Anyone else despise shrub trimming?

[Tom-N-Texas]

You know I love almost everything about this business. But there's one thing that still really gets me. Shrub trimming. The thing is it seems to almost NEVER pay. People, for the most part, just do not want to pay what it's worth for my time. For example, my crew can do anywhere from $75 to $150 (or more) per hour worth of lawn mowing . With shrubs, however I'm lucky to net $40-$45/hr. Oh, occasionally it will work out ok if the job is small........but more often than not its a complete waste of my time and energy.

The biggest problem is when you have a really good regular lawn mowing customer who has a boat-load of shrubs.....and they ask you to give them price. If you give them a healthy, profit-laden price, you're liable to tick them off and/or insult them......and thus they may look elsewhere for a company that will do the whole property for cheaper money. This scenerio could end up costing me tons of money in the long run in lost business. So I usually just suck it up and trim their shrubs for relatively cheap with a smile.

I've been charging $25 per man hour for shrubs. (that seems to be about the limit of what most people around here will pay) So for 3 guys that's $75/hr. After subtracting $30 for wages I'm down to $45. (which really sucks to me)

If I had my rathers I'd rather just skip shrubs altogether. For one thing they are dangerous......being on ladders and using gas hedge trimmers. Also people don't understand that TRIMMING the shrubs is only half the job...you still have to clean up the leaves. Finally the pay just never is worth it for me.

Anyway...I know you can't always have everything. And getting frustrated has never helped. But this has always been a thorn in my side. Any suggestions are welcome.

[Jack D.]

Shrub/hedge trimming is one of Jack D.'s biggest money makers. One must have the proper tools to reap the rewards of this service.

Please purchase an Articultaing Pole Hedge Trimmer, a Long Bar (40") Single Sided Hedge Trimmer, a Short Bar Dual Side (24") & a mid size (short pole) Dual Side Hedge Trimmer. With the proper equipment one can expect to do well over $100 per hr..

[nick11380]

Shrub/hedge trimming is also one of my biggest money makers. I wish I would get more trimming jobs.

[Tom-N-Texas]

Interesting...I was just reading over on ********.com. A dude was trimming shrubs and dropped his gas hedge trimmer....It took several pretty good chunks out of his leg.

I sure wish I knew your secrets to making big money with shrubs. I've been doing it for many years....and it's just not happening. Besides, you just stand there in the 100 degree heat and freaking melt. At least when you mow, you are moving around catching a small breeze. With shrub trimming you just sit there and bake. (I guess it depends on what part of the country you are in)

[Seascape]

Its simple. Just dont do it. You dont like it,, probally ruins your day everytime,,, so dont fkuc w/ it.

Just like gutters,,, i dont dig it so i dont fkcu w/ em. Wont hesitate to tell even my best clients. If they wanna fire me and bring in another LCO cause of it,,, so be it.

We all strive hard to remain self employed. And lets face it ,,, its great. I dont know about you but i dont know many folks that have the freedoms i do. I do whatever the hell i want when i want. Have mass money in the bank,,, and i wouldnt last 2 hrs on someone elses clock. So dont let anything ruin a good time,, ya know what i mean? We got it like that!

If you dont want to do shrubs,,,, just dont do em! Problem solved.

[mh1314]

You need to get more comfortable with bidding and get away from $ per hour. When it comes to shrubs I've found that people will either accept or decline a dollar amount, but seem to go into shock when dealing with an hourly rate. They think that it may go on forever. Like Jack said get some proper equipment which allows you to work more from the ground and faster. Buy several different sizes of those cheap blue tarps to use under the shrubs catching the majority of your cuttings. This really speeds up cleanup.

With me its trees, I don't like heights and as Mike said "I just don't do them".

[RRS]

Get a Stihl blower vac and tarps to aid in cleanup. I've found the only thing those handheld blower vacs are good for is cleaning up after shrub trimming. They're strong enough to pickup small leaves and clippings, but won't suck up mulch.

[Ric]

I hate like heck to agree with Jack D-elusional on anything, but hedge trimming is in fact very profitable. It is also a mark of a real Pro. Excellent trimming can and will lead to other up sells like plant replacement or total landscape installs. If your not doing excellent trimming then you are not a true Lawn Care Operator. Your just an other grass cutter. Up scale customer want total service and are willing to pay for it. Down scale customer just want their grass cut and want it done as cheap as they can get it done. They will change cutters for $ 2.00.

[Seascape]

I hate like heck to agree with Jack D-elusional on anything, but hedge trimming is in fact very profitable. It is also a mark of a real Pro. Excellent trimming can and will lead to other up sells like plant replacement or total landscape installs. If your not doing excellent trimming then you are not a true Lawn Care Operator. Your just an other grass cutter. Up scale customer want total service and are willing to pay for it. Down scale customer just want their grass cut and want it done as cheap as they can get it done. They will change cutters for $ 2.00.

