You know fitz, thats exactly what we do now. We have a 75 per yard installed rate. Pick-up prices at the mulch dealers around here starts at 31.00 per yard and goes up from there!
Figure this:
1. Pick-up mulch (wait in yard to be loaded, get there and then getting to the job)
2. Average of 80% productivity from each employee to lay mulch.
3. The cost of a foreman or owner to supervise mulching.
4. Cleaning up, and traveling back to the mulch yard for another load or to go to the next job with the inevitable stop for another coffee or bathroom stop.
-OR-
Show the mulch blower the jobs and go to another more profitable venture using their rate of 44.00 + tax per yard.
Do the math for yourself, but $28.oo per yard profit on their service.
If you use an average of 18.00 per hour cost on your employees, having a sub with a blower is a better way to earn money and probably more of it. Although if you can get 125 per yard installed like someone claimed to in a previous post
by all means do it by hand. Just work as fast as you can and you will make a killing at that price.