iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Charging for Landscaping

Started by Rockn H, April 08, 2005, 10:44:57 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Rockn H

Interested in getting some thoughts on what to charge for keeping up the grounds on a 64 acre city park.  It is mostly grass.  There are a few picnic tables, some scattered trees, and a small pond.  Their main concern is mowing, with a small amount of maintenance around the picnic area.  I know this is a Forestry Forum, but I thought maybe some of you may have some experience here. ;D  Thanks for any suggestions.

etat

It's hard to say without guessing.  If possible find out what the last guy was charging, and up the price a little bit.  ;D
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

Rockn H

cktate, thats part of the problem.  That is, the city was doing the up keep and now they want to contract it out.  I was asked to put in a bid and have no clue.  I'm trying to think of how long it would take to mow 64+/- acres and what maintenance would need to be done on the picnic area.  I can't think of anything other than a little paint? ::)

ScottAR

Is this just mowing/trimming or maintaining sports fields and more???
Trash pickup?
Any building maintence?

Got a bunch of trees to go around or mostly open areas?  That will affect production quite a bit...

I have no direct experience but being a machinery nut, I like to watch crews working.   The maintence contractor for a local factory mows with a couple ZTR mowers (zero turn) and a 12-15 ft. flex mower behind a 40ish hp compact tractor.   

The college near by has 6-8 Ztrs and 2-3 Toro mega mowers. (same concept as the tractor mower above)  They also have a leaf collector gadget, not sure how it works, but it's made by Toro. 

Efficency covering ground will be key.  hth.
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Rockn H

ScottAr, I would say maybe five acres could be mowed with a gang reel mower, thats what I'm looking at using anyway.  The rest has scattered trees and a 10 acre lake.  It would have to be cut with a bush hog, because its more of a nature reserve.  It has just been kept cut to keep it cleared out.  It has never been manicured.  The park does have a nature walk that runs through the rough part and circles the lake, but the city is planning on maintaining it. That is repairing concrete and replacing signs, that sort of thing. 
Lets break it down,
a five acre field- can be mowed quite quickly
a ten acre lake- nothing to do                                                           
a fifty acre nature walk?- no raking or picking up limbs, just occasional bush 
                        hogging to keep it open.  They do want any dead trees or
                        windfalls removed. I won't charge for that.
picnic area- 8 tables to weed eat around and paint when needed. 
I'm looking at $650 a month flat rate.  Here, a quarter acre yard would cost a minimum of $60.  Again, any thoughts are welcome as I'm sure I'm not thinking of everything.  ;D

Tom

Open field mowing with a bush hog goes for $35 to $50 and hour or $10 to $15 and acre on this side of town. 

I have and In-law that has a landscaping business on the other side of town and I'll ask him if I see him. 

I'm told it reall varies.  It depends on which side of town, Residential, Industrial or Rural (farms).

The number of obstacles makes a difference too.  Like trees, buildings, fences and ditches.  Lake manicuring makes those I've talked to stutter.  It can get expensive because of the infirmaties of the ground and distance in the water that needs to be kept. (cattails, grass, water lettuce, Hyacinth, hydrilla, etc.

Herbicide applicators certifications make you worth more.

Rocky_Ranger

I done some corporate work in the Great State of Arkansas in the late '90's and charged $225 for about 15 acres.  That was mostly finish mowing and a good deal of weed eating.  I worked on a call when ready - they called and I was ready.  Not really picnic tables but several trees and outside equipment (liquid oxygen and carbon dioxides) to get in the way.   Aim high, you can always come down................
RETIRED!

Thank You Sponsors!