Pricing a lawn

Hunter333

Iv been working with a landscaper for about 10 years now but recently started taking on some big jobs. Iv done lots of smaller jobs. I'm only gone 30 so hoping to start my own landscaping business. I'm just wondering if anybody knows what landscapers are charging per square meter to put in new lawn. The lawn Iv looked at is over 3000m2 but it's a complete mess. The owner of the house can get top soil for free and I can get a man with tractor and trailer to transport it. And definitely will need mini digger for 2-3 days. But other then that just wondering what sort of money is been charged at the minute per metre2. Garden in Mayo Sligo border.

Thanks

lazybones32

I don't charge by the metre. I see what machinery is needed, what materials, how much labour is required and the overheads involved; then I give an estimate.
Doing a small town garden of 40m cannot compare to a 3000m garden that will need a mini digger and harrow, etc. so forget about having a standard $/m price (have no euro symbol on this PC). This aint hedging.

Hoof Hearted2

lazybones32 wrote: »

I don't charge by the metre. I see what machinery is needed, what materials, how much labour is required and the overheads involved; then I give an estimate.
Doing a small town garden of 40m cannot compare to a 3000m garden that will need a mini digger and harrow, etc. so forget about having a standard $/m price (have no euro symbol on this PC). This aint hedging.

+1, it's not rocket science, you take every job on it's own merits and break it down to the individual components, in this case machine hire, labour and materials.

Gautama

Get onto OnlineTradesmen.ie or a similar website.
Create a spoofy requirement based on your own client.
Then say that your aunt has died and you're selling her house. Waffle how you're not sure whether to do the lawn first to increase its value or sell the house as it is, jungle and all.
Say that you're looking for just a ballpark figure, or an approximate range. Based on this you'll know if you can afford to do the lawn, or if they CU will lend you the moolah. Try your best to get a figure out if them.
A few of the responses will give you the figure. You'll get lots of unhelpful "every job is different", "I'd need to see the garden to give a quote", etc, etc, the usual cliches.
Get back to these guys again and emphasis you're in two minds, are totally clueless whether it'll cost one grand or ten grand, and you need a ballpark figure to indicate if you could proceed or not. And that you don't want to waste your own time or his or hers,... Something like that.

Sonnenblumen

Hunter333 wrote: »

Iv been working with a landscaper for about 10 years now but recently started taking on some big jobs. Iv done lots of smaller jobs. I'm only gone 30 so hoping to start my own landscaping business. I'm just wondering if anybody knows what landscapers are charging per square meter to put in new lawn. The lawn Iv looked at is over 3000m2 but it's a complete mess. The owner of the house can get top soil for free and I can get a man with tractor and trailer to transport it. And definitely will need mini digger for 2-3 days. But other then that just wondering what sort of money is been charged at the minute per metre2. Garden in Mayo Sligo border.

Thanks

If after 10 years in landscaping you cannot price a relatively easy job like installing a lawn, do you really think you can make it in the landscaping business? Any fool can work a quote and follow the crap advice outlined by others will lead you into a corner. There is more to pricing any job than just numbers. good luck anyways, you and your client(s) will need it.

Hoof Hearted2

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

If after 10 years in landscaping you cannot price a relatively easy job like installing a lawn, do you really think you can make it in the landscaping business? Any fool can work a quote and follow the crap advice outlined by others will lead you into a corner. There is more to pricing any job than just numbers. good luck anyways, you and your client(s) will need it.

And your advice is soooo much more helpful (y)

Gautama

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

... a relatively easy job like installing a lawn...

Easy? Yes, lawns are relatively easy. Lawns are low maintenance. Lawns don't need fertiliser. Lawns never need watering. Lawns only need mowing every fortnight, max. And set the cut at the lowest possible setting. All lawn grasses are the same.
Most lawns in Ireland are the way they are because of the above myths.

Sonnenblumen

Gautama wrote: »

Easy? Yes, lawns are relatively easy. Lawns are low maintenance. Lawns don't need fertiliser. Lawns never need watering. Lawns only need mowing every fortnight, max. And set the cut at the lowest possible setting. All lawn grasses are the same.
Most lawns in Ireland are the way they are because of the above myths.

Are you easily challenged? Why not read (again) what I posted? 'Installing a lawn is relatively easy' and having installed hundreds, I think I know plenty about lawns from ground prep right through to routine maintenance/after care.