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Thread: 10 Acre School Quote

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    Senior Member BLACK BEAR's Avatar
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    Default 10 Acre School Quote

    Would like help from those with some experience quoting schools.
    Have 10 acres approx that needs cutting for a school - established school but new campus. They ONLY want cutting of grass and clean up- no edging or whippy etc on hilly areas.
    He has not said how many cuts, but has indicated it may need weekly sometimes and we have not discussed access times which will both affect quote .

    Q1. What is a reasonable yearly cut for schools in this present Melbourne climate ( i would think 25 )?
    Q2. What is a reasonable acreage rate for approx 65% open flat land (including 1 oval) the rest bordering car parks and buildings etc?
    Q3. After working a rate out for the answer at Q1 what is then a reasonable additional acreage rate for going below a minimum?
    Q4. What hours are people actually taking to cut their schools (acres/hr in growing and slow seasons) etc?
    Q5. Can contracts be expected from schools?


    We have 2 machines Hustler 54 new & Ferris 48in older but will look at financing a 37/66Hustler superz and trade in ferris if contracts are offered.

    Thanks John (we can take it private if people replying would like to)

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    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Q.5 Yes contract for sure

    Q.1 You could probably get away with 23 depending upon the sports played on the grounds/ovals every 2 weeks/ 3 in winter = 23 cuts per year.

    The rest i cant help with as i'm not running the bigger machines (42 inch deck only).

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    Senior Member BLACK BEAR's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Just finished taking a walk through. All very straight forward, maybe 75% large area mowing, 25% smaller stuff around buildings require some frequent turning, edging near trees, etc .
    As a new campus their oval is really nothing to speak of right now - that may change in the future. Someone is doing a pretty good job on it at present - maybe employees. machine used was maybe only a 54inch.

    All pretty straight forward - just plant your bum in the seat and go go go for 75% of it

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    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    good stuff John .
    Before any contract i would need to see their scope of works in writing or they havent do one your self. At my schools I wrote my own scope of works and they were impressed as they didnt have to do it. Make sure you put price adjustments and hourly rate/price for additional work. My schools are renound for asking for lots of extras and you could get caught out , like commercial properties managers or the people handling the maintenance do change and so do their ideas..
    Still schools are pay dirt and the bursar handles the invoices so you get paid quickly ( especially if make yourself known )
    Working with equipment and kids dont mix so for me its either after 3.00 , early or saturdays .Sounds like yours would be around 4 hours maybe so maybe weekend .I do know many contractors that work during class times and for the oval thats good,a lot of my work entails work nearby rooms and teachers dont like blowers and hedgers ramping up .
    Mate give a tip make it worthwhile tha means you have to sell yourself with your great price.

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    Member Andy B's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Fingers Crossed John!

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    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    and another aspect John factor in the rubbish on the oval...make sure you mow after the rubbish pickers have done their job lol

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    Senior Member Wyadra's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Definately factor in weekly mowing. Have a look at lawnsite(US) for a better idea of what might be required.

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    Senior Member BLACK BEAR's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Thanks for your help guys. I estimated total site including buildings approx 15-16 acres with 10-11 acres of grass.
    I have since found some info and the site is 18.5 acres so I think 12 would need mowing!
    It is a new campus only offering up to year 8, then adding another year level as each year passes. So it is more like a primary school. Their sports facilities & oval presently dont look as if there will be much activity on weekends etc.
    So even though it is a college I tend to think there may be minimal cuts! Monday morning will be interesting when we talk>

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    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Re the contract others may not agree with this but i would definately add in a clause where by if they or you want to end the contract that there be 6 weeks notice given by either party, just gives some breathing room if you get the lemon and sarse.

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    Senior Member bb1's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Dont forget working with children check, I think even if you do it after hours you will need it.

    Consider school holidays as well. do they want as many mows during the longer breaks.

