Survey Of What U Charge For Red Mulch Application?

[crewchiefracer]

Just wanted to touch base with anyone that has laid red mulch this Spring and labor charges? I am guessing that you charge for the mulch itself plus labor (per yard to lay). Also, would there be an charge to get the stuff and would that be gas OR gas and time to get? Also, if you get the mulch and it costs $20.00 a yard, do you add a percentage to the $20.00 for the customers cost versus contractors cost? I don't wanna under or over estimate...

Thanks for everyones input.

Crewchiefracers wife

[greenC]

I just did a small mulch job on Monday.

Raked out old mulch, "wasnt much of it left" probably from at least 2-3 years ago.
Put down weed control fabric.
re-created edge.
and threw down 1 1/2 yards of red mulch.

my cost for all materials: around $60
Total time it took me: around 3 hours (including picking up materials)
Charge to customer $240.

of course I didnt break it down for them like this.

[Hydro DRIVE®]

Frankly I will never apply any dyed wood to any of my landscapes because for the most part I don't want my customers landscape to look like a circus wagon.

Since I live in the northeast most of my customers are a bit more refined than most and they realize it is the landscape plants that are on display.
What those funky dyed mulches do is take the eye of the viewer from the plants you are trying to showcase and fix their sight on some funky old dyed ground up shipping pallets.

Plus if you live in a summer hell hole like NC the dyed mulch will “cook” the roots of the landscape plants.

So I only use the finest natural brown HARDWOOD bark mulch and with a light bed clean up, with some hand bed edging, with granular slow release ornamental fertilizer, plus with preemergent herbicide applied I get $125 per yard with a three yard minimum.

[MulcahyMowing2]

I agree dyed mulch looks like ****! hardwood all the way here!

[RRS]

$100/yard for regular double shredded. Add difference for extra cost of dyed. Includes delivery, prep, install, and disposal.

I also would never use dyed mulch.

[greenC]

as far as color goes, its a matter of personal opinion. Red mulch can create a great looking color contrast if paired with the right plants. It can make a landscape have a very bold look and actually accent the "plants you are trying to showcase". And as far as your comment about the mulch "cooking the roots" I live in Central Florida and almost all the homes around here have dyed mulch. As long as you choose hardy plants that can handle a litttle heat, you wont have a problem. Native plants will do great in it. I even have all types of wimpy annuals in some of the beds in my lawn as do many others in the area and they are doing just fine.

[DearbornLawnCare]

we just layed 20 yards today, $1350

[jgc8fan]

I did 2 jobs over the past week with cypress... I don't use dyed mulches either... I just don't like them and think it looks hideous after a couple months of sun... Red starts taking on a washed out pinkish/purplish look, and the gold dyed looks just like undyed after a couple months... As far as cypress blend I use... $55 a yard installed (that seems to be the going rate here). If a customer demanded red I'd just add the difference between cypress and whatever they wanted put down.

Do you guys use a different mulch up north??? If so I am assuming due to what trees are available... Here it cypress blend which is about half shredded cypress and the rest is pine. I'd like to use some different mulch, but it's all you can find here.

[Grass Destruction]

Cypress Mulch is outrageously expensive in Mich. My two suppliers sell it in bulk for a cool $41 per yard. And that's wholesale, mind you. Or you can save a few bucks by going to Home Depot and buying it in bags, which is great fun when you're laying 10 yards.

Since we're on the subject of mulch: Anybody have any opinions on the Cocoa Shell Mulch? How does it maintain, etc.?

[jgc8fan]

Cypress Mulch is outrageously expensive in Mich. My two suppliers sell it in bulk for a cool $41 per yard. And that's wholesale, mind you. Or you can save a few bucks by going to Home Depot and buying it in bags, which is great fun when you're laying 10 yards.

Since we're on the subject of mulch: Anybody have any opinions on the Cocoa Shell Mulch? How does it maintain, etc.?

About $21 per yard for cypress blend down here, but then we live by all the swamps too. I use bagged... It takes half the time for me to lay than bulk just because shoveling into a wet pile of mulch and running wheelbarrow loads to the beds takes forever. For me at least... I timed it, and solo I can lay 1 yard per hour bulk, and 2 yards per hour bagged... It's just the lugging bags that is the hard part. I lugged 211 bags over the past 2 weeks... Had to load/unload most of it myself because of lazy help at Ace (primary supplier), and Lowes (emergency backup)... At least the guys at Ace tried to help... The schmuck at Lowes sat over by the carts and watched me load. LOL Not like I care... I averaged out at $32 per hour net after all expenses while he gets to sweat for minimum wage.