How I Charge Landscaping Jobs Hourly vs By The Job - PRICES
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- How much to charge Landscaping Prices Hourly or By the Job
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There's 3 factors that come into play when I quote landscaping maintenance.
1.) Itemized price
2.) Hourly
3.) Gut feeling
I add all 3 prices, then divide it by 3.
(after a while you don't even have to do the math, it just comes to you)
By a stop watch and start timing everything.
Create a standardized price sheet in excel so you can have a reference on how much your prices are.
YES, I under-quoted many times and STILL DO.
YES, I've let customers take advantage of me.
YES, I have ADD and Low Self-esteem
YES, I feel like a piece of crap because I don't have nice cars and a fancy house to come home to.
YES, I have horrible anxiety issues and constant racing thoughts.
BUT......
NOBODY CARES!
And...
No One is ever going to save you so get to work and get that business off the ground.
I went from a broke minded employee with zero money to invest to starting my own landscaping company.
My last year as a landscape foreman I was stuck in a dead end job, made $24,000 and barely had enough to make the bills let alone pay off debt and student loans.
Coming home to eviction and shut off notices and fighting with my wife over money problems.
I remember being out to eat at a restaurant with her and some friends one evening and I was in so much financial anxiety over the bills that I excused myself into the restaurant bathroom and had an emotional breakdown.
Then...
My friend Dave taught me some valuable small business tips that changed my life forever and in only 6 weeks I was making enough money following his advice doing side jobs that I replaced my income and ditched my grass cutting job.
My first year in business I doubled my income,
2nd year doubled it again, 3rd year even more than that.
Finally, I'm humbly here to teach you the methods I learned
to end the suffering and start your own dang landscaping company.
The Landscaping Employee Trap
Whether you dream of starting your own lawn care, snow removal or landscaping business. It's all a lot easier than you think.
You don't need $20,000, a big bank loan or 5 start credit.
All you need is a will to win.
With a basic understanding of even shrub trimming, tree service, horticulture, garden maintenance, arboriculture, flowers, botany, gardening or any of the above combined with a will to succeed it's all very possible.
The Landscaping Employee Trap
Ditch-Your-job-and-Start-Your-Own-dang-Company
How-To-Start-a-Landscaping-Company-With-No-Money
Let's connect 📳
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Really true. I been doing landscaping for 8years and if I under price, I feel like I try to just get it done but when the pricing goes good, it makes you feel so much better and your willing to push yourself a little more.
Awesome thank you.
For sure and thank you for adding value
Your cool
Very true sith any work generally.. you push yourself when you know your gonna be satisfied
I must say, this guy knows his stuff. I’m very impressed.
Nice Video clip! Apologies for butting in, I would appreciate your opinion. Have you tried - Patlarny Fit Yourself Principle (probably on Google)? It is an awesome exclusive product for starting your own landscaping business minus the normal expense. Ive heard some decent things about it and my work colleague got amazing success with it.
Kudos for the Video! Apologies for chiming in, I am interested in your opinion. Have you considered - Patlarny Fit Yourself Principle (google it)? It is a smashing exclusive product for starting your own landscaping business minus the headache. Ive heard some decent things about it and my friend after many years got great success with it.
Haha awesome 👌
Bro, looks like you're doing great work. I don't know your local market, but I think you should consider charging more.
For sure
I just started landscaping and dude wants me to help run the buisness and I never realized how much monet is in it and your pricing is about in the ball park and ppl do have the money. We charge 45% for each plant too on top of what we played for
Your absolutely right on settling for what the costomer wants to pay. Its not worth the time, and you feel like shit when ur doing the job. Always stick to your gut.
Bro i love this video especially how you started talking about the lowest price and how you felt. I never expressed to anyone else that I felt the same way anytime I would underpriced a job. It makes the job absolutely miserable and you tend to hate the customer not giving them the best you can as far as being friendly which can lead to loss of work elsewhere.
Haha thank you so much glad we can relate
i worked for a landscpape company close to 13 years ....my wife and i have been in business for 3 years and this guy is spot on with his prices...also i bid jobs out the same way, apperence and knowledge are a big help when bidding jobs. Look and be professinal have a positive attitude do not smoke on jobs , it takes time to learn how to give accurate bids so do not get frustrated if you do not land every job...
I'm not in landscaping but lots of principals are the same on all small businesses. Love your videos, I personally never go down in price i always give my best price and if they try to talk me down, I smile, suggest they get other quotes and walk away. You don't go to a restaurant and try to pay less than what is listed on the menu, it's a huge pet peeve when people try to haggle with me.
