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Thread: quoting for gardening

  1. #1
    Member NSW jcover's Avatar
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    Default quoting for gardening

    Morning all.
    just wanting some feedback on this quote.
    its a regular lawn mowing job of $40 garden maintenance which is hand weeding in the garden beds and trimming of some fern which ill get the hedger out not to big. Hand weeding possible 2 hours thats was $150.then the back yard is a pool area with tall weeds so im going wippersnip and spray was $60 as I need to buy the spray clipping removal of $35.so total quote went like this .
    regular lawn mowing $40
    Front garden maintenance $150
    Back yard
    wippesnip$15
    Chemical application $45
    clippings taken away $35
    total 285.
    Any ideas to improve on this would muchly appreciated. Im thinking around 3 to 4 hours of work just depending on handweeding.
    any preference on chemical to use would be good too as I havnt done spraying as yet.
    By the way the clients did sort of hesitate when they seen total bill. Im thinking a little on the cheap side. Cheers guys
    jason lawns covered

  2. #2
    Senior Member DavidS's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    So the $150.00 is for 2 hrs of hand weeding(pretty expensive). I would spray weeds first and then come back in a couple of weeks and whipper snip when you are sure they are dead. It's not a good idea to whipper snip or mow then poison as there is sometimes not enough leaf area for the poison to stick to. If a one of job then fine but a regular would do properly first up. Explain to client the reason for the delay.
    If only a few weeds why so much for the spray. Time would only be 15 minutes max and chemical would only be $2.00 or maybe $3.00, you can't charge for purchasing the whole bottle of Glyphosate, just what you use, the rest can be charged out to other clients as you use it.

  3. #3
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    I wouldn't pay someone $75 p/hr to weed my garden, if you can get that then good luck to you - I think you might want to up your rate for dumping though, $35 seems too cheap. Spray with glyphosate immediately after whacking it (or just spray it and go back in 2-3 weeks)




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  4. #4
    Senior Member djkgrounds's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Quote Originally Posted by Redeye View Post
    I wouldn't pay someone $75 p/hr to weed my garden,
    Depends on how bad the weeds are and what the yard/garden conditions are like. But I agree on the dumping fees being too low.

    The most I charged for weeding was $200 labour + dumping of $65 for 1.5hrs work, There were roses everywhere as well as lomandras through out the whole garden. I couldn't see the roses because of the grassy weeds over grown lomandras and vines that riddled the garden. Money well made I say, and they were happy to pay it.
    DJK Grounds & Gardens
    0416 931 867
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  5. #5
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    That's about what I charge for hand-weeding because they obviously don't want to do it themselves. Some I get, some I don't. It's not easy or quick work when it's done thoroughly.

  6. #6
    Member NSW jcover's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Hi guys. Thanks for the advice muchly appreciated. This vlient calls when they need me. With the weeds yep tge front is garden beds and very over grown and the re are 4 of them if I get stuck into it could do it in 2 hours thats just the front hand weeding.so if 75 bucks an hour and it ends up 3 hours50 bucks an hour so im still in a winning situation im tring to give a fixed price for each jobis that the right way to go or is weeding better to quote by the hour.not too familiar with the weeding.with the back yard its a pool erea the weeds are about 1 meter tall some of them and its all paved and if I hand pull them the pavers just come up. Thats y I thought wipper snip then spray the whole paved area wd round up. Its not a big area but the spraying will be about 20 30 minets so thats y I charged 45 bucks is a bit closer to the mark. The chemicals plus labour. Each time I think about the whole job Im thinking max 5 hours.hoping this might make a bit more sense to you all. Keep talking to me guys cause im still learning the ropes total job hopping 4 hours 285 im still thinking cheap side for half a days work .im on 35 bucks an hour as a butcher and lawn mowing and gardening is lot harder and labourous job then butchering.

  7. #7
    Senior Member DavidS's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Work on $50.00 per for gardening and $60.00 per hour for hand mowing and you should be in the ball park for around your area, maybe even a bit more but $75.00 per hour is a bit steep. I quote per hour for weeding and gardening work plus green waste removal and tip fees. I quote job rate for mowing, hedging and spraying. You can make good money out of both ways but weeding and gardening you can lose heaps if you quote a fixed price for the job, (Hourly rate only) I do try to give a indication as to how long I think it may take me to do the weeding or gardening job so client has a starting point.

