Brush Cutting Services

[Snowmansimon]

Just picked up a 48" brush cutter to use on my small 1.5 acre field i cut once a year. My BX1860 was struggling with the fine grass and my older flail mower. Runs the brush cutter great in comparison.

Wondering if anyone offers brush cutting services and how you price jobs? Ive been tilling gardens and grading driveways and it has proven to be really profitable over the spring while people are prepping to summer gardens. Garden season is about done and brush cutting should start now. I plan to do some light duty jobs with it as its a pretty small setup.

I figured 1 acre of grass would take me maybe 2hrs?

Ive been charging $150 for the first hour and 50/hr after that (CAD). Graded a driveway the other day for a total of $175 (1.5hrs) and found out at the end the home owner had a quote from a local company for $1900 with 2 loads of gravel which he didnt need. Home owner was more then happy with my job and price. But clearly I am charging way too low haha. Altho most jobs are 1-2hrs so its been working out to about $110/engine hour or $55/hr if I include my travel time/loading time/etc. (After Fuel Expenses/I own the truck/trailer/tractor so no equipment payments)

 

[anomad]

Guys around here charge by the hour and usually have a 2 hour minimum.

Add up exactly what it costs you to run for an hour. Taxes, insurance, licenses, wear and tear on equipment, maintenance costs to vehicles/equipment, fuel. Every detail you can possibly imagine. Then add on what you want to pay yourself. That will tell you what you have to charge to earn income vs. just generating revenue. Think about all your costs of operation over 100 hours or 500 hours and average it out.

I should do that exercise myself. Just to know what an hour of tractor time really costs at the end of the day. I probably don't want to know.

 

[lynnmor]

Home owner was more then happy with my job and price. But clearly I am charging way too low haha.

No joke, I think you are really light, especially when considering CAD. I have a machine shop, so shop rate is figured differently, but still it is customer demand that should be the determining factor. If you can't make a reasonably profit from that customer, move on to the next.

 

[Jared 756]

I had an L3301 and did custom work with it and I charged $85/hr with a two hour minimum

 

[i7win7]

You may want to watch this and estimate your operating expenses. Don't forget to figure in transport costs, trailer plates, fuel ect.

 

[Bmyers]

Also make sure you have the right insurance. Failure to have the correct insurance could cost you everything if something would go wrong. Yes, commercial insurance cost a lot, but having an incident without it can send you straight into bankruptcy court.

 

[dirtydeed]

Also make sure you have the right insurance. Failure to have the correct insurance could cost you everything if something would go wrong. Yes, commercial insurance cost a lot, but having an incident without it can send you straight into bankruptcy court.

Well said. Commercial insurance isn't that costly here...depending on what it is that you're doing. I'll add that (at least in my neck of the woods) clients have no obligation to pay unless you have a PA contractors license and carry insurance. YMMV

 

[Jared 756]

Well said. Commercial insurance isn't that costly here...depending on what it is that you're doing. I'll add that (at least in my neck of the woods) clients have no obligation to pay unless you have a PA contractors license and carry insurance. YMMV

It's not very expensive here either, when I was doing it it was around $450 - $500 a year

 

[Bmyers]

It's not very expensive here either, when I was doing it it was around $450 - $500 a year

When this is the headlines, it explains the cost here in Southern Illinois:

U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s website pronounced: “Madison County’s ‘No. 1!’ Ranking Has Out of State Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Cheering, Local Taxpayers Footing the Bill.” A study by the Illinois Civil Justice League had produced a Litigation Index placing Madison County, Illinois first as having the most lawsuits per 1000 people who live in the county.

 

[johnjk]

I have Farm insurance which provides me coverage on my property and when en route to any other property I may own, but it doesn’t cover me for doing jobs off my land. I could get a rider for that. Then there’s the need for a larger trailer and probably a full sized truck to haul the B and attachments. That I cannot justify for one off jobs.

 

[Snowmansimon]

I do have additional insurance to be doing work. I am not allowed to do snow removal and excavations. Just light earth works/landscaping type work. I quoted two jobs with my regular rates at $150 for the first hour and $50/her after that. Estimated about 2hrs per acre for a grassy field and both people felts that was too expensive.

So far the tilling and driveway grading I have had nothing but very happy customers after they spent a full day tilling with a walk behind they rented and they see me till the garden in 30 mins lol