Jose, thanks for the late response and thanks for adding value in my comments. How long have you been in business?
time and materials is the fairest to you and your clients. i charge $60 an hour and if they don't like it they can go elsewhere
i dropped outta school and got a job landscaping im loving it and my boss told me im hard worker im here watching all your videos learning alot
Go back to school and do landscaping on the side!!
High school or college? If you dropped out of college, you're an idiot.
Came across your channel a few weeks ago, and I can't stop watching your videos! I am mowing lawns for now, and slowly getting in to landscaping. I do maintenance for people, which is easy and low dollar amounts, but you got to start somewhere and try and make that money. also I'm 17 and have one more year of high school left, I'm thinking of going to college for business management and maybe horticulture and go full time in the business when I get out. Keep up the great videos!
wow,
your totally ahead of the 8 ball.
by the time your 30 you'll be millionaire
Thanks! I actually just got a ferris 48" hydro walk behind for 2015, looking at getting full time help next year, and hopefully getting 30 yards to do with landscape maintenance and the whole deal. Trying to get rid of the people who pay me $25 for just mowing, even though it only takes 15 minutes. Advertising in the high income neighborhoods starting in Late February. I love your positivity too!
Matt's Lawncare and Graphics .... I'll take those $25 customers!
Chris Horv thats what i live off of.
$40+ tax minimum here man! Outside of tiny front lawns in Florida, I cannot imagine profit being made at such a low rate.
The gut feeling at the end... Oh baby that's gold 🥇 I need to add that to my system
I'm working in the wrong state, lol. I'd trim that boxwood here in Florida in 10 min for $20. Trim and blow baby. Keep up the hustle man!
Gary yes keep up the hustle bro thanks man
Great tips...I usually charge $45 per man per hour. And I try to over bid..specially big jobs I don't wanna do..I get em too lol
Nice
Your videos are a regular pick me up for me. This is my first season out on my own. Lawn Care, trimming, weeds, and fert. Trying to expand my mindset to act more like a boss and owner than an employee. I appreciate you and your advice man. What I wouldn't give to sit down and have a conversation with you. Thanks my dude.
I appreciate the advice im always trying to get prices right I do great work but charge to cheap and always kick myself in the ass!Thanks again
Glad to help
Thanks man! it's about time I finally found someone that broke it down!!!
This was the clearly theee best video on landscaping pricing. Right on point charging no wasting time banging out $$$ numbers. Freaken awesome. Thank you. thank you, thank you !
Holy smokes, man! you would starve at those prices, here in Maryland.
picard what are the prices there
This guy is the reason I'm in buisness. Thanks Keith. Your the shit.
Thanks man I'm going to quote my first big project today . She's getting her whole yard redone , mulching and everything , this helps allot .
Awesome
You sir are so right when you explained that you just have to get a watch and time how long it takes to pull weeds out of a flower bed. I lost $72.00 today because that yard was horrific. There were two flower beds and I mowed weed eated and blowed and cleaned out two flower beds and the man thought he had done me a favor by giving me $50. I will NEVER EVER let myself work that hard and long for peanuts. Granted I am just starting out but he claimed he use to do this for a living and that he made very good money. He even stated that I did just as good if not better than he would have done. Basically I ate the price of doing the flower beds because I did not want to do the yard and it look great then everything else looked like nobody lived in the house. I went far and beyond. There is nothing like a bought lesson let me tell you. I definitely am glad I am starting now so I can get all of the kinks out before next Spring. . How long should it take a beginner to mow trim and blow a 5600 sq.ft. yard and how much should a beginner be charging?
But most modern phones have stopwatches on them, why even invest the time and $$ going to Walmart to purchase one?
youre smart in doing the 3 diff. charges & dividing by 3 ...but more importantly youre honest and that takes the cake every time with most people...
Thanks alot
I've been landscaping/ flowerbed maintenance since 1996. The ones who try to negotiate the price are the ones in bigger houses and gated communities. Battle of the sexes with me since I'm a petite woman they don't think I could do the job. I've got my business started by word of mouth and now I have so much business I don't even have to advertise. But Keith is right about the feeling like shit when you price to low
Great video man! I wouldn't haggle price with any customer though. I think it's a bad practice personally. You know better than anyone else what your labor is worth. 👍🏻
Keith what a honest speak bro and its so true, this is what happen to me for the $300 job in front of the comercial property man i hate when i underestimate my self
Man honestly you just made my day on this video, because you right about that feeling i mean time is so important that you giving your time for not so much money.
by the way im Danny and i just start my lawn care and landscaping business,i watched you video when you struggle for some blower at home depot for 80 bucks or what ever,i was in the same shoes yesterday i need a gas blower and hedge trimmer ,man my hands was shaking like an senior from nuring home
+Danny Jackson haha
You right Keith! I know the feeling when my ex-hubby and I bidded for certain construction jobs!
