[ohfisherman]

how do you figure a quote for labor? i am getting my backyard graded. i understand the price of the equipment and operator. just want to compare. my yard is 30x60. needs some dirt moved around to lower a small hump that directs water towards the house. he quoted me without asking what size my yard is and what i wanted done. i just inquired about how much to level my back yard and he comes up with $xxx.xx amount. kind of seems odd to me. i do other handyman things and never quote without looking first. he said he will grade the lawn and take the old dirt/thatch with him. any ideas about what this would cost? he has a bobcat and is a landscaper.

[Stonehenge]

Sometimes projects are so small that they would fall within certain project minimums that don't require a site visit. For example, you may not know that for many landscape contractors, it costs up to $500 just to mobilize manpower and equipment to your site, and that's before they even step out of the truck and do any work.

When we quote new lawn seedings, unless there are unusual circumstances, our price is the same for anything 1/3 of an acre and smaller. This is because if the lot is smaller, odds are it's going to be more difficult to access, difficult to grade. But even if that difference is not significant, the difference in materials and labor is going to be so small that it's not worth it for us to make a price adjustment. This would be true in your situation, with a yard that is 1,800 sqft in total. Also, this time of year many contractors are booked solid with appointments, and taking time out of the schedule to meet with a client for a project that small may be counterproductive. I know we wouldn't.