    I do a local recreation reserve and it is not the kids that are a problem, but the bl$%dy parents, even after hours you need to consider parents / kids walking through (safety aspect), sorry to the ladies here, but most mums dont understand that a mower can flick stones and stuff, I watch out for them, but sometimes they just "sneak" up behind you.

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    Senior Member BLACK BEAR's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Ok, apparently we are up against a tractor with a 12ft slasher behind it - run by a pro parks n garden contractor! Wonder wat they charge that out at??

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    Senior Member holdenhead's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Hi John,

    Sorry I missed your call the other day it was buried in 24 msg's that were on my phone that I was putting off going through. Got it tonight. A carrier pigion might have been better.

    Give me a call if you still wana chat but I did speak to Glen the last night and he has filled me in on some details. The guy with the slasher will charge the same rate as we all should, around $100 per acre. I did a job a few weeks ago was about 15 acres, quoted $1500 plus an extra $400 because it was long and some whipper snipping needed doing. They needed it done a few weeks later again so I called a slasher bloke to go do it because it was a bit rough for the zero's and my back was still recovering from the first run. His price was $100 per acre, but he got through it in 3 hours because he has a bigger deck and bigger wheels and can cruise over the pot holes and bumps. So his price was the same. This is the way it should be anyway, bigger machine should make more $$ per hour. As I have said before if a 32inch tractor gets through a footy field in 1.5 hrs and a 60inch zero gets through that same footy field in 30 mins should there be a difference in price?? No, the difference should be that the bigger more efficient machine should make more $$ per hour than the smaller one. Otherwise there is no point forking out big $$ for big machines if you are making the same $$ per hour as a pushie.

    Cheers Rick

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    Senior Member bb1's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Quote Originally Posted by holdenhead View Post
    So his price was the same. This is the way it should be anyway, bigger machine should make more $$ per hour. As I have said before if a 32inch tractor gets through a footy field in 1.5 hrs and a 60inch zero gets through that same footy field in 30 mins should there be a difference in price?? No, the difference should be that the bigger more efficient machine should make more $$ per hour than the smaller one. Otherwise there is no point forking out big $$ for big machines if you are making the same $$ per hour as a pushie.

    Cheers Rick
    Fully agree with this comment, wish all the backyarders would stick to this.

  14. #14
    Senior Member BLACK BEAR's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    Quote Originally Posted by holdenhead View Post
    Hi John,

    Sorry I missed your call the other day it was buried in 24 msg's that were on my phone that I was putting off going through. Got it tonight. A carrier pigion might have been better.

    Give me a call if you still wana chat but I did speak to Glen the last night and he has filled me in on some details. The guy with the slasher will charge the same rate as we all should, around $100 per acre. I did a job a few weeks ago was about 15 acres, quoted $1500 plus an extra $400 because it was long and some whipper snipping needed doing. They needed it done a few weeks later again so I called a slasher bloke to go do it because it was a bit rough for the zero's and my back was still recovering from the first run. His price was $100 per acre, but he got through it in 3 hours because he has a bigger deck and bigger wheels and can cruise over the pot holes and bumps. So his price was the same. This is the way it should be anyway, bigger machine should make more $$ per hour. As I have said before if a 32inch tractor gets through a footy field in 1.5 hrs and a 60inch zero gets through that same footy field in 30 mins should there be a difference in price?? No, the difference should be that the bigger more efficient machine should make more $$ per hour than the smaller one. Otherwise there is no point forking out big $$ for big machines if you are making the same $$ per hour as a pushie.

    Cheers Rick
    Thanks mate, thats what it should be, but was speaking to another guy with a 5ft? slasher and he works on $80 bucks an hour. This mob is a professional crew who do parks n gardens, roadside work etc so it will be intersting to see.

  15. #15
    Senior Member holdenhead's Avatar
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    Default Re: 10 Acre School Quote

    So a cowboy mowing lawns on weekends would be making more than him? I bet it's an old tractor and he drives an xf falcon or something like that.

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