I'm 13 and I want to do landscaping when I grow up so I'm watching those videos thanks for video
hey man like this video ive been doing this for about 17 years and it is nice to see smeone with the same outlook on pricing, I do the same I look at a job think up an overall price, a separate bush price and a hour price and I negotiate from them. ive never done the divide by three I like that idea and also a rock bottom price. also the hotter the season the more money it cost. I started doing lawn service then I got my horticulturist license to get into landscaping ive been thinking about just becoming a landscape mtc company decause the overhead is a lot cheaper than grass cutting, but I worry too much about the hit or miss work so I just stay balls too the wall doing both all year round. but thanks for the share!!!!!
Fantastic company with outstanding and complete service. Have been know for decades in South Florida for their beautiful work and professional attitude. No other place I would go.
He's in Michigan, not Florida.
I just started watching your videos and they are great, i have a lot of skill with trimming and cutting trees, cleaning yards and many more, the problem is i live in a darn desert 🌵 where everything is dry and %0 humidity, we haven’t even gotten rain this year.
That's part at the end about kicking urself in the ass and loosing motivation.
Time and time again I was seeing it . That's why I failed at running my business.
Don't let it happen to you guys ! Be firm on your bottom dollar!
I know right haha
Landscaping Employee Trap & Window Cleaning love your channel buddie . Keep up the great vids ! I started watching from ur roofing buddie , that's what I'm all about 😁
Those costs are probably equivalent to $1 to the people who owns those homes.
Ah no it's not...Maybe to some but definitely not all or even the majority.
Those neighborhoods are hit or miss. Some of the people have money, and some have gotten in over their heads. Places like that around here often have empty rooms because someone wants a big house, but they can't afford furniture right away once they've overextended on the house.
Of course, the same thing is true in smaller neighborhoods (or neighborhoods with smaller houses), except people who are overextended aren't afraid to buy used furniture off of craigslist to get by.
Things2Remember i
This is the hood
Now das what I'm talking about! Haha I'm down here in Louisiana, mowing yards for now, with plans of getting my thumb green in the landscaping game. Recently separated from the Air Force, so using that to my advantage as far as advertising etc. Really appreciate the videos man! Very helpful!! Keep them coming!
Haha,
Awesome.
thanx man
Dam thats nice pricing id prolly do that whole house for 80$😂 everyone tooo stingy here in gwinnet georgi
And also good competitions usually country club houses jus for 60$ pretty good for me but dam lookin at this makin me jelous😂
Nice
Do you live in the Duluth area that’s where I’m currently cutting
We charge by the square foot of house for window cleaning…Maybe you could do that for landscaping…You can get the square footage for Google maps and such..For me, this is the fastest way to get a quick bid without needing to go on the property…You would just give the the Responsibid three price option…Lowest price for lowest amount of labor, and mid labor for mid price,…The customer is really ok with ballpark ranging for bids..They might be getting more than just your bud..
great vid man you know your stuff. . . ive learned a good way to price is to look and tag it as if you were selling something in a store like you did. . . dont think about the labour price as a whole individually build your price tag. keep them coming
+Kuhlyedascope69 Thanks man, means a lot to me
I have a question for you Keith. Have homeowners ever given you a bonus for doing a great job ? I am a painter of 21yrs and I have gotten a few bonuses from homeowners before, so just wanted to know if you have gotten a bonus for you and your crew.
Into the videos 8:19 you were so accurate with that statement, there isn't anything worst then that
Haha yup
Your journey is so fun to watch
Do you ever look at these old videos and say LO? LI wasn't making 10K. Profit in a month and a half!
Haha I do
Dude you're right on target. The end is the best. You hit it all on the head.
Thanks Nick
I’m starting a business with other guy this year we went to see our first client today he has more experience than me he said the cost for the job would be 5 k I thought it’s kinda expensive tho I’ve did some research I got the conclusion that 4 k or 4;300 the most¡ I’ll send the invoice for 5 k will see how it goes
how damn right this guy is. An no those prices are fairly fair. considering everythjng that goes into an goes with it.
Definitely higher than California prices, even by 2018 prices,…. we've got loads of first generation immigrants and the Latin-American first-language-Spanish speaking peoples,…. and they price low low low, in general.
