How much to charge bush hogging per acre

[CDN Farm Boy]

While I haven't yet done any paid work with my tractor, I've thought about it. My main gig is self employed carpenter and I MUCH prefer fixed price by the job. Can I get $100/hr? Not even close, but with going rate around here on may items I can top that easily on a per-unit price. Like already mentioned, everyone know what the price is before you start.

How do you guys handle it if/when you do hit hidden stuff and damage equipment? The way many of the posts sound, it would appear that somehow charging by the hour, there's a creative way to make the customer pay for the damages.

 

[ovrszd]

AND, how do I know how many acres the spot is?? Trust what YOU tell me, OR do I have to measure it??

SR

Use the tool LD1 mentioned in one of his posts. Findlotsize.com

 

[namesray]

I agree on the first mowing being a per hour charge. The first mowing will be the slowest due to getting use to the plot. There can be wet areas, stumps, ground hog holes, old fallen tree parts, and trash/junk. I do not have many customers complain about charging per hour. In fact most of my new customers will ask me "how much do you charge AN HOUR to mow". So we go the per hour route. Its easier on me and I get paid for being more cautious on the first mowing. I tell them first mowing is slower and why, if they still want a finished price, they get it, but I guarantee it will be higher then charging per hour. If they want a per acre, I do that too. I can tell by looking pretty good and by my mowing pace, what gear and rpms how I am doing acres per hour.

As for damages, I carry insurance. Both a general liability and commercial inland marine policies. General liability fixes damage on customers property, commercial inland marine fixes damage to my equipment. I have not had to use either yet.

I will usually ask customer to meet on site for a go over, what they want mowed, property lines, what the area was used for and how long since it was last mowed, any known obstacles and I list them to help jog their memory, and then I will walk area a bit looking for hazzards. I have been around this type of work long enough that I can pin point the high risk areas. Other risks, I keep an eye out for when mowing.

I have hits rocks, tree parts, old stumps, a well casing, many ground hog holes, been stuck in mud, bees nests, glass beer bottles,property stakes, and old boards. Biggest thing i fear is a tire puncture. I have been lucky and not had a flat tire yet. Very little if any damage from what I mentioned above.

In lots of ways I feel a lot of contractors will bid a job at the highest rate they can get from a customer, then go balls to the wall to try to maximize their profit. They have this "make a ton of money" idea in their head. This leads to not being very alert when mowing and greatly increases the risk of damaging their equipment. I see it a lot actually. They think because they can mow faster, such as higher ground speed, faster gear jamming for forward/reverse, etc. Which I all harder on the equipment. Their equipment is in the shop much more then mine. So I bet you I make as much as they do with all the time actually involved.

 

[CTWright]

Great thread. I'm only in my second season as a part time mower (retired) and Ive picked up a lot of great info. People seem to like pricing by the job here in Northern NM. Most of my jobs are under 5 acres. I can usually walk the job to find problems.

 

[flusher]

Junk in the weeds--you find all kinds of stuff, especially T-posts, tires, and just plain trash. I found a nice porcelain steel bathtub hidden in the weeds on my place when I bought it in 2005. A previous owner probably was using it for stock watering.

Never cut a tire while mowing. But I did a mowing job for a neighbor who was recovering from surgery. 3-4 ft tall weeds. I managed to find an old irrigation ditch hidden in the weeds. Thought I might have damaged the front axle on my Mahindra 5525. But it was OK--that tractor has a very stout front axle. If that happened while mowing with my 1964 MF 135 diesel, the front axle would have been busted up for sure. Experiences like that plus the possibility of rollover while mowing an unfamiliar field kept me from mowing other people's property.

 

[Degolyerent]

I always price by the job as most of the stuff I get is similar to LD's, overgrown and under 5 acres. I go meet with the people in advance or just look at it and give them a price for total job. I use Free Map Tools to find acreage if need be. I usually average about $80-$100 per hour. I like doing the overgrown stuff for that reason.On my return customers I give them a better price if they mow it regular, but the first time when it is overgrown is more costly. I carry liability and cover my own equipment also. I stay very busy 8-9 months per year and use the off time to maintain equipment for the next season. As far as advertisement I use crags list, face book and a web site that I keep hundreds of pics of my work. I did concrete work for many years and used excavators and tractors in my business only in the last 5-6 years I have went full time in the equipment running business only. I wish I would have done it years earlier.
John

 

[LD1]

While I haven't yet done any paid work with my tractor, I've thought about it. My main gig is self employed carpenter and I MUCH prefer fixed price by the job. Can I get $100/hr? Not even close, but with going rate around here on may items I can top that easily on a per-unit price. Like already mentioned, everyone know what the price is before you start.

How do you guys handle it if/when you do hit hidden stuff and damage equipment? The way many of the posts sound, it would appear that somehow charging by the hour, there's a creative way to make the customer pay for the damages.

Damage to equipment is just cost of doing business.

There are ways to minimize potential damage though.

I keep the loader close to the ground if venturing into the unkown, and go slow. Having a true HD cutter helps and not a Light duty TSC special. Knock on wood, havent done any damage other than routine maintenance of sharpening blades

 

[dieselcrawler]

I was thinking of starting my own thread but my question is on this very topic. I apologize for the thread hijacking, if it is such.

I have never done mowing for hire, but may do so on a limited basis. I already take care of the yard work for the grandmother of my best friend from high school, using her riding mower (nice little BX1850). There has been some interest in having me bring my tractor and brush hog to clean up beyond the yard, there are some fields that have been left go for a few years. The problem is that I dont know what a fair by-the-hour rate would be. I am sure the work will be hourly based. What would a fair rate be for my JD 3005 running a 5' brush hog on hillside former cow pasture? I was thinking $40-$45/hour with a 10 hour minimum. There is likely 15-20 hours of work, maybe more once they see what I can do. I don't want to under price the work if it is only the one field that was talked about but not be so high that they dont have me do more.

Any advice?

 

[LD1]

$40/ hour is certainly fair. Possibly a buy much if for friends. But pricing for friends is always a grey area and all just depends on the relationship.

I would rather still just price it by the job. How many acres and how long do you think it will take?

Just don't want you to cause any hard feelings if you tell them $xx per hour then you put in 15 hours of work to accomplish what they think you could have done in 8.

I know you probably don't know how long it will take, but neither do they.

 

[dieselcrawler]

In my case, by the hour will be a safe and comfortable way to price things. The rates they pay us for the yard work is higher than normal, they have the money, I just dont want to let the fact that they have the money effect what I charge. I dont want to gouge them but also dont want to give anything away when they will happily pay for it and can afford it.

When it came to the yard work, there were others who would have done it for less money, but they wanted me/us to do it. Same deal with brush hogging. Not bidding against others, only against my sense of right and wrong.