Calculating Job Costs?

[Scaper-S2k]

Jack D....."You can make HUGE profits mowing 'any size lawn' for $18. Well, wait justa second, I mean $26.85, yeh, $26.85 sounds better, yeh, I'm sticking with that, uh, uh, yeh okay, $26.85 it is."


Not bad.

[Jack D.]

When Mr. Skaper is presented with facts he either chooses to ignore them or changes his position. JustLawns mows over 1500, $18 lawns w/app. $5 profit per lot after marginal costs. This would lead to $7500 weekly w/low overhead/fixed costs & huge potential for expansion. The e-mowing company has over 2500 lawns w/well over half @ $22 http://www.e-mowing.com/2004%20Prices.htm & the rest as bi-weekly or larger lots, rated higher, which brings the average cut price for all 2500 lawns up.

Both companies have stuck to their expertise and revised their business plan for maximum efficiency in billing, routing, estimating, etc. and are not tied down to the primary expansion killer in the Green Industry which is individual customer attention from an owner and a flexible set of rules for each of their customers situation and needs.

Previously Mr. Skaper has lamented that real profits in the Green Industry could not be realized through mowing under $30 lawns, that the guys wife must support him, that he’s probably some kid w/a push mower etc.. As the John Kerry of the Green Industry, Mr. Skaper is likely considering putting out door hangers advertising $18 cuts as he defends to the death his bloated & growth stagnant operation.

[Scaper-S2k]

Jack, you are missing the point, no one cares. I'm not sure why you think I care that there is a company out there charging $26.85 and making good money. I have NO DOUBT they are at that price. This thread was about you saying HUGE profits could be made mowing 'any lawn' for $18.

The 2 aren't even related!!!! There is almost $9.00 difference in their pricing! Go back and take basic math.....and a little rational thinking wouldn't hurt either.


Again, I don't care if people are charging $2.50 per cut and mowing 5 million lawns! It just doesn't matter to me, I have a niche and we do very well. I'm sorry that aggrivates you.

[Jack D.]

Mr. Skaper, Jack D. is attempting to correct some of the misinformation re. profit potential in Residential Lowball Mowing so others are presented w/a viable alternative in an exploding, limitless market.

Again, please note that JustLawns cuts All Lawns @18 & JustMowIt's primary pricing is $22 per lot.

This pricing is their bread & butter to expansion & untold riches in the overpopulated world of Green Industry Maint..

Jack D. wishes you continued success in your venture.

[Scaper-S2k]

Thank you.

[Jack D.]

Mr. Skaper is advised to join their affiliate program to get started on his exciting journey to higher profits in the Green Industry.

http://www.justmowit.com/Affiliate%20Page.html

[Scaper-S2k]

Jack, our niche returns profits over twice this industry standard. I'm very proud of that. You have a lot of potential to do the same thing, but you just don't want to listen. That's fine though, you're allowed to do whatever you want. It doesn't bother me one way or the other. I'll stick with my methods. They have been treating me very well for quite some time and we keep doing better and better.

[Jason J]

What's this all about?

We started a discussion on how to calculate job cost and we got lost on whether there is profit at $18 a lawn. I know that I am behind on this one, but it is undisputible that Mr. Scaper is the apparent winner in this debate. If I was going to pattern myself after either one of the men in this thread it would have to be Mr. Scaper. It sounds to me that Jack D. is a blubbering neanderthal that has nothing better to do than argue with LCO professionals on a topic that he obviously knows nothing about. As Mr. Scaper has pointed out so many times in this thread, WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER, and that is sond advice for anyone in any business.

[theweedman]

i've been doing small townhouse lawns at $15 that take about that long... its difficult to charge more when they can get the kid down the street or the other lawn service that works in the neighboorhood to do it for $10. i only do the townhouse lawns because i get 4 on a street and it goes fast. it wouldnt' be worth it for just one lawn tho if you ask me.

When calculating price on a per hour basis how do you guys do it? Example: If you want to charge 50$ per hour and the job takes only 20 minutes which is a third of an hour, do you charge a third of the hourly price. Roughly this yard would charge 16 dollars and change. How do you guys go about doing this?

[Jason J]

The only way I will set off the truck for less than $25 is for one area that I have multiple duplexes all in a line. Since there are 2 sides I can charge what seems to be less per side, but in the long run it actually adds up to be more overall. In truth I am still getting more than $25 to set my stuff off, but I am only invoicing them for $18 per side.

[lawn hopper]

I'm overbidding and charging fifty an hour hauling leaves. People are eating me up and I'm making way more than last year!

[jalee37190]

startting a lawn service

i want to start my own service and was wondering if any one had any advise on what to do get started?

[RRS]

Start at the very first thread and read every single post on the entire site.

After that you'll realize this isn't something you want to do.

[Jason J]

Words well spoken!!!

Congrats RRS, I couldn't have said it better myself.