Gardening business – how much to charge for tilling a plot?
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somebody asked:
I’m starting a small weekend gardening business. Basically, I come to your place and prepare a bed for flowers or veggies or whatever. I use a troy built roto tiller and can bring fertilizer/lime/organic to mix in if needed.
I was thinking of charging $50/hr – does this seem fair? Or should I come up with a flat rate?
I am in Ohio and I till. I do not get involved in chemicals, ‘cuz I don’t have soil tests. That’s up to the customer. I charge $25.00 per hour, with a one hour minimum.
Unless you are licensed, stay away from the chemical fertilizers and lime. You could end up with a serious lawsuit. Adding compost or mulch is fine. Charge by the hour, plus materials. Something like $25/hour plus the cost of compost if you are using it. And don’t forget to add a mark up on the compost for your time and delivery charges etc. to get it.
With a flat rate system, you run the risk of underpaying yourself. You don’t know what you’re getting into with a new plot until you start. Hard clay and rocky soil will take a LOT more time than good topsoil will.