Bush hogging prices

[smilingreen]

Hey, guys
I am about to do a career change in about 2 months. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Call me crazy, but I love being out doors and can't hardley stand being inside working on a computer for a living anymore. I am starting a business to do Commercial lawn care and field maintenance. I was wondering what the general going rate was for you fella out there who bush hog for a living. I have a JD513 rotary mower and a JD790 FWD tractor. Also own a JD 335. Any suggestions would be much appriciated. I have a price in mind per hour, but would like some input from others

 

[PaulinSD]

It's going to vary a lot in the different areas of the country. Check out Lawnsite.com, there is a lot of guys there who do the residential and small commercial., but few like me, who do the larger and more difficult mowing, such as hill side work.
My wife and I do this as part time work, I work full time year round, she works part time, summers off, so it works out well for us. Since we both have jobs and benefit packages, we don't draw wages off the business. Keeps it profitable and simple that way. We average 28-35 hours a week in billable hours, keeps it managable and still have time together.

Paul

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi Dave,

Have you considered staying with your job/occupation you eat/sleep/dream/do best as of now... and on the side get a part time job with a landscaper... get on the inside of the business, learn the ropes, how billing is done in your area... basically learn the in's/out's ...up's/down's and sideways of everything you can before you make that ultimate plunge...

After you find out the Good, Bad, and Ugly... as every occupation has them... I think you'll be in a better decision making position for something as drastic as a "career change".../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[fractal]

That does seem to be a common occurrance in our industry. We get to 40 something and realize that there is more to life than computers and that we don't HAVE to do it any more. A little income to justify our hobby keeps the IRS off our backs.

Sorry, but I don't know what the going rate is. I have enough chores around the house to keep me busy myself and I still enjoy fighting with computers more than I enjoy fighting with dirt. Err, make that "coercing" instead of "fighting"

 

[TerryinMD]

Smilingreen,

What the market can bear!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Probably need to ask around your area as to the going price. If you exceed the average price in your, you won't get the business. Unless you offer some extra services that the others guys don't....

Terry

 

[PaulinSD]

I think the Honorable Miller III has said it best. That would be the most prudent approach. It took me 3 years of phone calls and meetings to pick up our largest customer. And it's all worth the work it took.

Paul

 

[ironbelly770]

i would think that you can charge between 40-75 dollars per hour depending on the chore. maybe more or less depending on your local economy. you could try and get a quote on some work at your place from the local people, if they give free estimates, to get an idea. i am off to plow out some folks in chapel hill !!

paul

 

[ddl]

all comments good, but let me add a couple more. How often was the area to be mowed, mowed. How much junk is in the area to be mowed. As you start out brush mowing, your first jobs will be ones that one else wants, so be ready for some terrible mowing experiences. Good luck, Oh by the way, the prices people give you for mowing will vary for the size of their equipment and how fast they can mow. So calculate how much you can mow in an hour and determine the amount you want to make per hour and try that amount.

Dan L

 

[ironbelly770]

the main thing to achieve is managing the expectations of the people you are working for. make sure nothing is left in the discussion before you start working. as dan said, working you tractor and keeping track of the amount of time & fuel it takes to do the job proper will pay you back when it comes time to bid on work for others
experience is something you get just after you need it! ;-)

 

[gulfofmexico]

I did some bushhogging in Chattanooga about five years ago. At $25 an hour I had all the work I wanted. Also, learn to tend pastures and ponds. I would even recommend getting an applicators license and start spraying pastures. After a year or two in the cycle it will make the bushhogging much easier.