SnyderShrugged Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Good morning, I am hiring a landscaper off of craigslist for a simple, yet labor intensive job. In short, I want him to rip out about a 50 x 20 strip of old landscaping, that includes 4 crepe myrtles and a bunch of barberry that is already cut down to about an inch high. We want to simply start over from scratch. We arent asking him to do any new planting or soil treatment, just the tear out. What do you all feel would be a decent rate to offer him? ---------- Post added June-5th-2011 at 12:08 PM ---------- anyone have an idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Bump: need some advice folks please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubble Screen Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I have no idea. But I'm sure someone will be along soon to give you some help. I'm sure there are several guys on ES that do this kind of business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 I have no idea. But I'm sure someone will be along soon to give you some help. I'm sure there are several guys on ES that do this kind of business. Thats what Im hoping for! Ive gotten some awesome advice and leads on things here over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I would put the ball in his court. Ask him what it would cost. If that's not an option, keep in mind you can rent a Bobcat for around $250 for the day. You could probably dig it all up within an hour or so. Therefore I wouldn't pay any more than that. Depending on the age of your myrtles and barberry and soil conditions, one guy and a shovel could be an all-day job. Option 3- ask him how long he thinks it will take if he won't commit to a price. If he says 5 hours, offer him $100-150. Then you've agreed on a price and he has incentive to get it done. Is he going to haul everything off, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 I would put the ball in his court. Ask him what it would cost.If that's not an option, keep in mind you can rent a Bobcat for around $250 for the day. You could probably dig it all up within an hour or so. Therefore I wouldn't pay any more than that. Depending on the age of your myrtles and barberry and soil conditions, one guy and a shovel could be an all-day job. Option 3- ask him how long he thinks it will take if he won't commit to a price. If he says 5 hours, offer him $100-150. Then you've agreed on a price and he has incentive to get it done. Is he going to haul everything off, too? Thanks Zoony! I was already thinking around $150 for the whole job, I could probably have him toss everything into the woods behind my home to avoid the haul away charges too. Thanks for validating the direction I was heading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 If you were closer, I'd come get your crepe myrtles. Put a bag around the root ball and sell them on CraigsList to offset the cost of the landscape work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 If you were closer, I'd come get your crepe myrtles. Put a bag around the root ball and sell them on CraigsList to offset the cost of the landscape work. Thats a good idea LadySF! Though, one reason we are tearing them out is due to sort of ruining them with bad pruning (I messed it up based on some bad advice from my brother in law) Its worth a shot though. Heck, the Landscaper guy might even keep them and maybe offset his price a bit to if asked. Thanks for the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointyfootball Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I'd be shocked if you got a landscaper to do that for $150. The job isn't too big, but to do it yourself would take 1/2 day and $80 to rent a stump grinder. I removed to myrtles that had grown to 20' and it took me a couple of hours. Cut them to the ground with chain saw, ground the stumps and hauled away the limbs. 4 hours plus equipment usage would cost more than $150, but maybe that's just me saying I wouldn't do that work for that cheap. Also will depend how much work they need. Might want to make sure they are insured as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wrong thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmySmith Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 1000sf is a pretty big job. I doubt anyone could manually do it in a day so $250 is probably about right. If it is easily accessible I would go the Bobcat route for around $200 and do the work in an hour or two. You could probably find other jobs to do with it or find a neighbor to spit the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 My Brother in Law owns a landscaping company. Assuming you want a legal resident (green card), you're probably looking in the $15 an hour range. Seriously, don't you have any young family members (like teenagers) who want to make some money? Just hire them. All they're doing is destroying stuff. I was great at that as a teenager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I have a myrtle in my front yard that I've pruned to grow into a tree (I limb up from the bottom to about 4 feet or so). Other than that, I don't prune it. It's funny, lots of my neighbors have myrtles and they're out there in Februrary pruning them way back. By July theirs looks exactly like mine, which I don't touch. I don't get why people feel the need to prune them. Maybe there