How to price a commercial job trimming chain link fence

[YLee Kioti]

Yup title bout says it all....
Have been charging 75 an acre to cut this commercial account on his two yards.
Now he wants to up the curb appeal and trim out the chain link fence. Not residential, but knock down the Johnson grass from 3'-6' to some ground level.

So for those down here in the Shiner south Texas area any ideas on what is reasonable? Other then give him a quote where he doesn't balk.

Hwy side of fence is 500' trim out both sides of it. Back is open pasture so no work there. The other two side just inside the fence. 300' & 200'
Don't know if it's best to charge just a flat rate for this or by the hour.

Alrighty this one time thing has grown into regular work it seems so on a steep learning curve.

Many thanks.....

 

[Peace]

Example: If it takes you 1 hr to cut 1 acre @$75. then your hourly rate is $75. an hour.
Grab the weed eater and hit the fence line for 1 hour. measure the distance you were able to cut.
Example: 1 hour with weed eater equals 250 linear feet of fence-line.
500’ of fence-line will take 2 hours at $75. Per hour. So...$150. That is a fair measurement of price for both you and your customer. If you need to hire someone to run the weed eater while you run the tractor it’s still a win win for everybody.

 

[Hay Dude]

I charge $40-$50 per man hour for cutting high grass/brush with a weed wacker and saw blade. I don’t think it’s enough, but that’s what I charge.

 

[RjCorazza]

My cut throat rate for overgrown trimming is $60 per hour, but like snow plowing, markets vary considerably.
10 years ago the going rate for standard mowing / trimming was $60 per hour. I hover around $38 for regular (weekly) mowing.

I just quoted an overgrown trimming job at $60 per hour with a 4 hour minimum and never heard back from him... Which is fine with me.

For a long commercial chain link fence with 3' tall grass I think I would double your current rate mowing for a one time job, then recommend round up application.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Awesome thanks......I normally get the job done and invoice a few days later.
So I'll monitor the trim work time & distance.
Which will work out for me.
Been giving my son seat time and I did trim work on the last job.

 

[YLee Kioti]

So fellas that 's exactly what I was looking for cause my neighbor ( a landscaper) told me I was to low.

Just trimmed out their maint shop and gonna hit again Friday....will invoice him Monday.
Man you guys killed greatly appreciate it....

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Just me, but I would price it high enough NOT to get it. I don't even like weed whacking my own yard.

 

[YLee Kioti]

LMAO........ yeah Sure felt that way when we finished....lol.......First two cuts I did for him were not bad cause all I did was shred. This time he wanted curb appeal, well okidoki....he's the customer! All the services we performed was based on previous discussions of what he wanted.
Lopped off tree overgrowth around the base of the trunks, on 12 oaks and will charge him $12 per tree. Found a few copperhead nests, yikes!!! Took me two hours. $12 per tree came out better then $40 per hour and that's bout what my landscaping neighbor told me he charges.
Then the fence lines.
Only had one trimmer so went to Halletsville and bought another one. Echo 2620. Took us four hours to finish 800 linear foot total.
After he gets my invoice he may not call again. But did leave it nice. His 'Emergency Fuel Stop" panel outside was not accessible, barely visible was more like it.
Going to order a Darwin Handle for the new 2620 trimmer, lower back was a tad sore this morning.

Now he's good to go...
Previously trimmed and cut on a 52 acre estate buy and charged a $40 an hour rate. Two days of trimming and cutting. Good pay day. But thanks to you guys the $45 an hour rates for commercial jobs down here seems to be a good fit. The $40 an hour rate the client didn't blink and was willing to go to $50. I went to $40 looking at the long game since he's a property developer.
You folks have a great weekend....!!!

 

[RjCorazza]

Good luck on the Darwin handle. When I last looked they were not in production due to supply issues.
I definitely want to try one!

 

[YLee Kioti]

Thanks yeah supply chain is def. broken all around......there may be one inside one of those 10k containers floating off the Cali shores....lol...

on edit https://www.ballard-inc.com/product/darwins-grip-trimmer-handle/
by Oct. 11th...we'll see getting ready to place an order.

Save 5 bucks using Brians coupon from his you toob channel- Coupon: brians10