Charge Question?

[MBatcho1]

Hello All,

Can someone please tell me how they charge for fert and pest applications? Is there a formula for how you charge?

Do you raise materials by a certain percent?

Please let me know of any info you have, I have a bid in a few days and need a little help.

Thank you!

[Ric]

Hello All,

Can someone please tell me how they charge for fert and pest applications? Is there a formula for how you charge?

Do you raise materials by a certain percent?

Please let me know of any info you have, I have a bid in a few days and need a little help.

Thank you!

MBatcho1

Yes Pricing is covered in your 4th semester Pesticide Certification Classes

[Georges Lawn & Mulch]

MBatcho1

Yes Pricing is covered in your 4th semester Pesticide Certification Classes

Short and to the point Ric.

For my business, my subcontrator quotes me a price and then I charge my customer accordingly. Real easy for me since I don't do applications myself.

[Ric]

Short and to the point Ric.

For my business, my subcontrator quotes me a price and then I charge my customer accordingly. Real easy for me since I don't do applications myself.

George

My post was tongue & cheek

But Good point. What the average lawn monkey doesn't understand, "Do What YOU DO BEST and NETWORK with Those Who are True Professionals in Their Field."

Case in point. I am now networking with a new guy. He an experienced businessman but new to yard care. He mows and trims shrubs, but subs or networks with several people to provide total maintenance service. His customers call him first for any need because he has their confidence. As a result he doesn't advertise after 6 months in business, because he is already getting word of mouth. He has also send me enough business that I owe him big time, I refer him every chance I get and jump any time he calls me. His business is off the ground and running because he understands TRUE NETWORKING.

BTW I am now semi retired and only want part time work. But because of this new guy, I am only taking on new accounts that are his customers or customers of two other lawn guys I network with. I now have more work than I want in a down economy. Not a bad problem to have.

[MBatcho1]

In Ohio we do not have a class that teaches this. We just study ourselves and then take the test.....no classes for pricing etc. Can anyone give me a tip on how to charge for fert and pest applications please? Thank you!

[steve-o]

i won't ask the famous question..............

In Ohio we do not have a class that teaches this. We just study ourselves and then take the test.....no classes for pricing etc. Can anyone give me a tip on how to charge for fert and pest applications please? Thank you!

call chemkill or one of the locals and ask what they charge for a 10 sq/ft yard for whatever it is you are gonna put down and go from there. you need to know what you want to make and what cost are involved as well. you can't drive 10 miles and spend 10 minutes picking up a $20 bag of fert and then drive 10 miles to the site and spend 10 minutes to put it down and charge the customer $30. you are gonna need multiple bids to make $$$.

steve

[Ric]

Steve in Hooterville

Your advise sounds like the typical lawn monkey. In the spirit of the Easter holiday I will throw a small bone to the unwashed masses and give a short explanation of proper estimating. It is called "Cost Plus".

Cost Plus Estimating is just that, first you determine your cost and then add on a profit. In the case of fertilization you would first develop a program of what products need to be applied. (Your County Extension Agent knows your area best and would be the best person to help you. Internet members have no idea what your area needs).

Once you know what produces you plan to apply, find out your purchase price. Next add in your cost to either get them delivered or pick them up. Add in your time factor for acquiring those products as well as warehousing expense. Be sure to account for your overhead as a cost of doing business. These are things like Insurance, certification and licensing cost, telephone and advertising, equipment depreciation, and fuel costs Etc. How add in your hourly wage at 1.5 because of labor burden and then add in your profit margin percentage.

Now that you know your TRUE cost, compare it to your competitors price. If your Cost Plus price is lower than your competitor, market your price as the selling point. If your Cost Plus price is higher than your competitor, market yourself as a better service. Remember the Big Boys are real professional Businessmen who buy product for half your cost and have a better system already in place. But they also have higher overhead and advertisement costs.

Cost Plus is a win win method, even if you don't get the job, you don't lose money on that job from under bidding.

