How to Quote a Landscaping Job

Whether you are just starting a landscaping business or are doing a landscaping job on the side to make extra money, you'll need to know how to quote a job. There are several things you'll need to take into consideration to be sure you quote a fair amount. You don't want your price to be unreasonable compared to others doing the same job and yet you want to make enough money for doing the work. By following a few basic steps, you should be able to produce a reliable quote in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Blank quote form

Instructions

Tips on Quoting a Landscaping Job

1. Look at the job and write down everything that it will entail. Note how many and what type of plants the customer desires, what type of preparation work will be required, what extra materials you'll need and how big an area you will be required to landscape. If you write everything down you'll be better able to figure out all the costs involved as you write up your quote.

2. Consider how many people will be required to accomplish the work. Will you be doing the work yourself or will you need to hire additional help? This will help you figure the labor costs involved to complete the task. If two people work the job it should cut the labor time in half of what it would take one person to accomplish. Consider your hourly labor costs and double it if another helper will be needed. For example, if you charge $25 per hour for your services and you'll need another person, the hourly charge should be $50.

3. Calculate your labor costs to perform the work. Use your past experience in calculating how long you think the job will take you to accomplish. If this is your first job, consider how long it takes you to perform these activities in your own yard. If you are planting plants, figure that it will take approximately 5 minutes to plant a 4-inch pot,10 minutes to plant a 3- to 5-gallon pot. If you are dealing with much larger plants, figure anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes a plant, depending on its size. Large, full-size trees may take as long as an hour a plant because the preparation of the area takes longer. It's always best to add in an extra hour of labor charges in the event you run into problems. This way you'll know you have your costs covered and won't be shorted at the end of the job. Note your labor costs separately on your quote.

4. Figure out the costs for the plants. Include travel time to purchase the plants and any time that was spent locating them and tack those charges onto the plant costs. For example, if each plant costs $5 and you spent an hour traveling to purchase them, you might want to tack on an extra 20 percent to that cost to cover your costs and time. List the costs of the plants separately on the quote you turn into the customer.

5. Add up the costs for extra materials such as mulch, fertilizer, top soil or any other item that will be required to get the landscaping job done. As with the plants, consider how much time it will take you to purchase the items and pick them up and add that to the cost of the item. For example, if a pallet of mulch will cost you $150 to pick up and deliver, you might want to add an additional 20 percent to the cost so your time and money is covered. List the costs for material separately on your quote.

6. Purchase a blank quote form at your local office supply store or make one yourself on your home computer. Note your contact information and any license numbers that you have connected to your business at the top of the form. List the customers name and their contact information. List your labor, plant, and materials costs on the quote form and total up the charges. If you offer any guarantees on your work, write them down at the bottom of the quote. Note when you can start the job and how long you expect it to take.

References

• Information for Landscapers

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish