Landscaping quotes

[brother chris]

Hi everyone,
I have an opportunity to start a landscaping company, but need to quote the job and I am not sure how to do it.
I have done landscaping before and am familiar with most aspects of it.
This first contract is for a car dealership, not a huge one though.
And I already have a couple people willing to work for me....so
Does anyone know how to quote a landscaping job?
I cannot seem to find anything on the internet to help.


P.S. Last landscaping contract I had, I only charged by the "man-hours" and supplies etc, not the job as a whole.

Thanks for any help,
Brother Chris.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Brother Chris...first, good idea a good choice for a company and to do self-employment. My wife runs a Garden Centre and does landscape contracts on the side...mostly out of special request rather than requirement usually so I see what she gets into quite often.
Your first project you should limit how many people you hire, etc and try to do as much as possible yourself to fully understand all of the details that you may have missed during the quotation phase.
Its all about time and materials. Sounds simple but you have to be able to 'see' where your time (and your crews time) will be spent and how much you have to for materials (plants, soil, mulch, etc). Also figure/factor in to cover the overhead of your equipment (mowers, fuel, hand tools, tool rental, trailer, etc...everyone else will be factoring this in too).
Next, are you replacing landscaping? doing new planting? maintaining original planting? cutting the grass only? hardscape work? Does the existing grounds/layout have good planting soil, etc? If you put in new plants you will be responsible for them so make sure your (new?) soil is good or don't forget to quote in soil/delivery/labour/etc.
If you hire people to help with or do the job make sure you not only fully layout their work but how long you expect these tasks to take. How long per plant if you are planting new stuff?...3 minutes? 5 minutes?. How many plants? (500?). Make sure someone is specifically in charge and responsible for the worksite if you are not there....'group' decisions and work rarely work out. Make sure they know they are responsible for the results of the others when you are not there.
If you have microsoft Word and or Excel (& who doesn't) you can search under their 'templates' available to assist you and retrieve quote document examples and templates that you can easily download and reuse with your company name, etc. There format as well will help you understand how to approach your quote.
Don't start the project without a purchase order attached to your quote/quote number. You can qualify your quote if you are unsure as to what the customer fully lays out for scope of work....that way you are protected from the usual customer extras request list...which always happens.
Check it out, keep us posted.
Good Luck
BP

 

[brother chris]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Hi BP,
Thanks for the tips. I will most likely do most of the work myself for the first couple weeks and then I'll see how it goes from there.
I am not sure if this place has had a landscaping company there before, but I will find out Thursday when I do my quote.
I do have a full time job at present, but I am able to take time if need be, so that helps alot.
I hope I get this first contract, because I have lots of potential customers. Hopefully I will get it all right this first time.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Landscaping quotes

I've seen a pretty broad range of expertise on this site but you'd be better off going to a site dedicated to this type of work. You don't want your dentist performing heart surgery do you

This site is dedicated to the landscaping business: http://www.lawnsite.com/

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Have you considerd what can happin if you are not allowed to use water in your business, Here we have a band ON ALL OUTSIDE WATERING AND IRRIGATION. Should stay that way for a long time and hundreds of landscaping companys are hurting and having to fire their workers..We havent been allowed to even wash our cars (screw dat I do it at night if my car gets to looking to dirty)

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Landscaping quotes

We havent been allowed to even wash our cars (screw dat I do it at night if my car gets to looking to dirty)

Right, because that's certainly more important than people having water to drink. Maybe you can get double use out of the carwash water and use it to rinse out some paint brushes in the stormwater drains while you're at it...



Anyway, back on topic, quoting any job has the same procedure: Figure out what your costs will be (identifying the less obvious ones like insurance, etc.) and figure out what you need make above that to have it be worth your while. Losing bids for jobs that you will make no money doing will leave you no regrets. Consider staying small. Nothing sucks up profit like employees and all their associated taxes, management/performance issues...

 

[turfman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Well my method is pretty simple. I charge 2 - 2 1/2 times the retail amt of the stock or hard goods. If the job is fairly large but are able to do it quick you can charge less and still make money.

Example. I just finished a job by myself that was planting 10 Leyland Cypress trees. They were 7-8ft.

I paid $135 wholesale feach for the trees.
I charged $300 per tree or
$3000 for the job.
Take off $1445 for the cost of the stock. I take %14 off the top # for burden (taxes, license, fuel, etc.)
So you have $3000
-1445
- 420
_________
$1135

This Job took me 4 1/2 hrs from start to finish and Had the stock delivered free.

The key is efficiency. Don't plan on doing your first paver job in a day. You'll make more money off of jobs you can complete in a day.

I do this as a side business. So I have some flexibility.

Hope this helps

turfman

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Right, because that's certainly more important than people having water to drink. Maybe you can get double use out of the carwash water and use it to rinse out some paint brushes in the stormwater drains while you're at it...



Anyway, back on topic, quoting any job has the same procedure: Figure out what your costs will be (identifying the less obvious ones like insurance, etc.) and figure out what you need make above that to have it be worth your while. Losing bids for jobs that you will make no money doing will leave you no regrets. Consider staying small. Nothing sucks up profit like employees and all their associated taxes, management/performance issues...

