Bush Hogging 8 acres - pricing?

[LD1]

Glad you got a quote accepted and hope everything works out for you. Now I'll give you my input for things going forward, but bear in mind every region is different.

I do custom mowing/bushhogging And I mow ~400-500 acres per year, with jobs ranging from really small to 30+acres each.

First, dont charge by the hour. Several reasons:

1. I have a 8' twin spindle mower and can cover alot more ground than someone with a small tractor and a 4-5' mower. So obviously I would charge more by the hour. But the customer doesnt understand the difference in capability of equipment. IE: if I charge $100/hr, and someone with a old ford tractor and 5' mower charges $70/hour...I can guarentee you I can do the job chceaper....but all the customer sees is the fact that it looks like I am charging more. Likewise if someone has a 15' batwing and charging $150/hr they are probably cheaper than me on a large acreage job.

2. If you charge by the hour.....you are gonna get watched like a hawk. Be prepared to answer questions like "why were you going so slow" or "why did you go over that area twice" or "you stopped for 15min to clean the radiator and refuel and Im not paying for that"

3.Customers tend to flip out when you start thowing around hourly figures that are easily 2x-3x what they make at their day job. Tell a customer $100/hour (and they think this is unskilled service labor) and they think thats just crazy because they are a white collar managment type that barley makes $30-$40/hr. But they have no idea the cost of doing business.

4. And lastly......if someone calls and asks "how much do you charge to mow_________________" and your reply is "I charge $xx/hr".....you can bet their next question is gonna be "how long do you think it will take". This is the customer baiting you to try and give a hard quote instead of a blank check. And if you answer "probably 3-4hrs" you for damn sure better not go over because they aint gonna be happy. You take 6hrs for some unforseen reason....they gonna be like "I thought you said 3-4 hours....I only have $XX to pay you with"

Second, Dont charge by the acre. Again, several reasons:

1. Every acre is different. An acre of smooth flat field that was just mowed two months ago is a whole lot different than an acre of CRP ground that hasnt been touched in 5 years.

2. Location. I used to advertise with a line in my advertisement that said something like "prices typically $50-$60 per acre, minimums apply, call for free quote". And trust me, I had no shortage of calls from people wanting 1/2 acre cut, 45-min drive one way. Id simply say my minimum for loading equipment is $175 (its $200now). And They'd reply "I thought your ad said $50/acre" Like seriously, did they think I was gonna mow it for $25?

Save yourself all these headaches and simply bid it by the JOB. Sounds like you did that on this one. A flat price....for better or worse. They agreed to it and you need to honor it. IF it takes you 2 hours or 10 hours doesnt matter......

Once you get a few under your belt, you get a good feel for your equipment and its limitations. Its okay to have a target per/hr price in your head....ask relevant questions when quoting:
1. Location so you can factor drive time
2. Location also allows me to look up satellite image of property as I am speaking with them so I can already be assessing the property.
3. Size/acreage. Can confirm this with satellite image and make sure I am looking at the right property. (like is your place the one with the pond in the back? and is it the field to the north of the house you want cut?)
4. When was it last mowed....(helps gauge just what I am in for. Again....something just cut "last fall" or just this spring is gonna be pretty smooth sailing as opposed to "it hasnt been mowed in several years".

Armed with all of that information....I am figuring in my head how many hours I think its is gonna take from the time I leave my house til the time I return to my house. Multiply that by my target hourly rate and I arrive at a hard flat price to quote the customer.

For a job like you describe....my price would be more in line with what haydude said. 8-acres knee to waist high I'd be figuring ~3hours to mow. 2 hours drive, and MY target is $100/hr. MY price would probably be in the $500 ballpark.


IF this is something you plan on continuing to do....you need a GOOD cutter. Not a cheap POS from tractor supply. And you NEED to get liability insurance anytime you are working off your property.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I also quote on per job case including fuel cost, and have 2 acre minimum at least on a couple of the jobs a day, if it is a property less than 2 acres close by, I might include it in my one trip to town. I only do this on the weekends, it is nice side income.

