Residential Landscaping Pricing

[MChalkley]

For you guys who do professional landscaping, or know someone to ask, I'm curious about the pricing of various parts of the process. First, I'll define the terms as some of the builders around here use them. Then, if possible, I'd like to hear some numbers on what contractors are paying for these jobs.

Backfilling - Filling in around the foundation inside and out and establishing a rough grade so water will run away from the foundation at least 15 feet.

Rough grade - Cleaning up whatever is left from the lot clearing process after the house is built. Finishing the rough drainage process started by the backfill. Filling in any collapsed trenches left from drainfields, etc.

Fine grade - Spreading sand and/or topsoil. Completing the grading process so it's ready for seeding, bushes, etc.

I know that many folks combine parts of the processes, or call them different things, and some don't separate the fine grading out from the final landscaping process, but I'd like to get some estimates of what people are paying for these (or similar) jobs in various areas. Thanks!

Mark

 

[MarkV]

Mark, for what it is worth, in the Atlanta proper, where we are building, most of the work you mentioned is being done by skid loaders at around $400 per day. Most of these lots are small and I don't do much work out side of the city where other equipment may be used on larger building sites.

 

[gordon]

Mark, I think you will be surprized at what price some people will start their tractor for. I do some part time and the price ranges from $30 to $80 an hour this is what I charge. Now I've lost alot of jobs to people willing to charge $20-$35 an hour.
The reason My charges per hour vary so much depends on how big the job is and how much work the guy feeds me and also how quick of a pay he is.
I just sold my 580c but for that I got no less that $50 per hour with a four hour minimum.
Within the next year I'm going to get either a backhoe attachment for my old 3750 or upgrade alltoghter it will depend on the amout of contracts I get. I feel the midsize hoe fills a good void in this area.
If I'm real lucky a four in one bucket to top things off but thats only if I upgrade which is probly the route I will take.
Just remember sometimes its good to start at a lower hourly rate to get your foot in the door and then make a killing on the add ons.
But the location depends on what the market will bear per hour even in a fifty mile radius price per hour can change drasticly high end low end its amazes me thats for sure.
It's much easier to loose a bid than loose your rear--dirt is everlasting there is always plenty to push.
I'm located in the middle county of the state of Delaware--There are only three counties in the whole state.

 

[MChalkley]

Interesting. Thanks to both of you for the info.

A local builder who builds about 75 houses per year pays $350 for backfilling to the same guy that does the initial clearing. He uses an excavator to do the job and it's a pretty slick job to watch him, I can tell you.

They pay $250 each for rough and fine grading, but a pretty good bit of what would normally be called rough grading is done by the guy doing the backfilling. On most lots (3/4 acre), both jobs take 4-6 hours each, if you've got good equipment and don't waste time or run into any problems. So that's pretty close to average, I guess. At 12 hours for $500, that's just over $40/hr, and you can often do better than that. Nobody will get rich off of it, though, that's for sure.

Mark

 

[gordon]

Nothing better than to watch someone who can make their machine dance. Many times I have been amazed at what someone could accomplish.
I would pass on the backfilling and go for the grade jobs--But you've got a hoe on the back of yours don't you. Lots of places a compact can fit that a full size can't and you can get as much as a full size or more per hour.

 

[MChalkley]

My 'hoe' is a Bradco subframe mount hoe, and is probably only on my tractor 10% of the time I use it. But it works great when I need it.

Without an excavator, backfilling involves a lot of manual labor, since there's no easy way to get a tractor inside the foundation. But that guy sure makes it look easy.

 

[gordon]

I posted this last night but it got lost or eaten. Thanks for the info that freedom hitch must be sweet. I've decided that you have to many toys and its time to share with the other kids.
Just the backhoe and the four in one bucket./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
ok ok ok just the backhoe/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
you wouldnt miss it 90% of the time /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MChalkley]

If you haven't seen the Freedom Hitch, you can't imagine how much time, effort, pinched fingers (click-rings), stubbed toes (kicking the implement), and guilty conscience (things you shouldn't have said) it saves.

You can never have too many toys. I did a job recently for a local contractor. He told me up front that it would take him (one of his guys on a L-something GST and a helper) 8 to 10 hours to do it. He told me he'd give me $450 for the job. I went over by myself to do it, got there at noon, was loaded up and gone by 4:15. Almost felt guilty taking his money. Consoled myself by reminding him I'd already invested it in equipment. He didn't complain. He said he'd rather pay me to do it anytime to get the job done that well that quickly and keep his guys to do something else.

So, unfortunately, I can't loan you the equipment. You see, I'm changing professions... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Mark

 

[MarkV]

Mark, are you going to play with your toys full time? How will you eat? After you start you will have to build that nuke powered, computer controled, dirt moving Kubota monster machine that makes its own synthetic food. Please keep talking to us mortals./w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

 

[MChalkley]

Hey, who needs to eat? Just riding my tractor is enough. (If 'Jack in IL' is listening he'll have to jump in and tell everyone he knows I'm lying when I say I don't need to eat!)

Nukuler (that's the way the folks around here say it) power, eh? Hmmm. (Sometimes me sits and thinks - other times me just sits...)

Mark