Landscaping in Ortonville, Michigan

We did this job last fall, but the photos we just took.

Side of the house brick walk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side of the house brick walk

Stone step in walk

Landscape Bid Wars

I don’t engage in bid wars. That’s not to say I don’t work within my clients’ budgets. And that’s why when a landscape designer meets with a customer, it is important for that customer to divulge their budget.

A homeowner can expect to spend approximately 10% of their home’s value on landscaping. Some homeowners are able to spend far more than that, desiring to add special landscape elements for their personal enjoyment, such as fountains, waterfalls, gazebos and outdoor fireplaces. Other homeowners need to spend far less and want to add landscape elements to their yard over the years. They begin with a stone patio and some garden beds or a front walk made with brickpavers.

I tailor my designs to the needs and wishes of my clients, taking into consideration their budget. And I work with all size budgets.

There are simple cost-cutting ways to get a design built into place while working within a budget, including changing hardscape materials used or size of plants used. I can offer many suggestions in this way.

What you as a customer want to avoid is coming within your budget by the cutting away of construction details that by their absence will impact the longevity of your project. For instance, a landscaper not using a liner in your pond or not constructing a stable base for bricks. Don’t pay for a retaining wall not built properly that will begin to lean in a couple of years.

I don’t engage in bid wars because my estimate takes into consideration the needs of keeping my business stable and in place for many years. This enables me to guarantee my work.

So, what is it you are paying for when you pay for your landscape project?

First, you are paying for the materials that are installed in your yard: stone, bricks, plants, topsoil, sod, etc and you are paying for the design of your project. Unless, you have purchased the drawing separately.

Secondly, you are paying for me to be on the job, not only building the elements that require expertise, but also supervising the other landscapers and you are paying for those other landscapers to be there. My employees are paid through a payroll system and I pay my employer taxes and workmen’s compensation on their wages. Landscaping is hard work, physically intensive and demanding, employees in the industry in Michigan demand competitive wages, rather than minimum wage. The more skilled the employee the more their wages should be. Lawn maintenance employees are not paid as much as skilled laborers in the landscape construction industry, at least not here in Michigan.

If a landscape laborer gets hurt on your property, are you covered through the company’s workmen’s compensation? Be careful working in a “cash system” in the service industry. We all need to cut corners but this is one way we should not be. The last thing you need is a landscape laborer getting hurt on your property and going after you for his medical care.

And of course, as we all know, you are paying for my company to have a yard to keep its trucks and tools, the trucks and tools, the heavy equipment, diesel fuel, my office and bookkeeper, liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, single business taxes, and all the other hidden costs we all have when operating a small business. Landscapers are no different.

I think we are worth what we charge. I bid competitively – my bid will not necessarily be the highest, but it will never be the lowest. If another contractor comes along and after hearing my bid, guarantees that he/she can build for you (apples for apples) what I have estimated that I can do, for half or for significantly less – there is nothing I can do about it. All I can tell you is, I know what I am doing and will complete your job to my high standards.

But you should ask lots of questions. Make sure if you get that super deal on that brick sidewalk you won’t be calling someone else in a couple of years because all of the bricks on the edges of the walk are falling off or sloping at strange angles or the walk is dipping up and down (I see this all of the time). Ask for references and call them. Be careful.