[catmunn]

I need to give a new customer a quotefor bi-weekly maintance on a small condo property that has a front yard with planters and trees-plus a small boulevard lawn. I have been doing this for many years, so I am fast.
I usually charge by the hour($35 per hr) for all aspects of yard maintenance. However, there should probably be a separate charge for pruning.
Is it better to come up with a contract price? I am bad at estimating the contract cost-and I really want to get this gig.

I believe the customer owns several properties, but am not sure whereexactly where he fits in to the puzzle. Should I know this before I come up with a maintenance cost per month?

[agla]

Mowing twice a month in BC? I would think that would be a bit on the long side and quite a lot harder than a regular mowing. It will take you twice as long. At $35 per hour using your own equipment, you are already working fairly cheap. You should not work cheaper or work harder for your money.

The last thing you want to fall for is the "if you do this cheap, I have a ton more work for you" gimmick. It is the oldest in the book. It is great if you are looking to be really busy, but really bad if you want to make money.

Think about it. You charge $35 per hour. Every time you commit to working for less, you are displacing the possibility of charging your $35 rate. Why would you want to take on discount work. And why would you take it to get more of it.

Don't be exploited. Look harder for better paying work. Let him find someone else to exploit.

This guy has cheap skate written all over him - mowing twice a month in a temperate rain forest, I don't think so.

[Stonehenge]

Originally posted by agla
The last thing you want to fall for is the "if you do this cheap, I have a ton more work for you" gimmick.

I think the only arrangment like this we should ever "fall" for is where they pay full price for the first job and get a scale of discounts as the work continues to roll in. It took me almost 10 years to figure out that I need to be paid now, not on some possible big project a year or more down the road.

Charge what you must to make money on this one. If you don't, you'll be expected to charge this losing-money rate for every property. How happy will you be then?

I'm with Agla - $35/hour, especially in Canada, where the regs are greater and value of your dollar to the US dollar is lower, is cheap.

[catmunn]

I haven't charged that yet-that's why I'm asking. I usually work for another co. at $16 per hour to do yard maintenance, so my boss is making the real money.
I'm notused to working on my own-I want to start a company of my own, so I'm asking for your input.
What is an average charge for monthly yard maintenance. Also-how do I convince customers to put me on a 'retainer' through the cold months so I don't starve?

[Dale Wiley]

Yeah.. your boss is making a killing.???.. you may find that not so true if you go out on your own. There is a few other things that you have to have and pay for before you making a killing...Here's a tip...

NOBODY IS MAKING A KILLING IN LANDSCAPE MAINTENACE..!!

Set up a 12 month contract. You set a mininum fee based upon how many hours you think it will take, and estimate on the high side.

At $ 35.00 per hour, you will pay yourself the same $ 16.00 per hour,plus all your other business expenses and make wages until you hire some employees.

Make wages ?? That's what you are doing now.. in order to make money in maintennace you have to have people out there doing the job, doing the job correctly the same way every time, and billing for there time.

BC ahs to be simialr to my climate and we mow 38 to 40 times per year.

[AZTLANLC]

I usually get $40 per man hour including travel time for maintenance and the wages I paid my workers are close to yours, after expenses and overhead I make about 10 per hour per workers if all goes fine, you still think he is making the big bucks?

Quote "also-how do I convince customers to put me on a 'retainer' through the cold months so I don't starve?"

You have to learn how to manage your money you can't depend for funds upfront to spend it before work starts, otherwise the you'll run short at some point.

Quote"I have been doing this for many years, so I am fast."
Then charge more,
Work smarter not harder a one man crew should make about $60 per man hour or more around my neck of the woods.

Quote"I usually charge by the hour($35 per hr) for all aspects of yard maintenance."

Quote"I haven't charged that yet-that's why I'm asking"

Is either one or the other if you are sincere about your posts more people will be willing to help and reply I know that because this forum has helped me a lot.

[catmunn]

I am being sincere; I am usually working for a wage for others, but wish to go out my own. So I've charged $35 an hour to two new customers. There is someone who wants me to give him a quote on monthly maintenance for his small condo yard. Iam in a hurry to give out a quote, but since I'm used to being a labourer-I'm not good at estimating a contract price.
I have no overhead as of yet. I do not own a car, but I use a friends. I am now certified in ecological landscape design and I am trained by hands-on experience in garden maintenance since I was 17(I am now 46). Believe it or not-It's all true. I need to learn to not undercharge-so that's why I'm asking.

[Raj Venugopal]

If you think you can make that price work, shoot the puck.

If you score, great.

If you don't, use it to learn. Everybody has to pay for an education one way or another.

[TrickyDick]

Prices vary a lot between companies and geographic areas. For someone just starting out $35 is probably in the ballpark though you won't get rich on it. Just make sure you charge extra for extras.

[AZTLANLC]

You might think you have no overhead but reality is you do.
Think about your health insurance now or for the future, wear and tear on equipment, if you use a friends car (which is the worse you can do) what's gonna happen when something breaks, and if you don't charge accordingly you will never be able to afford one.
I disagree about someone starting up and charging $35.00 that kind of thinking got me in trouble for couple of season, you have a better advantage cause you have a job, so you actually don't desperately need this work so you can charge accordingly specially if you already know how to do things.
Sit down and think how much money you need to run your own business, think about all those little expenses you haven't, then you'll realize that $35.00 will net you about $15 for you, + running a business is a stress situation almost everyday, for $15 or even $20 an hour I'd much rather work for someone else.

Now back to your question.
Look at the place and figure the time it will take you to do every task not fast but at normal pace, then account for gas and any other direct cost to perform the job, multiply that for as many weeks your season last and break it into equal monthly payments.
At one point I had a 12 month plan but found that many times customer ask, well you won't be mowing in november-dec-jan-etc. why should we have to pay for those months too, a 8 payment plan works best for me and my customers and my business is set up like that too, all my expenses are paid in those 8 months, insurance, rent, loans, etc.

[catmunn]

Thank you for the straight forward, non-judgemental approach.
As a woman, I have to say that a lot of us of this gender persuasion have a hard time asking for what we're really worth. That's why I need to hear more about the bottom line. Also-I am a single parent and still the only wage earner (my son at 16 is just starting to work-with me actually).
I really need to get it together, buy a truck and operate a legitimate business because I feel that I have spent many years busting my butt for too little $$$. The benefit-I am very strong and healthy and that will pay off in the long run.
That is a great quote that you sent too. Thanks again for the input.