Tinker Bell makes a very valid point and i should have thought more along these lines befored i spewed "just dont do it".

Perhaps what you should consider is thouroughly training an employee to handle these calls. Shrub work is a far fetch from gutters. It may not work out well for you simply refusing this service altogether.

I was faced w/ the same delima w/ mowing. I got burnt out on it about 4 years ago. Slowly weeded out crap cuts and gathered larger more profitable cuts. Nothing under $50 basically. About 3 years ago i turned my mowing over. I dont wanna here about it ,talk about ,or think about it unless something is wrong. Took a minute to find a guy who can run it,, but now its out of my hair and i worry about (0) that much about it. But its obvious i couldnt just Not do it so that was my next best option.


Like i said,, perhaps thats a more realistic route for you.

Good Luck.

[Ric]

i should have thought more along these lines befored i spewed.

Hello Trout

There is an old saying "Start your brain before engaging your mouth" or it your case Key board. For a guy that is always reading how to business manual you sure don't seem to have a lot of common sense. Don't try and make this business more than what it is. You are a Lawn boy plan and simple, be proud of it and go to the bank instead of trying to be a Harvard business man. Service is what you are selling nothing more, give your customer what they want, service. Listen to your customer and don't cut down the wrong tree. If you Listen-hear and do what they want you will do OK. Oh and one more thing THINK, that way you won't leave your mulch pallets out on the street over a three day week-end to get stolen.

[Jack D.]

Jack D. has too often witnessed the common scrub attempting to tackle a large ceder or other imposing hedge w/the wrong style hedge trimmer. Please review the equipment recommendations above and remember the proper tools lead to efficiency and profits.

Please note if your budget allows only two of the above mentioned hedgers, you will be best served w/a mid size (short pole) dual side trimmer & a long pole articulating trimmer.

[Clim Cadidlehopper]

Darn it, I'a been doing it wrong all this time, I use is a Redmax LRT with a 18" double sided cutting bar. All this time I thought it was like useing a butter knife to spread frosting on a cake, I thought with me in one spot a bit longer, that less leg work, would help me out along with the lack of climbing a ladder to reach some of the taller bush whacking. Someday I recon I will learn, I mean as it is now I don’t get near the prickly Hollies, but I can change and make life much harder, if that is how it needs to be. I must have fallowed the wrong method all this time, Opp's My manners, I follow the K.I.S.S. method, ya know on second thought I think I'll stay with that method, if it's not broke why fix it.

[GrassMaster]

Something to think about?

I've been charging $25 per man hour for shrubs. (that seems to be about the limit of what most people around here will pay) So for 3 guys that's $75/hr. After subtracting $30 for wages I'm down to $45. (which really sucks to me)

Ok, the first thing I would do is charge $35 minimum per man hour...

You said you don't like it & it doesn't make you much money. This way when you do get work, you will get more money & then you might like it?

Me personally, I do not like Pruning Large Shrubs & Tall Hedges, so I raised the price until I liked it!

What I did like was pruning Azaleas, because every time I pruned a branch it went straight in the trash can & no clean up! I was good at it & enjoyed it, not many in my area back in the day knew how to properly prune them.

[RRS]

not many in my area back in the day knew how to properly prune them.

There are a lot of guys out there that don't know how to properly prune a lot of things. I stay away from shearing with hedge trimmers as much as possible. Shearing is very unhealthy for the plant. It causes the outside of the plant to grow like crazy blocking out the sunlight to the inside. This causes the inside of the plant to die out and after a few years look like crap. Showing dead branches inside a plant to a customer is usually one of my biggest selling points when I'm selling a pruning job.

Some of the best that I've seen lately are people shearing Azaleas, Abelia, Forsythia, Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas, and the best Aucuba.

There is nothing I hate more than a customer that wants a one time shear everything job. The properties that I maintian full time are kept informal if at all possible. If the customer is persistant about formal shearing I will shear for shape during the summer and prune to thin out the plant during it's dormant season.

Someone shearing every plant on a property is an absolute true sign of a scrub yard boy. Not a caring gardener that grows healthy landscapes.

[Ric]

There are a lot of guys out there that don't know how to properly prune a lot of things. I stay away from shearing with hedge trimmers as much as possible. Shearing is very unhealthy for the plant. It causes the outside of the plant to grow like crazy blocking out the sunlight to the inside. This causes the inside of the plant to die out and after a few years look like crap. Showing dead branches inside a plant to a customer is usually one of my biggest selling points when I'm selling a pruning job.

Some of the best that I've seen lately are people shearing Azaleas, Abelia, Forsythia, Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas, and the best Aucuba.

There is nothing I hate more than a customer that wants a one time shear everything job. The properties that I maintian full time are kept informal if at all possible. If the customer is persistant about formal shearing I will shear for shape during the summer and prune to thin out the plant during it's dormant season.

Someone shearing every plant on a property is an absolute true sign of a scrub yard boy. Not a caring gardener that grows healthy landscapes.

100% right on.