kev84

Sounds as though you are charging way too little for your work. If you are starting up as a one man business you need an urgent rethink on pricing, otherwise you'll get a hell of a lot of work, but make nothing! People pay if the work is good, honest and tidy. You have already covered that very important part, so don't dig yourself into a hole by charging coppers! Another tip, if you aren't trained in the use of poison, don't use it! It can lead to a world of trouble!

Wide range of advice here; many thanks lads its much appreciated. Think Ill go with an overall price. As one suggested, it is labouring, regardless of the effort involved. Im going to look into hiring a mini digger/bobcat; maybe get the parish to close the path and then work out an overall price. If they want it, great...if not, it remains their problem path. Certainly don't fancy digging it out, especially with horizontal rain most days and galeforce winds over the moor! Thanks again for all your suggestions. Good site. My son is just finishing his Arboriculture course at college, so Ill put him onto this forum.

Thank you, very likely, its an option ill likely go with, once I work out a few things. Its one of those jobs you dread starting....but needs must! cheers mate.

Thanks Chris. Ive no idea how long it would take, but a bobcat isn't an option. The path is on a very busy main main road; the actual path (50% overgrown) is the workspace. Thats why Its got to be manual. I thought it was to brushcut/strim, but upon inspection its the grass has actually grown over the path and established its self. It means slicing through the overgrowth at the original path edge and then using a spade to clear the excess. My usual work is strimming/grass cutting public paths/cemeteries, so this is something I haven't costed before. Thanks for your advice.

Im hoping someone in the trade could give me a bit advice. Ive been offered the job of re-exposing a public footpath of around 0.5 miles in length. The path is tarmac and is around 20" overgrown with earth to one side. The client wants the full width of the path exposed again. The job would have to be done manually ie with spades, digging the hidden path out. The removed earth would be shovelled into the hedgerow, so there's no removal; its just manual labour of hand digging a path out for about half a mile. Ive absolutely no idea what to cost the job out at. Any advice would be gratefully welcomed.