is something I don't know. SS, as for your myrtles, I wouldn't worry about saving them- they are cheap and they grow very fast... doubt you'd get much for them, certainly not enough to justify the extra work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artmonkforHOF Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 $150 is too low IMO. I work as a construction estimator and I run into this problem on small jobs all the time. Yeah this might not take much more than an hour to do to work, but you have killed 1/2 of this guy's working day. You never get good value for small jobs, if you had a large property where a guy was already doing work over a period of time and asked him to add on the 20 x 50 area, then the $150 charge would be reasonable, but not when that is the only work he will be doing. That being said, with the economy the way it is some people will do anything as long as you pay them cash, even take some jobs at a loss just to keep cashflow going, and early spring is the time to hit up landscapers as they have not been paid on their big jobs yet and are looking for cashflow. A good rule of thumb for small jobs is consider what you would pay for whoever is working a full day and divide it by half. I would guess whoever did it would use 2 guys, allowing $25/hr for labour. That would equal 2 x 8 x $25=$400 for a full day labour, therefore allow $200 for labour and then I would allow something for the equipment rental, between $100-$200 so I would consider $300 to $400 to be a "fair" price for the work you described. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 150 is not a reasonable estimate at all, IMO. Not for a landscaping firm. If he's just cutting the trees down and clearing the brush, and it's one guy... sounds like 200 is reasonable. If he's digging out the stumps (or grinding them) and turning soil, no way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 You're not just paying for the labor either. Paying for the job to be done right and by someone who can do it right. Take your time and maybe get a few quick little bid if need be. As stated,lots of guys hungry out there especially at this time of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 All good stuff guys, and many thanks. I really didnt have a baseline to go from so this all helps a ton. Just got my first quote and it was for $375 using a bobcat. I think a few of you said that would be reasonable. Im getting a couple of more just in case first though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 stump grinder for a crepe myrtle and barberry? Jeez, I'm not using enough fertilizer SS, get a six pack of beer, a 12' length of heavy chain, and yank those ****s out one by one with your truck. Save your cash for the moneybomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Save your cash for the moneybomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwhich Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Wow, some cheap ****s in this thread Time and gas expense to give a quote, labor, and cost for equipment if necessary and you are squirming over $50 or $100. Don't complain when you get what you pay for.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DButz65 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 A landscaper off of craigslist?? If I were you, I would make sure he is licensed and that he is LEGIT...it is REALLY easy for someone to start a job, after getting half the money (or some) up front, then just vanish. It happens more than you think! Even if it is a small/easy job that would take 1 day...."I'll be back.. getting lunch" Sadly it happened to me, but it was just a guy going door to door...never again and I now screen all persons that will be doing work at or on my home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Depends - do you live in Arizona ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 stump grinder for a crepe myrtle and barberry? Jeez, I'm not using enough fertilizerSS, get a six pack of beer, a 12' length of heavy chain, and yank those ****s out one by one with your truck. Save your cash for the moneybomb LOL, I probably could do it myself, in just the manner you describe, but unfortunately, my job has me away from the house 6 out of 7 days lately for travel. Time is really at a premium for me for the summer and Im in a bit of a rush on this. ---------- Post added June-7th-2011 at 05:44 AM ---------- A landscaper off of craigslist??If I were you, I would make sure he is licensed and that he is LEGIT...it is REALLY easy for someone to start a job, after getting half the money (or some) up front, then just vanish. It happens more than you think! Even if it is a small/easy job that would take 1 day...."I'll be back.. getting lunch" Sadly it happened to me, but it was just a guy going door to door...never again and I now screen all persons that will be doing work at or on my home! Agreed. In fact, I was planning on either using a bonded guy or only pay when the job is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark The Homer Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I don't know your area, but if you have the tools, and if you can find out where the landscape companies find their casual day labor, you could hire a laborer for the day pretty cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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