Charging for Bush Hogging/Clearing Around Retention Ponds

[HnyHammer875]

I know there are several threads on what to charge for bush hogging. I've read all of the recent ones and I still need help.

I'm looking at 15 acres with 5 retention ponds that's 10 miles away from the farm. None of the mowing is an unobstructed rectangle where I can mow long, straight rows. So there's lots of inefficiencies going around obstacles, turning around, etc. There's also the aspect of the retention ponds, which I've never had to mow or trim around. With the steep banks, tight turns, and wet ground I couldn't do that work with my current tractor and bush hog. I'd probably be looking at buying a Ventrac 4520 with a Tough Cut. I have a lot of other work that I could use the Ventrac for so it wouldn't be solely for this project.

I have a legitimate business. Licensed, insured for $1,000,000+, etc. This would be a contract for 1-3 years. I was initially figuring $100/acre per mow. It should only be two mows per year. Am I crazy? I'm worried that the retention ponds are a lot more work than I'm calculating and I'm going to get into a contract where I'm losing money. What do you guys charge for retention pond work?

 

[Gee Ray]

The first thing that I would question is how close to the water are you required to mow? This will help define the time involved in the mowing. Are you expected to weedwhacker down to the water or just mow as much as you can. I have 100 feet of lake front that looks very good because I can mow right up to the edge when there are dry conditions. Other times of the year I can not get within 6 feet of the edge without getting stuck.

In all reality I think the $100 per acre is low when you figure in all the cost. The Ventrac mower is 68 inches wide and at 2 mph that is only 1.25 acres per hour without trimming the ponds. I figured the 2 mph since you are only cutting twice per year. Look at your insurance cost closely.

Also Ventrac makes a boom mower for the pond edges but it is pricey for only one job.

 

[newbury]

You don't put in your location BUT
What's the soil?
Can it be done with a sickle bar mower?

 

[Fixastuff]

How many acres is it? Seems like it would take a while to pay off the ventrac only mowing it twice a year?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I don't think $100 per acre is enough, at least not for having to mow retention ponds, with the price of fuel and insurance etc, I would think most people would have to look at the job to give you an educated guess on pricing.

 

[seville009]

Charge by the hour vs a flat fee.

Has someone been mowing it in the past for compensation?

 

[HnyHammer875]

You don't put in your location BUT
What's the soil?
Can it be done with a sickle bar mower?

This is near the central VA/NC border. I've never used a sickle bar, but I'm sure some of it could. My concern with that approach is that I'd still have a good bit of slope that I couldn't reach and the inside of the ponds themselves.

 

[HnyHammer875]

How many acres is it? Seems like it would take a while to pay off the ventrac only mowing it twice a year?

It's 15. There's opportunity for a lot more if I already had a Ventrac. I certainly wouldn't buy one just to mow this job.

 

[HnyHammer875]

Charge by the hour vs a flat fee.

Has someone been mowing it in the past for compensation?

That's the thing, this company wants a flat fee per year and there are tolerances on the vegetation height. So I have to be able to figure out how many times per year it'd take me and how many hours per mow and just quote it as a total.

 

[old and tired]

Don't enter into a contract until you mow it a couple of times to see what you are up against.... charge by the hour.