Grounds maintenance

[simonm]

I have the opportunity to get into grounds maintenance on a few industrial units we do tree work for, i have always turned it down in the past but now i have another lad working also it would be nice to have a bit of regular ish money coming in. I have done a lot of grounds maintenance in the past as an employee but have never priced it as my own job. Question is, is grounds maintenance a profitable thing to be involved in? around my way every tom dick & harry seem to be out mowing grass! not exactly rocket science.

[JaySmith]

The firm that I work for used to have a separate grounds maintenance arm. It worked well hand in hand with the tree work as we would do the tree work on the GM sites and vice versa. It can work as a lot of the tools are transferable. We didn't do residential just schools and office/industrial parks. Main issue was a lot of the tree guys didn't want to do the GM, apart from in the summer when you could sit on a ride on mower! Money for GM was only just under tree rates

[detritus21]

I have a couple of sites and do ok off it. I price in the same manner I do for tree work based on how long the site should take each visit. It maybe that one month you do more on a visit than others but it evens out. Just make sure your price is right for manpower and machines for the length of time you will be there for.

[simonm]

I have a couple of sites and do ok off it. I price in the same manner I do for tree work based on how long the site should take each visit. It maybe that one month you do more on a visit than others but it evens out. Just make sure your price is right for manpower and machines for the length of time you will be there for.

 

What is the frequency that you cut the grass? or does that depend on how the client wants it to look,

[Burgess]

Usually fortnightly on commercial sites. Can get £25 an hour for a guy with a 21 strimmer and blower if hes not an idiot. Ride on isn't worth that much more really especially when you consider a decent big ride on is 15/20k whereas a decent 21 is less than 1k

[detritus21]

Grass cutting every 2 weeks. Any longer and it is difficult to leave it looking right. It does depend on budget though. One site is as and when. Only strimming and weed killing though

[jamesd]

Interesting thread, I think it would be worthwhile doing if you can set up a decent client base and get good guys working for you. Don't know how many climbers/tree guys want to do strimming, grass cutting a couple of days a week instead of tree work.

Obviously you'd have to invest in more kit but providing funds allow you wouldn't need much to start with. The other thing to think of is green waste disposal as well.

I dunno what the going rate for grounds maintenance is, would £25 per hour quoted include removing all waste etc or would a tipping fee be put on top?

[jamesd]

forgot to say it would be profitable providing you price it right etc etc

I'd work out an hourly rate and go from there, or work out what you'd want to make per day for say a two man team.

[simonm]

I am thinking about the future, i don't wanna be killing myself up and down trees when im 50, much prefer to sit on a mower. I suppose its a case of jumping in and seeing how it pans out, £25 an hour doesn't seem like that much to me, not if you want to make some money

[jamesd]

I am thinking about the future, i don't wanna be killing myself up and down trees when im 50, much prefer to sit on a mower. I suppose its a case of jumping in and seeing how it pans out, £25 an hour doesn't seem like that much to me, not if you want to make some money

 

Its good to think of the future and plan ahead.

Not sure about what grounds maintenance work should be per hour, maybe asking on the landscaping section may give you a clue?