What to charge for tilling

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have no idea what a reasonable fee is for this type of job )</font>

I guess you've realized from the other posts that it depends on whether you're doing it as a business or as a favor for a neighbor. My own garden was about 82' x 103' and I tilled it regularly with a 40" tiller. A neighbor on the adjoining property had a garden just a little smaller and I frequently tilled his and never charged him anything both because he was a good friend and because he had big tractors, and other equipment, that I knew I could use anytime I wanted to. At different times, I tilled gardens for 3 other neighbors for $25 an hour. I wouldn't say I made money, but I liked doing it and don't figure I lost anything.

 

[fractal]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( i thought $45 bucks an hour was pretty good myself. Heck if you did that 40 hours a week, you could clear 90 grand in a year. )</font>
45/hr including machine is pretty cheap. 50/hr seems to be the going rate for backhoe operators around these parts with a 2-4 hour minimum. A buck a mile travel is also pretty typical.

I don't charge for good friends. I would insult one of us if I did. I can't afford to do the work for others. I don't have the insurance or licenses for it. Plus the paperwork would drive me nuts.

 

[Bowhunter]

Hmmm, I wonder if I show this thread to my wife if she'll let me upgrade tractors and equipment faster. "Just think of the money I could make Honey, the tractor would pay for itself." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yeah I didn't think so either. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Jackrabbit_Slim]

I base my quotes on a rate of $48.00 (CDN) an hour, two hour minimum, plus a dollar a mile travel. I've prorated my regular tractor service (fluids & filters) on an hourly rate and included that with my fuel, which I calculate on an hourly basis as part of my cost analysis.

Fencing jobs are still calculated at that base rate, but I add an extra $15.00 an hour in for hired labour. At my age, I like to have a strapping young man along to wrestle those rolls of 6 foot deer wire around for me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My insurance (including truck and trailer) is $3,400 a year and I wouldn't want to turn a wheel without it. I'm carrying $1,000,000 liability and thinking about doubling that.

Realistically, I don't expect to actually be on the machine more than 40 hours in a 60 hour week. The rest of my time gets eaten up looking at, and quoting jobs and all the other running around that needs to get done.

I never quote by the hour. I always give a quote on the finished job with a time/materials maximum with an "extenuating circumstances" clause.

Slim