Bush hogging prices

smilingreen · Jan 1, 2002

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 · Jan 1, 2002

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 · Jan 1, 2002

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 · Jan 2, 2002

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 · Jan 2, 2002

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 · Jan 2, 2002

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 · Jan 3, 2002

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 · Jan 4, 2002

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 · Jan 5, 2002

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 · Nov 16, 2007

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.

Renovator · Nov 16, 2007

In my area mowing is very competitve. I agree with Gulfofmexico that you should get a licence to spray. Ido pastures and burn down and brush with 2 different sprayers which contribute over 60% of my income I'd start parttime for acouple of years to keep debt down & insurance. Make sure you have good Liability insurance. Renovator

Farmwithjunk · Nov 17, 2007

This subject sometimes stirs up a hornets nest! Prices are regional, as well as based on what size jobs you're looking at. 1 to 5 acre jobs scattered about where you'll do as much trucking as mowing usually warrant a higher "per hour" or "per job" rate as opposed to bigger acreage.

I own a mowing business where we do larger acreage primarily. (Property maintenance for a legal conservator) The bulk of my work is 25 to 100 acre properties. Some even bigger. I'm in rural central Kentucky. As a rule of thumb, the going rates around here are roughly $1.50 per horsepower. (ie 40 hp tractor w/ suitable mower, $60 an hour. 100hp tractor w/ suitable mower=$150 an hour) Fuel cost and cost of living in general are starting to drive that up slightly, but the volume of "competition" keep raises in check right now. Bottom line, if you want to stay busy in an area with plenty of competition, you have to find a way to make money at competitive rates that mirror the competition's rates.

In some urban areas, primarily east coast and west cost, rates are more than double.

As far as added lines of work such as spraying, there again, it depends on available work and local competition as to that being a viable option.

In just one year, I went from start up business to 4 tractors, a total of 6 employees, and all the work we could handle, even in a severe drought condition most of the summer. Keep in mind, 75% of my business is from one client and that was pre-arrainged before the years started. Without that one key customer, the business would have struggled to stya busy with just myself and my 2 initial employees.

I would think your location should be very simular to mine.

Solo · Nov 17, 2007

I wonder if he's still in buisness after almost six years.

Solo

RollTideRam · Nov 17, 2007

Ain't it funny how you read the question and replies, start to reply yourself and notice the original ? is 6 years old. JC

Farmwithjunk · Nov 17, 2007

RollTideRam said:
Ain't it funny how you read the question and replies, start to reply yourself and notice the original ? is 6 years old. JC

Note that my reply was in the wee hours of the morning. The question could have been from Moses and I wouldn't have noticed. (Not that I'm any more alert in daylight hours

)

deereguy · Nov 17, 2007

Also, check out what commercial insurance is for this new venture- truck, trailer, tractor, and equipment. That plays a HUGE factor in ANY business decision. Farmwithjunk has it made...one customer with a LOT of work, if he loses that customer- things look different. I sold a landscape business in May 2006, I missed it at first but now realize that there is alot to be said for a regular pay check, "normal" hours and then I can do as I want after work.

Farmwithjunk · Nov 17, 2007

deereguy said:
Also, check out what commercial insurance is for this new venture- truck, trailer, tractor, and equipment. That plays a HUGE factor in ANY business decision. Farmwithjunk has it made...one customer with a LOT of work, if he loses that customer- things look different. I sold a landscape business in May 2006, I missed it at first but now realize that there is alot to be said for a regular pay check, "normal" hours and then I can do as I want after work.

That's why I've gone out and drummed up the "other 25%" of my business. And I'm constantly looking for more. I've just completed a bid package for mowing highway/road right-of-ways for 2 different counties in Kentucky. It's good to have a client that provides you with a lot of business, but life can be fickle. As the old saying goes, Don't pu all your eggs in one basket.

By the way, I still have that "steady paycheck" too. I'm keeping my day job until they throw me out the door.

sandman2234 · Nov 17, 2007

I knew there was some reason I didn't recognize the original poster, as he quit posting before I came on board. If somebody hadn't mentioned it being an older post, I wouldn't have seen it.
David from jax