[kinnanscaping]

One area that I have not properly accounted for in the past is clean-up after an install, softscape or hardscape. Obviously, it is a bigger deal after a substantial hardscape. I am going to be doing some walls and patios coming up. I am wondering if any of you have perfected a clean-up. What do I mean by a clean-up? Biggest Concern Skid loader ruts and torn-up sod, especially if things get soggy at all.

A wall job that I had last year went terrible and I barely broke even after yards and yards of topsoil and rolls and rolls of sod had to be brought in. I had ruts between 12" and 15". I don't think the homeowner was completely satisfied, and I know that I wasn't. To compound things, I deal mostly with clay.

[PSUscaper]

Always account for it, especially in areas with limited access.

I add it on as a seperate line item. People always question it, especially when it goes into 4 digit numbers. However, without it, you lose a lot of money.

You need to be up front with people from the start. You know damage is going to happen, so discuss it before hand. If you damage the lawn, are they going to be happy with topsoil and seed? Or, are you going to have to go get sod. At the end of a job, going to get 300 sq ft of sod is a lot of work and time, plus, you then have to account for who is going to water it. That is always a battle in itself.

Why landscape contractors are responsible for this, I'll never know. A mason will come in, dig up the whole place, leave crap everywhere, and when there done doing their 'part' of the job, they leave, and no one asks any questions. A pool company comes in, DESTROYS the entire property, and no one asks a questions. BUT, a 'landscaper' comes in to do a walkway, and they are responsible for making the place look exactly the way it was, and usually even better, than it was when they arrived.

I learned the lesson a long time ago, that as a 'landscaper', we are responsible for everything, so that's why my estimates include everything. I really, really want to change my company name from landscaping to 'masonry' just so I can leave a pile of crap in someones yard and not get yelled at for doing so.

[Greensmith]

PSU hit the nail on the head. I was going to type a long story about an interaction I had last year but to suffice to say the mess the mason left compared to mine was pathetic. I went out of my way to show how a site to should be cleaned up and got called on the carpet for some stray mulch on the drive. The mason left concrete stains all over the place, metal pallet bands, random stone piles and I get yelled at for mulch.

[kinnanscaping]

I understand to charge for it in estimates. That was a tough lesson to learn. What I am really asking for are best practices to actually make things look the way they did before or better. As I mention, skid tracks are my biggest concern. Do you just shave off the ridges, fill topsoil into the ruts and re-seed? How about with sod? What are other clean-up items that you might be thinking of that I am not?

Thank you.

[Lumas976]

If reseeding thats pretty much the standard way with how you said, just have to make sure the homeowner is aware they will need to water it. Also, if you want the grass to grow, think about putting down some type of seeding blanket (ex- Burlap or there are others out there) or even sometimes same straw will do. This will help keep the seed from blowing and keeps the water on it. If you are going to resod it will take a little more effort. The edges need to be cut down like any time your edging into existing sod using a sod kicker or cutter and grade the area and sod like normal.

As far as other cleanup, don't forget about having to repair or clean the driveway or any other place driven or turned around in. Makes big marks with the homeowner. Also, when working with stone you want to make sure that any mortar or stone chunks are off the yard. Don't want them shooting out of the mower and causing problems.

A thought- use some plywood on the path your driving especially if its going to be soggy. The plywood may be a little of an investment, especially on long runs, but it can greatly reduce the cleanup cost and you can reuse them on other jobs. Always nice to keep a stack at your shop.

[Fine Edge]

We find cheap, used, returned, damaged sheets of plywood at supply houses and lay them down for our mini skid if the yard is really nice to begin with.
If it's a big job and several subs are going to ruin the whole yard, we try to give a vague estimate of what cleanup will cost. Most of the time I just tell them I won't know until we're done but 3 rolls of sod, soil, etc... will cost you $$$$.

[Lumas976]

Never thought of looking plywood like that, nice idea. We normally just use whatever we had extra on other jobs. We're generals on a lot of jobs too so we end up with a bunch of the carpenters extra materials.

[kinnanscaping]

I think that I should use plywood, too. Up until now, I have just been too rushed at the beginning of jobs, but that ends up biting me in the clean-up areas. Thank you all for suggestions.

[Malrex]

I know this post is a little old but...

I never understood why hardscapers did their job and left, leaving a mess. I just finished a job of cleaning up a hardscaper's job--they did a nice job of installing a walkway and a small retaining wall. I got called to take out plants they had killed, add new ones, and mulch--a one day job for me (1 man company). Why leave that money potential--add it into your hardscape bid! (or call me to clean-up!)