BTW I realize I have just wasted my time typing this post to people who are too enumerate to be able to figure their cost. They will copy Trugreen prices and go broke. The biggest problem with these forums is the members who think they can learn everything from them. If forums had people who read industry magazines and bought and studied lawn care text books as well as business text books, then forums would be a real exchange of ideas instead of stupidity.

[steve-o]

me........a typical lawn monkey................

Steve in Hooterville

Your advise sounds like the typical lawn monkey. In the spirit of the Easter holiday I will throw a small bone to the unwashed masses and give a short explanation of proper estimating. It is called "Cost Plus".

Cost Plus Estimating is just that, first you determine your cost and then add on a profit. In the case of fertilization you would first develop a program of what products need to be applied. (Your County Extension Agent knows your area best and would be the best person to help you. Internet members have no idea what your area needs).

Once you know what produces you plan to apply, find out your purchase price. Next add in your cost to either get them delivered or pick them up. Add in your time factor for acquiring those products as well as warehousing expense. Be sure to account for your overhead as a cost of doing business. These are things like Insurance, certification and licensing cost, telephone and advertising, equipment depreciation, and fuel costs Etc. How add in your hourly wage at 1.5 because of labor burden and then add in your profit margin percentage.

Now that you know your TRUE cost, compare it to your competitors price. If your Cost Plus price is lower than your competitor, market your price as the selling point. If your Cost Plus price is higher than your competitor, market yourself as a better service. Remember the Big Boys are real professional Businessmen who buy product for half your cost and have a better system already in place. But they also have higher overhead and advertisement costs.

Cost Plus is a win win method, even if you don't get the job, you don't lose money on that job from under bidding.

BTW I realize I have just wasted my time typing this post to people who are too enumerate to be able to figure their cost. They will copy Trugreen prices and go broke. The biggest problem with these forums is the members who think they can learn everything from them. If forums had people who read industry magazines and bought and studied lawn care text books as well as business text books, then forums would be a real exchange of ideas instead of stupidity.

since you are one of my heros on here, i'll take that as a compliment. :laughing: the cost plus pricing method is something i would hope everyone uses. i use it in every aspect of my business. now, as far as you wasting your time on here goes, if just one guy gets it, then your post are worth the effort. just for the record, i am a LAWN APE .

steve

[Ric]

since you are one of my heros on here, i'll take that as a compliment. :laughing: the cost plus pricing method is something i would hope everyone uses. i use it in every aspect of my business. now, as far as you wasting your time on here goes, if just one guy gets it, then your post are worth the effort. just for the record, i am a LAWN APE .

steve

Steve

I try and Celebrate ever Holiday by making posts for the thinking impaired. The rest of the time I just read posts and laugh.

[Ric]

rhodesx6

See there, you actually learned a new word today. I guess all my typing wasn't in vain. But the unwashed masses let it go right past them as I predicted

[Ric]

The bad part is I didn't learn it, I already had it implanted deep in my brain. Very deep, under many cobwebs from when I had a "real" job. Owww....I have a headache!

rhodesx6

Oh well, just another typical day for the unwashed masses on Lawnserviceforum then.

[steve-o]

for you TRANNYQUAKE

i think one of the deleted threads said ole ric was 125 lbs and i don't know, maybe 5' 3", but with a 10 1/2" shoe size. now there is supposed to be a direct correlation between shoe size and penis size, so maybe you need to back off cause ole ric might just be quite the man. after all, he said he feared no man.

ole steve-o

[Ric]

i think one of the deleted threads said ole ric was 125 lbs and i don't know, maybe 5' 3", but with a 10 1/2" shoe size. now there is supposed to be a direct correlation between shoe size and penis size, so maybe you need to back off cause ole ric might just be quite the man. after all, he said he feared no man.

ole steve-o

ole steve-o

You must have small feet, Because 10 1/2 shoe size is the most common size I find at the shoe store. I will make no claims to super endowment. You misunderstood the reason I gave my measurement. I am not the biggest man on this planet, but my size 10 1/2 can still smack a 7 ft man up side the head. Or in the case of your people, break a knee.