lawn account pricing

[qualitylandscaping]

I have been reading through some past posts about lawn pricing and found most of you try to be in the $40+/hr. range.. I'm only 15 and don't have many bills to pay like the rest of you. How much do you think I should charge an hour? I would like at least $12/hr, but how much higher can I go?? The average for my town is about $35-$40/hr residential and about $70-$80/hr commercial. If it helps I'm running a 48" Lesco WB, 21" Toro SP, Echo Trimmers and Blowers..

Thanks

~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."

[Larkspur Garden]

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Steve, don't sell yourself short! If you do an excellent job and maintain good customer relations, you WILL get customers to pay you what you are worth. I charge $32.00 and hour for residential and contract for commercial. You may be young and not have a lot of bills, but the money for the upkeep, fuel and maintenance for your equipment has to come from some where. As far as what you should charge, don't let people take advantage of you because you are young (and they will, seems the concept is the younger they are the cheaper they will do the job.) You are maintaining a lot of equipment as well as presenting yourself as a proffesional. Charge proffesional prices, hold your head up high and let people know you are not some kid with a pushmower. Good luck, seems like you have a pretty good head on you!

Lara-Larkspur Garden Designs-Horticultural Services

[qualitylandscaping]

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Larkspur,

Thats the problem I've been having.. To many people think I'm just a typical 15 yr old teenager that only cares about the money.. The one's that do want to hire me are willing to pay about $6 for landscaping and about $10 for mowing.. "I'm sorry, but this isn't McDonald's. I do have a $4,000 worth of equipment to maintain (lol)".. The thing is, nobody is willing to pay a teenager $32 an hour, they feel I'm making too much. I dont like to take cheap jobs, but if I dont take them, I'm not working or making ANY money. What can I do to convince people that I'm not s*** and I will do a professional job?

~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."

[srlawnservice]

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Steve,

Evaluate your marketing strategy. Put out flyers and/or doorknob hangers and refer folks to your website (nice site by the way). Give a general range of your pricing such as "single family - 30-40.
This way, when they contact you they already know an APPROXIMATE estimate. You probably already know the average lot size for you area.

I can see where customers think that because of your age they are considering you the "kid next door". You're not. Like Larkspur said, don't sell yourself short. If they want the "kid next door" tell them to hire him. They'll come to you after the "kid next door" either earns enough money to buy his video game or his mower breaks.

Keep plugging.
RL

[alcpi]

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Steve, around here each residence has a market price of what most lawn services would charge(give or take $5-10). If I'm going to give an estimate to someone and it's a normal size lawn, I just give them the average price. An hourly rate doesn't come into play unless I'm bidding extras or commercial property. That's not to say that I don't ever figure what I am making per hour on a particular lawn, but it's not a number I crunch when giving a lawn cutting proposal. If you know what the competive price range in your area is then price accordingly. If someone has a problem with that and wants to pay you what they "feel" you deserve then a red flag should go up in your head and it would be more beneficial to just let that one slip by!



Edited by - alcpi on Aug 31 2002 09:47:02 AM

[qualitylandscaping]

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I decided on between $25 and $30 an hour.. Will never make it if I charge as much as the (ADULTS).. I guess its good enough..

Thanks for the help!

~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."

[tntgross]

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Are you sure your fifteen ? I'm impressed !! You are a very bright young man.

Tina
T-N-T Lawn Care and Landscaping

[alcpi]

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Hey, Hey, Hey...this isn't the love connection!

[qualitylandscaping]

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Love connection?? I'm confused <img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle>

~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."

[Scaper-S2k]

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That's cause you're only 15!!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

&lt;&lt;Don't Fear the Green!&gt;&gt;

[qualitylandscaping]

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I get it, but I don't get why he wrote it..

~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."

[alcpi]

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Just a little harmless joke pertaining to the abundance of compliments TnT gave you. Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers!

[qualitylandscaping]

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Compliments are a good thing! Most teenagers will never hear one about themselves... My feathers are ruffling? Lol.. whatever you say

~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."

[AAffordable]

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Like alcpi, I am not trying to ruffle any feathers. I am just wondering if you are only fifteen how do you get to your jobs?
With all respects!

Donny&Cynthia Moore

[qualitylandscaping]

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I have been asked this a lot and usually respond as an email but I will post it so people stop asking..

For landscaping jobs in my town, I ride my bike unless I have a ride.. This means, I carry my chain saw and all other tools ON THE BIKE. I look like the weirdest kid in town, but don't forget, I'm also the richest kid in town..

For lawn mowing jobs in my town, I'll ride my 48" Lesco w/ Velke around. The velke has a hitch on the back and I tow a tractor cart, with trimmer, blower, 21" toro, gas, oil, etc..

For landscaping and lawn mowing jobs outside my town, I ride my bike if it's relativly close, but if it isn't I have my parents give me a ride. They will usually do it if they're around.

If I can't get a ride and I can't ride my bike, I'll usually just reschedule or sub someone to do it..



~Steve Krieger, owner
Quality Landscaping
"The best 15 year old landscaper you will ever know.."