Mowing Swales

[Kfish]

Just met with a guy who works with a major neighborhood developer. He wants to subcontract to me to do some common areas that don't pay that well. But... the real money he says comes from mowing the swales between the houses and there is all I want to do. Pays $2. for the swale behind every property. Any of you guys ever do this?

[lawnut]

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this may be a dumb question, but, what is a swale?

[JJ Lawn]

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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by lawnut</i>
<br />this may be a dumb question, but, what is a swale?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I have never heard that expression either, but Websters says it is:

<b>a low-lying or depressed and often wet stretch of land; also : a shallow depression on a golf fairway or green.</b>

Still not sure what it is. But if this is the money maker on the job, For $2 a pop I'd let someone else do them.

[andersc1]

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Kfish,
I'd have to agree with JJ on this one, and pass. That is unless it's no wider than my walk behind, requires no trimming and I can mow one long pass say $100 worth and have someone pick me up on the other end.

Curtis

[imograss]

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not sure but it sounds like it could be a wet soggy job in spots, i would pass.

[Scott]

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$2 per, is that a typo? maybe $20 per and then again how large are they.

A swell is like a drainage ditch but much more gradual. It's for directing water during a heavy rain.

[Seascape]

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Ya thats what i wanna do is mow a bunch of wet crap for $2 and get payed by the association every 120 days.
mike

[CCLS]

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Your gas and labor will cost more than $2.00 are you nuts?

[Kfish]

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The swales in housing additions are the long narrow areas behind the houses that may run for a couple hundred yards. The developer puts these in first & seeds or sods them. They usually run to a retention pond or beehive drain. You would make about 4 passes with a 60". If you had 20 houses (10 on left 10 on right) it might take you 15 - 20 min & you make 40. As the majority of the homeowners move in then you stop in that spot but the neighborhoods around here just keep growning & growing.

[Scott]

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Well Kfish you know your area better than we do and if you estimate 20 mins for $40 well it sounds ok. What about when it rains? I've done swells and I usually end up doing a majority w/a whip, too soggy for a mower.
Hopefully when people move in you can get their accounts

[Kfish]

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By the way, I would invoice once a month and be paid promptly because of a friend that works in the developers accounting office.

[andersc1]

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Well it sounds like a wet job, but good luck.

Curtis