struggling to come up with quote

hi all,need to pick your brains again - regarding a previous post i have a client who wants me to design, buy and plant a front garden. As i have never planted a whole garden in one go i am still strugglng with a reasonable quote. worried that i will be under charging !!. Anyway i know its difficult for you to help without seeing the si gardrontte - but basically its a fro nt garden running stright to a pavementi.e no wall or hedging at front. Have measured the site more accurately now (bigger than i originally posted) - it is an L shape, 30 ft by 30ft (12ft wide). It has two very small cherry trees 6- 8 ft high and 4-5 existing shrubs - the rest is completly bare. Its a south facing sunny garden with a good loamy neutral soil.Have done some drawing of a basic layout - but i am not a designer - so quite simple. Have estimated around 20 shrubs and around 40 perrenials for all year interest.Have estimated 1 day to source and pick up plants4 days to prep and plant upbased on £15/hr - (10hrs a day) so £150 per daythats £750 for labour20 shrubs @£10 per shrub (to cover me fetching, transport, profit etc based on 3L pots) =£20040 perennials @£7 each = £280so that not far off £500 for plantsSo grand total of £1250sorry about this but very new to business and don't wnat to screw up on what might be an important job, if i get it as it is in a prime area for me and everyone is gonna see it!! Just need to know if this is drasticlly under or over the the work involved - as i am designing it myself and probably a bit more as i go along i think it will take me the best part of a week to get right.

You're missing a price for your design work. Also, what about mulch? And is there any waste to be removed - turf, pots etc?

I'd have said £150 per day around here is towards the high end.

Horny Handed Ton of Soil said:

Hi, You estimate it to take the best part of a week, in which case 5 days does equal your £750 labour if you're doing 10 hr days (don't kill yourself) . I would not bother with hourly rate calculations. Think in terms of days, not hours. £150 per day is ok, but 8 or 9 hrs is enough.
If you know you can secure the discount when buying plants and you're happy with the profit on these then fine. 60 plants for £500 averages out at £8.33 per plant. What is your average cost price?
Will you need to incorporate a good load of compost prior to planting? Now is the time to do it whilst the plot is bare. Make some enquiries as to where you can buy loose loads, or have it delivered in a tote bag and price for this.

And if you're not making regular visits after planting ensure the customer waters sufficiently.
In the end, it'll be experience which teaches you most. Good luck.

Replies

Sean Busby June 2, 2010 at 4:27pm

Hi,
You estimate it to take the best part of a week, in which case 5 days does equal your £750 labour if you're doing 10 hr days (don't kill yourself) . I would not bother with hourly rate calculations. Think in terms of days, not hours. £150 per day is ok, but 8 or 9 hrs is enough.

If you know you can secure the discount when buying plants and you're happy with the profit on these then fine. 60 plants for £500 averages out at £8.33 per plant. What is your average cost price?
Will you need to incorporate a good load of compost prior to planting? Now is the time to do it whilst the plot is bare. Make some enquiries as to where you can buy loose loads, or have it delivered in a tote bag and price for this.

And if you're not making regular visits after planting ensure the customer waters sufficiently.
In the end, it'll be experience which teaches you most. Good luck.
- Keith Barker > Sean Busby June 2, 2010 at 4:45pm
  
  You're missing a price for your design work. Also, what about mulch? And is there any waste to be removed - turf, pots etc?
  
  I'd have said £150 per day around here is towards the high end.
  
  Horny Handed Ton of Soil said:
  Hi, You estimate it to take the best part of a week, in which case 5 days does equal your £750 labour if you're doing 10 hr days (don't kill yourself) . I would not bother with hourly rate calculations. Think in terms of days, not hours. £150 per day is ok, but 8 or 9 hrs is enough.
  If you know you can secure the discount when buying plants and you're happy with the profit on these then fine. 60 plants for £500 averages out at £8.33 per plant. What is your average cost price?
  Will you need to incorporate a good load of compost prior to planting? Now is the time to do it whilst the plot is bare. Make some enquiries as to where you can buy loose loads, or have it delivered in a tote bag and price for this.
  
  And if you're not making regular visits after planting ensure the customer waters sufficiently.
  In the end, it'll be experience which teaches you most. Good luck.
Nick Steele June 2, 2010 at 5:26pm

How many square yards? 30 ft along each edge of the L, and 12 ft wide borders? so 80 sq yds in total?
clare birch June 2, 2010 at 7:09pm

nick - yes 80sq yds sounds about right

keith - regarding design work - you live and learn there - as i said i am not a designer but somehow said i would draw something out for the client and don't feel i can charge at this stage. Hence i am trying to get a bit back and charge the £150 a day? does that sound reasonable?
Richard@www.seasons-garden.co.uk June 2, 2010 at 7:23pm

£150 per day for what you're doing sounds perfectly acceptable IMO
Would be difficult to charge that much extra for a design and I assume you've not promised the client a flash drawing?
For something that scale I'm sure you can work from a quick sketch & planting plan.
You'll find your worth over time and pricing will come a lot easier. I think most of us priced cheaply at first in order to get the business.

clare birch said:
nick - yes 80sq yds sounds about right

keith - regarding design work - you live and learn there - as i said i am not a designer but somehow said i would draw something out for the client and don't feel i can charge at this stage. Hence i am trying to get a bit back and charge the £150 a day? does that sound reasonable?
Keith Barker June 2, 2010 at 7:34pm

£150 per day isn't unreasonable, just towards the top end in this particular area. If it allows you to claw back some for the design then fair enough.

Something for another day - get hold of a copy of Ashby Life and contact all the gardening companies advertising in it for an idea of their rates. When we started advertising in it three years ago there were three other gardening companies. In this month's there are 14. I'd say the market is getting v. competitive.
Nick Steele June 2, 2010 at 10:28pm

Adding 20 shrubs and 40 perennials is quite a light planting density for 80 sq mts. Our "basic" planting plan works on 1 shrub or 3 perennials per sq mt, so we'd be looking at around 20 shrubs plus about 160 perennials.
Lawncare-4u.co.uk June 3, 2010 at 1:45am

seems ok to me .

sometimes i get someone to help me (i get less /day) but its easier and it keeps you going next days on ....................