[mrusk]

Last year i got stuck sitting around with nothing to due once December 1st came around. Alot of the other companies were still out working forr another month or even more because of the mild weather.

So what do you guys think will happen this year? Is your gut telling you it will be a early winter or late? Harsh or mild?

I am booked out to around december 1st. I would like to do one more decent job after that, i am just hoping the weather holds out.

Matt

[Greensmith]

Hard to say these days. Look at the weather we got right now in NJ, cold and damp. The long range forecast two weeks out shows highs in the mostly low 80s. Usually we got a hot August/mid Sept before the heat breaks.

[Dale Wiley]

Now there's a big surprise...a landscaper with nothing to do in December....that usually happens in smaller business's.. and there is one simple solution to it.. make the money you need in your 9 month season and then go fishing/skiing/hunting/ int he off season.

I worked that way for many years until I got off the tools and out of the field. I have less work to do int the winter.. but we worked all winter last year. We started concrete flatwork about 2 years ago, and that keeps some work coming in, and we can usally flip over a commercial project or 2.

I am not looking for huge profits that time of year. Our profit and overhead goals are well met by that time, (usually). As long as I cover costs, it keeps the crews working

[EpicInterlock]

Dale,

What do you mean by concrete flatwork? Is that pouring concrete slabs?

[Matt Kulp]

First I would say that you will have no idea what your schedule will look like in December. Your jobs could have extras and/or hidden overages. I would say keep your schedule the way it is and if you have a couple jobs that would not mind going late in the year rather then waiting until spring then fit them in if you can. The worst mistake you can make is to tell someone you will be able to get it in and then you can't.

To tell you the truth, I think committing to a hardscape into December is risky. You have no idea what November will do, odds are in your favor, but it is still a gamble. Last year we signed a paver driveway towards the end of October for the following spring. Well... we finished up with everything on the books for the fall by the second week in November. We went to the client and asked if they would mind the work being done earlier and they had no objection. We ended up finishing the driveway by the second week in January, 3 days before our first real snow fall. Tell your clients there may be a possibility for a winter install, but you will put them on the books for spring. If you are not sure you can get the job done in time, don't start it.

UNDER PROMISE, OVER SERVICE!

[Dale Wiley]

Originally posted by EpicInterlock
Dale,

What do you mean by concrete flatwork? Is that pouring concrete slabs?

Sidewalks and driveways mostly..nothing real fancy or complicated.... anything we can pour flat with no tall upright forming....

Is not a bad fit for a landscpae contractor... we have all the equipment.. the employees are real good at it...mostly for existing clients or word of mouth from people who have had cheap jobs go to on them and want them redone right...

[agla]

Get all those gunite pools shot in the fall. Then you may be able to work on the decking in the mild times over the winter. If nothing else, you won't have to get on someones gunite schedule when all hell breaks loose for them in the spring. You can have the plasterers working early in the spring before all the other guy's gunite has cured.

Whether you have gunite work or not, the point is that you can sometimes benefit by setting yourself up to have something to work on coming out of winter rather than necessarily having something you can complete before winter.

If I'm not mistaken, you had nothing to do until April this year. Set yourself up to have things that can be worked on coming out of the winter.

[mrusk]

Originally posted by agla
Get all those gunite pools shot in the fall. Then you may be able to work on the decking in the mild times over the winter. If nothing else, you won't have to get on someones gunite schedule when all hell breaks loose for them in the spring. You can have the plasterers working early in the spring before all the other guy's gunite has cured.

Whether you have gunite work or not, the point is that you can sometimes benefit by setting yourself up to have something to work on coming out of winter rather than necessarily having something you can complete before winter.

If I'm not mistaken, you had nothing to do until April this year. Set yourself up to have things that can be worked on coming out of the winter.

I am set for next spring. As early as possible we are going to start digging come spring. I have 2 big pool projects that need to be finshed by start of summer. I tried to get the customers to let us get the pool shell in this fall, but some people do not get their bonuses until March!

[EpicInterlock]

Dale, that might actually be a good fit if I have some slow spots through out the year. I recently poured a concrete patio for my parents as a "test run". It was really simple and easy to do.
I won't offer it as a service, but will do it for existing customers who know my quality of work.

Thanks

[Pelican]

It's funny this post is started. I was talking just the other day with a close friend on how I had noticed the squirrels are working overtime already. They are gathering nuts that aren't ripe yet, chewing them off the branch and then gathering them after they've felled a bunch. I can't remember ever seeing this before and wondered if this means an early or hard winter?

We're due.

[Greensmith]

I am also thinking we are due. I was thinking of all the Crepe Myrtles and Southern Mags I planted the last two years because "well our neighbors have them and they are fine!" that will bite me in the arse next year.

We have a very cold snap coming mid next week it looks like. High of 68 low of 43 degs. The usual is 10-15 higher than that.

[mrusk]

We are defiently due for a harsh winter. The last 2 winters have been mild. I remember the winter before last. I was out laying block for a foundation in the middle of January...wearing a t shirt!

Early winter or late one, i should have enough work to carry me to the end. I just hope i we have a dry fall so i can this giant job i am starting next month finshed before the frost sets in.