  8. #8
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Quote Originally Posted by Redeye View Post
    I wouldn't pay someone $75 p/hr to weed my garden, if you can get that then good luck to you - I think you might want to up your rate for dumping though, $35 seems too cheap. Spray with glyphosate immediately after whacking it (or just spray it and go back in 2-3 weeks)
    Happy wont get out of bed for under $80 per Hr, and that was 2 years ago, but he is special
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

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  9. #9
    Member NSW jcover's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Thanks for the advice guys. Just on the lawn mowing I charge 1.35 min .so I always measure up with the measure wheel and get total sq mtrs pull the chart out and it gives me the price I should be charging. So 200sq meters takes 30 mins so $40 400sq metres takes about 60 mins so 80bucks these rates are for mainly one off go in and mow and leave and charge tip fees . For regulars charge less. Does this make any sense and ais the pricing around the mark.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Wyadra's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    You are too expensive for someone with little experience or qualifications...But good luck if you can wing it. I'm just thinking it might not be the best strategy when attempting to start a new business.
    When you first do a lawn it might take 30 mins, but 6 months later you will be able to shave 5-10 mins off that.
    Don't break the quote down like that.
    I never quote hourly rate because I have confidence that I should have enough experience to estimate what is required. It's also quite a bit more than what Happy would get out of bed for.

  11. #11
    Member NSW jcover's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Hi thanks for the advice guys. Which course do you think is more suitable for the lawn mowing and gardenin buisness. Horticulture or green keeping.? Currently doing landscape constuction "cert 3 at tafe and im thinking of jumping across to one of those vourse . Ive studied conservation and land management . I know there quiet similar. In my buisness I would like to put some maintenence programs in . Like turning tyred grass into lush geeen lawns. Regards all
    jason lawns covered

  12. #12
    Senior Member djkgrounds's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    Quote Originally Posted by jcover View Post
    Hi thanks for the advice guys. Which course do you think is more suitable for the lawn mowing and gardenin buisness. Horticulture or green keeping.?
    Go with Horticulture first, then later on down the track you could do green keeping. You will most likely learn more out of the horticultural course as it will teach you almost everything you need to know about maintaining a perfect garden as well as some basic landscaping skills which you probably already know by doing the course you are doing now.

    The mowing and whipper snipping is the easy part to learn. Greens Keeping will help you to learn pretty much everything else about how grass grows and maintenance of a perfect lawn.
    DJK Grounds & Gardens
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  13. #13
    Senior Member DavidS's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    As DJK has said do Horticulture first and then you will prior recognised learn credits to do Greenkeeping. You should be able to do greenkeeping in about 18 months.

  14. #14
    Junior Member MrMow1's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    I cant be bothered individually charging the way you do. ( which seems to be steep, but good luck to you) Im a qualified Horticulturalist, and I just charge $50.00 an hour regardless for whatever general garden work im doing other than set lawn prices ( weeding, propagating, planting, hedging,clean-ups etc) plus waste removal. I don't even bother with giving set price quotes. If somebody wants one, I just say, I don't do set quotes, but after an hour at $50.00, you can either let me go if you aren't satisfied or I continue at that rate..... I haven't had 1 knock back yet. Im independently financially fine, so maybe its just that I don't need to push hard for the bigger dollars, or that Im just happy and content with what I charge for what I also pick and choose to do!
    www.mrmow.net.au
    'You grow it...I'll mow it!
    Malvern East, Malvern, Glen Iris, Caulfield North, St Kilda East, Armadale, Toorak.
    0402281525

  15. #15
    Senior Member cadase's Avatar
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    Default Re: quoting for gardening

    $75 an hour for weeding seems fine, i, like redeye said wouldn't pay for it. hopefully my client wouldn't either, my next line after quoting the $150 would be trying to encourage them to let me spray or snip then spray, but i hate hand weeding, especially in gravel/scoria

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