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I hear you JW - I'm trying to thrash through them with a machete this spring, to get to the good ones. Had one almost in the bag - they took 6-7 months to decide, then had a change of heart in the design, and though I knew I was this close (picture my fingers close together) to getting the project, I told them I needed them to commit to me financially before I made another move. They baulked. Just as well, I'd prefer to do that now then to chase my tail for another 3 months for a $10K project.
GR - I would bet that the homeowner wants to check your competitors numbers against yours. Spare yourself some dignity, and some time, and decline the request for a proposal. If he begs you for it, tell him you need $1,000 down (non-refundable) before you put pencil to paper for the backyard. I think you'll find out in short order how the cards are stacked.
I mean c'mon. $8,000 for those walls and landscaping? Either the client is lying to you about the price he's paying, or the landscaper doesn't know how to price. Keep an eye on the local auction houses - you may get a chance to get his equipment on the cheap in a year or two.
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