 

[crashz]

I cut small fields as a side business (I have insurance and run under a licensed business name, so not a side "gig") and echo Haydude's and LD1's advice. Couple of items from my point of view with small equipment like yours and here in the Northeast:

- Always walk the property first. The grapple or bucket will do a good job as a bumper, but you may not see the standing water until too late. Getting stuck sucks.
- NH and southern ME is all hills, rocks, and poison ivy. You'll likely get very acquainted with all three on this and every other job.
- With a 25HP machine and 5ft cutter in thick high grass, you'll be struggling to cut 1 acre per hour. Could be as low as 1/2 acre per hour.
- My hourly price started at $65 per hour with travel to the site included. At first, it was reasonable because I was cutting unmaintained fields with a lot of unknown issues. Now, I have established a small customer base, no longer advertise (more below), and regularly cut about 6 properties. My cutting time has reduced by 1/3 by knowing the property, how to attack it, and knowing the hazards. Now, it takes less time, but I get paid much less.
- I have a good customer base that treats me great. So I have not increased my price to them. New customers are going to get a price of at least $75 per hour, but if they seem look like a return customer, will be priced by the job, not the hour.
- I took one ad out on CL and got a lot of positive results. But just as many people thinking I could move boulders the size of houses, excavate for roads and utilities, mow their lawn for cheaper than their current landscaper (no lawns here) and every manor of lewd acts you can imagine.
- My tractor has taken a minor amount of damage over the years, but the cutter is another story. Ugh - its nickname is the "grenade tester". It was pretty nice when I started.
- I spend about an hour cleaning the rig (trailer, tractor, cutter), greasing and re-fueling after every outing. I never charge for any of that time, no matter how filthy the equipment gets.
- Get a nice handheld battery powered blower. Helps when you load up and want to clean the chaff off before leaving the customers site.
- With a full day job, take a 1/2 hour out to eat your lunch, re-fuel, blow off the tractor and clean the radiator screen. Don't charge that time.
- Bring fuel, oil, wire cutters, gloves, cold water at a minimum.
- View the property first and find a spot to park the truck and trailer with room to unload. I like to ask because I hate parking on the side of a road.
- I bought Next Insurance online from a recommendation here on TBN. Super easy, fast and got a certificate right away. I got a $1M policy for a reasonable rate, but a lot of exclusions. No tree work, no excavation, etc. That's fine by me.
- You'll find out the next day if you have allergies or not. My reaction to poison ivy has gotten so sensitive I have had to drop customers that have a lot of it in their fields.

Good luck and le us know how you first cutting goes!

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

- I bought Next Insurance online from a recommendation here on TBN. Super easy, fast and got a certificate right away. I got a $1M policy for a reasonable rate, but a lot of exclusions. No tree work, no excavation, etc. That's fine by me.

I would like to know the name of this insurance provider.

Earlier my post referred to hourly rates. I want to clarify. I estimated how long I thought it would take and multiplied by my hourly rate and only priced the job to the customer, never an hourly rate. I think it's more fair that way to yourself and the client. You will get better at estimation with experience. Some jobs will take longer than you think and some will be faster. But my experience is on lawns.

 

[Bearsixty7]

I would like to know the name of this insurance provider.

Earlier my post referred to hourly rates. I want to clarify. I estimated how long I thought it would take and multiplied by my hourly rate and only priced the job to the customer, never an hourly rate. I think it's more fair that way to yourself and the client. You will get better at estimation with experience. Some jobs will take longer than you think and some will be faster. But my experience is on lawns.

I believe its Next Insurance

 

[Snobdds]

I pay 35/acre for field mowing. It's fair for both of us....

 

[crashz]

Snobdds - does your guy have a lot of acreage to cut? Or is it Mr. Snobdds that does the work for Mr. Snobdds? Or both?

For what it's worth, my customers typically have enough acres to cut as a field, but not enough to hay. Typically 1- 6 acres and the ones that have the larger properties are all thinking of hay next year.

Little Bitty - yep, Next Insurance is the name. They are online and pretty easy to set up.

 

[bmaverick]

I believe its Next Insurance

Ever mowed a filed and there was natural flint stone in the dry field? Yes, the field goes up in fire quickly. Having insurance, even the BASIC coverage helps with the damages.

 

[Bearsixty7]

What profession are you that are mowing or doing tractor work selecting on the Next Insurance website, General Contractor?

I didn't see one more fitting.

 

[crashz]

Landscaping. It will ask for your general tasks in checklist form and mowing is the closest.