Tiller Rototilling rates, how much to charge?

[spruce Deere]

Not to bristle any back hairs, if I had bought a tiller and worked it till'n gardens to pay it off, still would not be paid off. Most of my tilling is on my own ground.

My work order states that the property owner is responsible for location of ANY and ALL underground utilities and location and marking of ANY and ALL underground utility locations before ANY ground engaging work was to commence, I had no issues.

Anything less than 60/hr for the owner/operator....not gunna happen, legally and/or legit. No matter what the work is acre, garden, per 1000 sq. foot. You have to figger out how much of that you can do in an hour given the terrain and conditions, and most the time thats the reality check point called a minimum charge

Use to be general figger' at $1 per hp of tractor per hour.... 30hp tractor=$30/hour BUT, thats just for the tractor ONLY. Not counting your time, implement use, terrain, trasporting.......

 

[gordyy]

Not to bristle any back hairs, if I had bought a tiller and worked it till'n gardens to pay it off, still would not be paid off. Most of my tilling is on my own ground.

My work order states that the property owner is responsible for location of ANY and ALL underground utilities and location and marking of ANY and ALL underground utility locations before ANY ground engaging work was to commence, I had no issues.



It can say that but if you as an equipment operator have ever been to a training sesion and signed in you will realize and remember the first thing they tell you is you as the equipment owner and or the operator are responsible for any and all damages you do on anybodys property so go to one training session sign the paper and if they find it your waver goes right out the window, I know I have a waiver on my tickets too and all its really good for is if the land owner buried a line to his barn has no trace line in it and forgot where he put it you aint on the hook, anything like a utility line properly buried then landscape lines changed that waver is just some ink that was a waste. I was working for an excavating contractor when the first fiber optics were layed here 30 some years ago. they showed it all what it looked like then said dig one up, just park your equipment leave the keys and walk away unless you have really good Liability and did the right calling it now belongs to us.

 

[Villengineer]

I till gardens more as a hobby than to try and make money and I used to a couple large yards a year. I got lucky and got out of the yard business right before housing went south. Anyway, I have found that they really aren't comparable as far as what you can charge. Gardens tend to be more what the market will bear. I do some for free: elderly neighbors, friends, ministers, etc.. Everybody else is usually $45. I usually just drive the tractor to them and do all in the same area at once. Cutting new ones into sod I do charge a little more. It would have to be a huge established garden to bother charging more, and most people around me that have those have equipment. The guys who try and charge regular equipment rates to till don't get much work. The most common thing I hear from my customers is that I'm in the "sweet spot". I do a good job so it's worth what I charge, but much more cost and it's just cheaper to buy the food than grow it.

As far as yards go, I've taken out my fair share of phone and cable lines and not had to deal with much more than a few phone conversations. If you take out a properly buried line when prepping for grass around here you're too deep anyway. Every line I've gotten was b/c some sub contractor didn't knife them in correct or in the case of one cable line, didn't knife it in at all. You call them up tell them how deep you were and they come and fix it. Shoot, I took a phone line out with a box blade with the scarifers up.

 

[DAY]

Not mentioned (yet) are the (mostly) retired guys with a Troybilt and a pickup truck, who work with a really low overhead. They can get a 20x50 established garden ready for seeds while the CUT and the 5' tiller is still getting off the trailer. Plus, the walk-behind fits through the garden gate!:thumbsup:

Different tool, for different jobs.

 

[georgia jeff]

thanks for the comments guys. I have done a couple of garden plots for $30 each for and one very small front lawn for $60 because they were beside each other. I got a call from a guy who wanted his yard tilled to plant grass. It was roughly 1/3 of an acre so I quoted him $200 and havn't heard back from him in a few days. I din't think that was that high of a rate that is why I was wondering what people charge.

 

[georgia jeff]

To do it legit as in for a real or any PROFIT, the transporting, or any property damage commited is NOT covered by your home owners or general vehicle insurance. Answer for that= Commercial insurance.

I can tell ya, $60/hr is cheap... Figgr'n couple flats, replacing and maintenance items of the tow rig, trailer, tractor, implement plus you are trying to make a wage right?

Those landscapers know the price of legal operation with an operator.

Minimum charge is a good Idea, such as established garden spots they are a breeze. New, expanding gardens, do not use your tiller first.

commercial insurance - I never thought about that. Crap, it's always something.

 

[georgia jeff]

Ok,
you asked a question having to do with not using your equipment to make a living, just a bit to help out.

I do the same thing.

I have insurance but this is more of a hobby than anything else and I enjoy working my equipment for other people. I could never justify the equipment just for my uses otherwise.
All that being said, regardless of what I do, (tilling, plowing, shredding) I charge $50 per hour with a two hour minimum and that includes my travel time to and from the job. I've never had anybody squawk about what I charge. Maybe I don't charge enough but what ever...I get to work a bit and earn a bit of cash.

Now on the odd side of this, I've had people pay me more than I was going to charge.
These pictures are of a job I did this weekend and the guy paid me more than I charged and now I have a continuing job for this site.

(qualifier) I do cut certain folks some slack on what I charge. Little old ladies, single mothers, friends who can return a favor, you know, stuff like that. But I get nothing other than the satisfaction of knowing that I helped someone who could not have gotten the work done otherwise. That means a lot to me.

PS,
If you're going to till an acre with a 5 footer, you're gonna be there awhile.

Looks like you did a good job! I am kinda in the same boat. I don't need all the equipment I have but I love to plant food plots and gardens for me and my family. Having the equipment make me some of my money back helps.

 

[georgia jeff]

Till up a fiber optic line and that $50 pocket change can cost a lot. Don't forget diggers hotline (or equivalent) is still needed to protect your assets.

I will have to check into that as well. Nothing should be buried less than one foot deep anyways, should it? My tiller only goes about 8 inches deep max.
I have people sign a disclaimer saying they agree not to hold me responsible for any damage to buried cable, pipe, septic tanks, etc. but don't want to find out the hard way if this is legally binding.

 

[georgia jeff]

Not mentioned (yet) are the (mostly) retired guys with a Troybilt and a pickup truck, who work with a really low overhead. They can get a 20x50 established garden ready for seeds while the CUT and the 5' tiller is still getting off the trailer. Plus, the walk-behind fits through the garden gate!:thumbsup:

Different tool, for different jobs.

I'm sure I can't beat their price but I bet the plot will look a lot better when I leave than it will when they do.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I will have to check into that as well. Nothing should be buried less than one foot deep anyways, should it? My tiller only goes about 8 inches deep max.
I have people sign a disclaimer saying they agree not to hold me responsible for any damage to buried cable, pipe, septic tanks, etc. but don't want to find out the hard way if this is legally binding.

It looks like we do it the same way. I get a paper signed that says they have called to check for underground utilities and specify that I only till those spots. I have still walked away from a couple. I get about $50 per garden. Less if it is a walk behind tiller job. I add 1.50-2.00 per mile if it is more than 10 miles. I have found that gardens have to be priced flat rate.