franchise guy who was doing a lawn across from me. He was a newbie. i asked how was the training going. he said they stopped the training because they were too busy. He said he knows how to do it anyway. As soon as he left the lady came over to me & asked if i wanted to do her yard. He had missed half of the edging. Either in too much of a rush or didn't know how to do a professional job. it felt good taking a job off the franchise boys. :laughing:

VJinTownsville
28-09-2009, 11:30 PM
The difference between an INDY and a FRANCHISEE is like having kids.


Being an INDY gives you the joy in the conception (rooting), raising the kid and seeing it grow up. You get the satisfaction.

Being a Franchisee is like adopting a 20yr old when you are only 25. It could feel like its your own but really its still someone elses.

Go the INDY's!!!!!

casitas
29-09-2009, 11:06 AM
hey all...

i haven't had a chance to read through all these posts, but from my own experience, charging low to get customers is probably the worst thing you can do in any business.

i know sometimes you have to if your desperate for work, but what happens is you get stuck on low prices, that customer won't pay any more, if they recommend you to somebody, they'll want cheap prices too, and so on the road to slavery continues, as that's pretty much all you'll be if your services are "cheap"

instead, establish your prices first, and stick to them, not too expensive, but reasonable.

for example:

if a franchisee in your area is charging $40 for lawn 'A'

then you charge no less than $35, no less

never go down to $25-$30...

and don't buy a franchise, they will suck the life out of you, if you want to buy a run, buy private from somebody on the forum

hope this helps C.