Kaleb Swager if they are making money who cares man. Tax is dumb. Some people i know bypass the tax system by paying them self minimum and doing cash in hand landscaping jobs. Take of the vat 20% if you do cash in hand and thats busines
Bro.. we upped our prices and my brother had to get on everyone. We charging a premium price we need that premium view. We’ve put so much into our product that yeah we charge more than this guy or that guy.. but we gonna leave you happy and hopefully wanting to call back and do more business. Hopefully in the next few years we can branch out to neighboring cities and towns.
Very nice bro
I don’t know what to say when I get on there door
Lolo
That stuff he said about underpricing yourself and feeling like a slave while they are in those big ass houses. Felt that man
For sure bro
Keith Kalfas ✊
Put in a search on UA-cam and you popped up. Im a Veteran, and currently cut another retired Veterans yard. I think this business will do well for targetting baby boomers, elderly and disabled. A lot of rich elderly and disabled folks living in Mansions
Nice
If clients don't want to pay for going to the dump offer a compost pile. Yes or no. In your opinion
I’m in my first month of Landscaping, I figured out how much to charge but how determine how many weeks of service is confusing... please help
For sure
8 years agooo and this video helped me on 2022.!!
Keith ,I keep finding myself watching your videos. I envy what and how you do.keep it up man
+Stephen Harnois don't envy. Trust me my life is anxiety
Envy is an ugly thing. Just try to better yourself and don’t worry about what other people are doing
charging a grip for those shrubs,lmao its obv. you're in a great area for this pricing . The rest of what you said is all legit tho. Mashing ur hourly cost (employees ) vs set price guesstimating
You can talk talk talk all you want the only thing I care about is how successful you have become brother you came from literally NOTHING! NOTHING BRO!!!!! Super happy for you man awesome job, your motivating me so bad to get started and I HAVE MY DEGREE been dying to be my own boss man this is awesome. Humble beginnings and guaranteed quality work! Good job man
Awesome thank you.
I just came back and read this, again and I want to say thank you sincerely
Love ur video's started a landscaping co this year April 2024
Oh man I agree, go for it if you can get it ! Impossible for me to get those rates in the richest country in central Europe and I've been in business for longer than you have been alive. And there is me thinking the States had beaten down prices !
Great point and thank you
I think it's weird that in Michigan that homeowners own the trees on the sidewalks. Here in Massachusetts and the city I live in which is Fall River the city owns sidewalks and the trees on it. So homeowners around here are not even allowed to trim branches off the trees, they will get fined, even if it's hanging in their yard. I think it's good that homeowners have to take care of the trees that's on the sidewalks. Great video Keith as always.
And good point on dumping. Even tho it's free I charge a fee (reasonable) for if ever I have to pay.
Lawn mowing you have to pay for fuel time and miles bro nothing is free 😅
$85/3 people is way to low now lolo right? $120/ 3 people... I WILL NEVER do work for anyone who tries to talk me down in price.. EVER... ever ever ever... never... again..
Listen to this kid - he knows , good business head on
+Gavin Watson thank you so much I appreciate it
This guy seems to be a good landscaper and a good businessman. We had a guy who would do some work for us but not all. One time I asked if he was going to trim the overgrown verbeana and he appeared to say to me " you do it.....and cut it down!" Another Workman of another profession ended up helping me.......
$85 an hour for three guys??? thats a steal! we are $60 an hour PER GUY (3 guys, $180 an hour) to pull weeds.
This video was 9 years ago haha
If a customer ever starts negotiating at first I say price is non-negotiable. If they keep going I go down like $5-$10 bucks on a $1000 dollar job.
Jaha I know right
Bro you don't sequoia? And that's weigelia not wisteria. I'm just messing with you. You're very informative and I like your videos.
Interesting, I had a shrub trimming business a long time ago and used the same method of pricing. I went by the shrub and used painter's hall runner drop cloths to put around shrubs. That speeds up the clean up. His prices are low. I did my pricing 35 years ago and used his same numbers. lol
Interesting!
How did you learn to I.D all those trees and plants? Any specific material or books?
Exactly i want to know too you got anything?
Walk down your street and start looking at the plants start memorizing whats there. books picture aps Then expand.
Spend some time at a plant nursery ! Take pics of the plants With the name on them and keep them on your phone for reference .
when you find plants you like you learn the name of them cause you want to buy them again or learn how to grow it. Slowly you will know the names of plants I basically love fruits & edible plants so I know heaps of names, then I learnt natives & when I wanted to get a tattoo I researched flowers. Now i'm learning about grasses & tropical plants, foliage colour, etc...you will find plants you like it's easier to remember by common names not scientific names and by categories like trees/shrubs/fruit/veg/nuts/grass/flowers/conifers/tropical plants/foliage colour/cactus/epiphytes,/ground covers/natives/etc...
b ford I learned to do it in FFA in highschool
Your videos are incredibly awesome and spot on. Rich people tend to be the cheapest also as a side note
I appreciate that!
