[tdlandscape]

Hi all.

Although I've been landscaping a few years, I am just now taking a class and writing a business plan, so I thought here would be the appropriate place to post. (Stonehedge- should I post it elsewhere?)

I offer a detail oriented gardening service focused on design, installation, and maintenance of perennial gardens. I use organic ferts, IPM, native plants, and try to be as 'green' as possible. I do not mow or move significant amounts of earth. Although other bigger companies offer what I do as part of their services, I feel I have found a niche that I can turn into a profitable company.

So, as part of my homework I am supposed to obtain prices from competitors for similar services. I live in Asheville, NC.

Any takers? I am interested, even if you live far far away.

Thanks in advance.

This site is excellent.

-Smitty

[Terre]

That is very similar to what I offer, so if I can help, I will. I probably have less experience than you and I sure don't know if I am competitively priced.

[GLAN]

Can you elaborate further on what you want from us?

What specifics are you looking for?

[tdlandscape]

I am curious how much you charge for maintenance of perennial beds. Do you charge by the hour?

How do you decide how much to charge for contract?

What are your prices for these services?


Thanks!
Smitty

[Terre]

I took the wonderful advise I've found here, and sat down and figured out exactly what my overhead is, how many hours of work are potential in the season, etc. and determined my hourly rate. (Other threads explain this marvelously). That is what I charge for maintenance.

Contracts are an entire different can of worms for me at this point. I carefully measure, plot and plan, list and price out every single item I am going to use, add in my markup, and then basically take a wild ass guess for how long the install will take, and multiply that by said hourly rate. I have yet to be right on the length of time for the install.

So, what does that make mine, a carefully calculated, scientific wag?

[GLAN]

td..

Perennial bed maintenance?................well..........


I guess I am not able to adequately answer this for you...........or provide much insite.

Here's why.........

I do maintenance..............full service maintenance.........everything from the spring cleanup to the last visit going into winter............so, our bed maintenance is being handled on a weekly basis.

I don't get much call for specific bed maintenace at just a few visits a year.....quite frankly I discourage it and flat out refuse it.......My maintenance accounts keep me busy enough.

But.......hourly rate might work best in your situation. $40, $50, $60 an hour.......although I prefer not to give an hourly rate......give a lump sum total.....best guesstimate on what the job is, time frame it can be done in and what ever number of men.........this is based on past experience.

[Gensparkie]

Hourly rate, and it really depends on your overhead, whether you have employees, a contractor's license, etc. I have no employees yet and work for $30-35 per hour with ten years experience and two years schooling. I live in an economically depressed area where $35 per hour is actually a pretty good living.

I have yet to have luck on bidding maintenance. Hourly rate seems fairer to all, since there are so many variables seasonally and so many different ways of determining what is enough. If you bid on maintenance, how do you determine when an area is weeded or when it is unacceptably weedy? an average of weeds per square foot?

That all said, I am moving away from my own business model so I am not sure you ought to listen to what I have to say. I am here to learn how to do better in my business.

[tdlandscape]

Thanks y'all.