Just a gardener now, who was a carpet cleaner

[padman]

I am now a gardener after my cleaning biz went pontoon after I was taken for 40K about 7 years ago. Tried and still do some cleaning but was asked to do some gardening about 3 years ago. The gardening stuff went bananas so nowadays it is my main source of income. Mainly lawn cutting and hedge work.

 

I do a little bit of cleaning but I would say 90% is gardening stuff. I will do anything and will use a chainsaw when asked. I have used saws all my life as was bought up using one with my dad, so I basically am ok doing little trees. NO CLIMBING MIND YOU.

 

BUT I have not got a clue about costing the bigger garden jobs. I have been asked to do a total tidy up which will include border work tree removal and pruning. Hedges are a mess, basically all in crap order - HOW do I quote for it is my question. I will have my mate with me as its got to be all taken away. No chipper as yet so a few trips down the tip included as well. Do I just give a price for the day or a total price for the job????

 

Just interested in how you guys would quote this job. Woman's could be a pain in the arse as she aint 100% sure what she actually wants me to do.haha

[Jamie_tardi]

All right mate, first off its better then cleaning eh? Next the company I own is divided into two parts really, one is garden maintenance and border work which my partner runs and I run the tree surgery side, now back too the point, if they are big trees I would definetly price them separately and I would cost into waste disposal separately from the usual garden waste disposal fee as chipping and disposing of trees/logs etc can be costly. Oh rent a chipper if you don't have one it will make your life easier, just factor it in. With the rest of the stuff if it's just usual shrubs and nothing too big just price the rest as a whole job, if your reducing a hedge (depends what it is) can be more too depends on size of the hedge + amount too be reduced by.... Anyway I'm rambling a bit, long story short I would price trees separately from rest of the work... Hope it helps cheers

[hedgesparrow]

quote for two people so what ever your hourly rate is x2. if its a price for whole job if you can work out how long you think it will take and by using your hourly rate x2 thats the price. as for clearing it all. ask a local tree surgeon to give you a price to chip it up for you if you drag it to him to chip

a lot of work having to take it to tip and may refuse you if they think its trade. plus if there is some felling he or her may do that bit so covered by insurance.

[eggsarascal]

I am now a gardener after my cleaning biz went pontoon after I was taken for 40K about 7 years ago. Tried and still do some cleaning but was asked to do some gardening about 3 years ago. The gardening stuff went bananas so nowadays it is my main source of income. Mainly lawn cutting and hedge work.

 

I do a little bit of cleaning but I would say 90% is gardening stuff. I will do anything and will use a chainsaw when asked. I have used saws all my life as was bought up using one with my dad, so I basically am ok doing little trees. NO CLIMBING MIND YOU.

 

BUT I have not got a clue about costing the bigger garden jobs. I have been asked to do a total tidy up which will include border work tree removal and pruning. Hedges are a mess, basically all in crap order - HOW do I quote for it is my question. I will have my mate with me as its got to be all taken away. No chipper as yet so a few trips down the tip included as well. Do I just give a price for the day or a total price for the job????

 

Just interested in how you guys would quote this job. Woman's could be a pain in the arse as she aint 100% sure what she actually wants me to do.haha

 

Your last comment says it all to me. If the customer isn't sure what she wants you to do, it's got to be day rate!

[Kev Stephenson]

Day rate or write down EXACTLY what your quote covers. State anything over and above will be charged for. It will either stop the can you just or give you the option to charge for it

[s.varty]

Your last comment says it all to me. If the customer isn't sure what she wants you to do, it's got to be day rate!

 

Agree, and learn from this job, how much time it takes you for future reference

[Acg128]

Put £380 on it

[ArthurBottlesworth]

I'd break the job down into sections in the logical order for doing them

 

1) look at hedges, work out strategy for getting them tidy, estimate how long they will take, add a bit on then cost at daily rate

 

Once hedges out of way you can deal with the trees

 

2) trees, work out if you can handle them , if you can how long will it take, add in cost of hiring chipper and trailer to remove chips , cost of dumping chip .....is it better to subcontract?

 

Once trees and hedges sorted you can look at pruning

 

3) pruning, how long at daily rate

 

Then borders

 

4) how long to sort out --- again at daily rate

 

Final tidy up

 

5) does she need borders mulching, etc tc why not sell a bit extra service ?

 

6) then finally ongoing maintenance ....suggest you come back Every month to cut grass and keep on top of the job

 

This way your straight with customer and hopefully build repeat ongoing custom .......

 

And if she can't afford to do it all, she'll know that before you start

 

Your in strong position to lead her bythe hand here.......

[padman]

Really like to thank you for all the comments.

 

Forgot to mention that the access is horrid as the house has been extended sideways so you have to go through the utility and then garage which she does not want me to do. SO the other side of the house is a max 2 foot wide going down to a foot wide, I kid you not. So all the stuff we take down will have to be cut up small to get down this narrow passage, so more time needed.

 

So I think its going to have to be day rate for two guys - now how much should this be taking into account all the bloody aggro and having to shift and cut everything + tip runs.

 

Off the top of my head I reckon £250 a man for eight hours each. £500 for the day and no promises we get everything done in one day. What do you think. NO big trees to take down just small stuff as mentioned before.

 

The more I think about this, do i really want this job haha

 

Cheers Paul

[eggsarascal]

Really like to thank you for all the comments.

 

Forgot to mention that the access is horrid as the house has been extended sideways so you have to go through the utility and then garage which she does not want me to do. SO the other side of the house is a max 2 foot wide going down to a foot wide, I kid you not. So all the stuff we take down will have to be cut up small to get down this narrow passage, so more time needed.

 

So I think its going to have to be day rate for two guys - now how much should this be taking into account all the bloody aggro and having to shift and cut everything + tip runs.

 

Off the top of my head I reckon £250 a man for eight hours each. £500 for the day and no promises we get everything done in one day. What do you think. NO big trees to take down just small stuff as mentioned before.

 

The more I think about this, do i really want this job haha

 

Cheers Paul[/quote

 

Do you want the job? It depends how hungry you are, or what you are trying hard to save for.

 

Good luck if you can get £31.25 a hour for a gardener and "his mate", each. If you can, crack on.