You know your business! Premium pricing is the only way to stay alive.
These people in the comments will start their business offering the lowest price, go out of business in two years and get upset with you since you are still making it!
Daniel thanks a lot and sorry for the late response
Ok question for all you small business owners: Do you listen to music while you work or do you keep airpods or headphones out? Do you think it looks unprofessional?
Screw looking unprofessional ...
Listen to audiobooks and learn more.
Thanks Keith! I had been doing it last season but it only just occurred to me that people might not like it.
I just seen one of your adds. I want thank u for advice im goin through the same thing you went through getting started
For sure thank you
Keith I subbed and I click like on every video i watch. Love your videos keep them up!
You are mi inspiration I am starting my business and I am happy to see your videos learning a lot thanks keit
Any advice on pulling weeds on a stone flower bed how to price ? Anyone please comment on this .
Thank you so much man I appreciate this video so much, I’m just starting my landscaping business and this video has already made me feel a lot more knowleged about this
Glad it helped! Keep me posted on your journey.
I know this is an old video. Since you use Jobber now do you have each type of plant entered as an item with a standard price?
Yes. Working on that now.
i love this video! I'm just getting into the biz, and a nervous wreck about pricing! Thank you!
Thanks for all your help coming from a beginner Self employed landscaper from Detroit. Keep up the great work and keep posting more videos Thanks again for your help -Justin Robinson
Make a video of telling the customer his total for the full trim will be about $7,800 😂 after adding your calculations -I think you may have exaggerated your prices 😂 😆
Keith I Love Your detail and pricing. Question for you, do you need to get a special diploma, certificate or course to back your business? Do people ask you what your credentials are for trimming, plant, shrub and tree care?
This guy is good, buissness goals right here, awesome work buddy
Thanks David
Am doing my own lanscaping company.. Am doing jobs for low prices.. I will love for you guys if you can help with anything.. Am in florida.. Miami. If interesting let me knw here... Thanks🙏😷😷😷😷
I may have a much job coming up but I am curious of how to charge. From what I understand the mulch would be delivered to the home so I would just be charging labor for myself. Its a 500,000 home in ohio so its pretty large, the yard is large aswell with alot of areas to mulch. I have to go get the measurements and come up with a price and I was curious of how I should go about it. Should I charge by the cubic yard and if so how much is it for labor per cubic yard? Should I charge by the hour if so how much, what if I get it done quicker than expected and I screw myself? Any info back would would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
You got it down to a science man, huge thumbs up!
Yeah you are right, telling it like it is, you work hard.
I seen this 5 head getting food stamps the other day.. made me feel better because i earned to much
It’s called black star gravel to be exact.
Keep it real big homie! Lol.
Like the video bro! I feel u on the " big mini mansions" and us working hard for some reasonable profit!
So i have been watching your videos for a while and had a question. Do you charge them before the job or afterwards? As in when should you ask them to pay you lol.
Keith did you just say with 4 extensions on how can you hold that weight that must be a lot of weight to hold I do have to admit I love the look at those trees after you've trained them
For sure
Dead on again, love this guy!
Edit: & its 6 yrs ago!
Looks like you might focus on a certain higher income bracket. Do you have to adjust pricing based off of the neighborhood?
Keith, I'm done. Not even 5 minutes in. lol
How do I price a cemetery that is about an acre with about 200 head stones? Only mowing and weeding is what must be done, but I am using my equipment and gas. This is my very first job proposal and I do not want to be too high, but I do not want under bid myself either.
Actually seems like a decent gig
This is accurate but prices are 1/3 what they should be
Sooooo....What would your prices be if you worked in L.A. / Hollywood Calif?
This guys wouldn't have business
Wow great video you really know how to bid jobs . I bet everyone would agree If you offer excellent dependable reliable work you should make excellent money 👍
Thank
You for the confidence boost. Think I needed it to bring myself back to reality. I have one question, shrub removal. And those cactus kind from Florida. They are green and yellow and have little spikes along
The edges
You're welcome hey thanks
You're energy was killer and you underatood what matters to the average guy/gal.. I wish you could go back to this type love even tho you think you still have it.. you're so fking talented and have a plethora of "how to" but you've took a turn into a place that doesnt serve you. I'M just saying... im nobody.. but THESE videos is why I started flowing you. Like many others.