How to Estimate Costs for Landscaping a Yard

Customers who want to utilize your landscaping services will request an estimate of costs. This estimate needs to fall within a narrow price range that takes into account all of the expenses you'll need to pass on to the customer. Your ability to provide a realistic estimate of costs to a potential customer will help build your reputation as an honest service provider.

Instructions

1. Measure the square footage and depth of the yard that you need to landscape. You need to know how much pure soil, landscaping fabric and other materials to bring in order to estimate total costs accurately.

2. Create a timetable for landscaping a yard to help produce an itemized list of costs for a project. You can use the total number of hours on a project to assess labor, equipment rental and other costs for the expected completion date.

3. Add up the hourly wages of laborers and specialists that will help you landscape a yard. You should multiply the projected number of hours by the hourly wage and place each laborer in a separate line of the estimate for easy reading.

4. Analyze the type of soil and the size of the yard to estimate the rental costs for vital equipment. The hourly expense and maintenance fees of a tractor or lawn mower should be shown to your clients to avoid surprises when the bill arrives.

5. Arrive at an agreement with your vendors to distribute sod and refuse removed from a landscaping project. Your estimate should feature a calculation of the number of truck loads needed to carry out unwanted materials as well as disposal fees.

6. Supply a written copy of your estimate to clients in a timely manner. You should maintain a copy of the estimate for your records and allow a client to respond via fax with her decision.

7. Consult with your client to determine his ideal tree and shrub species before you provide a final estimate. You should consult with vendors to find bulk pricing that will help keep costs down for property owners.

Tips & Warnings

• Offer an optional maintenance tutorial as part of your estimate of costs for landscaping a yard. This tutorial allows a property owner to learn how to care for plant beds, shrubs and trees after installation. You should express the expense for this tutorial as a supplement to avoid the appearance of a mandatory service fee.

• Research costs for similar services provided by competitors before you provide an estimate. You can use Web research and anonymous calls to adjust your estimates to become more competitive.