I pay each month extra to use the storm drains. I figure they are charging me for run off when there is no real run off due to lack of rain so YES I AM GOING TO WASH MY CAR and at least let something go into the drain. After all I AM PAYING TO USE IT.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Right, because that's certainly more important than people having water to drink. Maybe you can get double use out of the carwash water and use it to rinse out some paint brushes in the stormwater drains while you're at it...



Anyway, back on topic, quoting any job has the same procedure: Figure out what your costs will be (identifying the less obvious ones like insurance, etc.) and figure out what you need make above that to have it be worth your while. Losing bids for jobs that you will make no money doing will leave you no regrets. Consider staying small. Nothing sucks up profit like employees and all their associated taxes, management/performance issues...

I pay each month extra to use the storm drains. I figure they are charging me for run when there is no real run off due to lack of rain so YES I AM GOING TO WASH MY CAR and at least let something go into the drain. After all I AM PAYING TO USE IT.Charging someone money to use something and then telling them they cant use it is wrong . If anyone has dry lips from having no water to drink they are welcome to come and share the water bowl with my dog,

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Well do you have heavy equipment like bulldozers, etc etc, or am I thinking of a different kind of landscaping?

My uncle does landscaping and is fixing to sell his equipment and get out of the business so he can enjoy his retirement from Goodyear. He does driveways, leveling spots for homes, installing septic tanks, and just about anything else that involves landscaping. He owns a dump truck, backhoe, bulldozer, and front end loader.

He does make a pretty good income even when considering he has all the equipment to keep up to par and insurance on the dump truck. He use to have 2 dump trucks but sold one.

 

[turfman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Wildanimal.

That kinda stuff is what I call sitework. I do that also. But the price greatly varies on the equipment needed. I own an old Dresser about the size of a D3. Thats my finish machine. If I were to a job with that machine it would be $700/day plus operator. The operator usually gets $50/hr and 4hrs min.

I use this machine most out of all my equipment because it is easily trailerable; another consideration when going the heavy route.

FWIW: I used to build golf courses and there 's why I have the equipment. I punch the clock for a company now, but probably make more on the side as opposed to the 9-5.


turfman

 

[brother chris]

Re: Landscaping quotes

Thanks fellas, for the tips.
At the moment, I will not be going heavy duty (such as a front end loader or back hoe), but doing just the landscaping for the dealership.
If things work out okay, then I will expand the business...of course this all depends on what happens in the next couple weeks.

 

[TD_Maker]

Re: Landscaping quotes

By landscaping, do you mean cutting the grass along with some light trimming of bushes?

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

maybe we are talking about a grounds keeper. They only use lawn mowers and hand held stuff.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Landscaping quotes

maybe we are talking about a grounds keeper. They only use lawn mowers and hand held stuff.

Thats my understanding as well. From what I hear and understand all of the heavy duty equipment/build stuff is called hardscape....vs. landscape.
Although a good contractor would probably offer both and sub-contract the one he doesn't do out.
On the first few jobs I would try to keep it simple brother chris until you get some momentum on some kind of system vs. effort and cost.
Good luck

 

[oops!]

Re: Landscaping quotes

brother chris

go for it...

this reply is only a week old.. im outta town..

good on you.....bp nailed it for you.....one or two things i might add...

estimating a job is where you win or loose.....
not the bid....but, profit or loss on the job.....
ive seen 'scape teams go back three times, beacause the job was under quoted and the boss tried to cut corners, this caused "shortcuts" to be used and the job was done second rate...the bidder....made them do it right ....so they had to come back....money was lost...

after you have done the calculations and think you have got the price.....
.....add 10 %....this is a slush fund for unseen delays that cost you.

when you have done the estimate.....before your bid....

stand back and take an overall look at the job....is it going to be tight????
if so.....adjust the quote.....

staff is the other crazy thing....(don't get me goin on that subject)
but you have to be on them....dont think that they will get it right...they wont....they will break your tools...and it will take them twice as long as you think it should.....
you must lead by example....if your working beside them...you will be twice as fast as they are....they will have to hustle to try to keep up...that way they will know what you expect of them...

you and bp are neighbors...his landmark says pacific northwest but hes a canuck from your neck of the woods....i hope there has been a lot of pm's goin on...it sounds like he can help you with lots of stuff.

landscaping is a low cost startup.....with possibilitys for good profit.

if you want more info on details...not included here...let me know...

im not a 'scaper.... but i know business, and have four friends that own individual scaping companies. and ive seen a few fail, mostly cause of simple mistakes....

good luck bud...
all my best wishes for you.

oops

 

[turfman]

Re: Landscaping quotes

I'll give you another tip as far as building your business.

When someone calls you for an estimate or has questions; call them back as soon as possible.

Most of my jobs are through referral by other customers; most of those jobs I got because I called back probably within 3hrs. A homeowner or business doesn't want to hear that you will be over in two weeks. Most people want it done yesterday.

Also; if you want to make some real money, go to landscaping seminars and get your pesticide license. The markup you can make on fertilizer and pest control is incredible. I started my side buiness because alot of the landscapers in my area aren't up to the task of doing pesticides. The first year I started the business (2001) I grossed $43,000 alone on the pesticide end. Other companies were subbing me out to do their work, and eventually I took over some of their accounts.

turfman