Landscape Contractors - how much?

[mja]

Hi all,

Has anyone used a landscaping contractor recently? What was their rate/hour?

I already have a landscape architect plan; I'm just considering using a contractor to make the plan a reality (ie, just the landsacpe construction). Chances are, I could save $$$ by doing most of the work myself, but then I can't be bothered working each weekend for 3-6 months to do what a handful of contractors could do in a week or so...

Any suggestions appreciated.

-- MJ.

 

[lizzie]

not cheap - i recently paid $8k for an ip of my to be landscaped for sale. the block was only 220m and the house took up most of it, so there were two smallish areas of paving, around 50 plants (including 2 mature trees) and, being on a corner block, a lot of turf, watering system installed and mulching of all the garden beds. all included in the price.

the guys were there for around a week as they also did a day of prep work cleaning up after the builders.

 

[lizzie]

from the landscape contractors i've spoken to, the rule of thumb they use is usually the figure is around 5-10% of the value of the property, depending on what level of finish you want to go with ... so a property worth $500k, you'd expect to pay around $25-50k.

expensive huh!

 

[mja]

That's ridiculous, but hey, what would I know. I'm in the wrong business... :/

Since this is our PPOR and our first construction, I think I might get my hands dirty just to say "Yes, I've done it and won't do it again".

-- MJ.

 

[Buzz Lightyear]

Jamie Durie came over once to our reno in Melb - long story on how he got there. Anyhow he essentially said that his clients spend 10% of the property value on landscaping a PPOR.

We didnot become clients

Jane

 

[plumtree]

With landscapers and garden design it really amounts to how much you want done. The size/age of the plants and trees can have a huge impact on the cost. We have all seen the diference between a well landscaped property to the usual hit & miss arrangements. The good thing is that it is one of those DIY jobs that you can do yourself! When doing it yourself just remember how much you are saving so buy mature plants that look good right away rather than buying small things that will take years to amount to anything.

 

[ok180]

Labour costs around $45 - $50 an hour. Plus Materials.

Thats for just about anything in the building industry. You can find a paddy Mcguire labourer (backpacker) for about $35 if you seach hard enough but thats rock bottom.

 

[mja]

Thanks ok180 - I'll factor that into the size of the project. It sounds about right anyway...

Cheers!

-- MJ.

 

[sue78]

I had a bad experience with a landscape contractor so never again. He couldn't give me fixed price and it just went over budget and he took ages. He wouldn't give me the invoices for metrials but sintead made up his own invoice so that he could put his commission on everything. He left the turf for 2 days before laying it and it was practically dead. Took months to grow back.

Now, I project manage it myself. Draw up the landscape plans, order the materials and get a handyman to come and do what I want on an hourly or daily rate.

We usually get him in for a day which is I think from memory $120.00. He's from the franchise Hire A Hubby.

 

[Glenn]

Hi MJ,

While doing a large landscaping job over the last 12 months (stripping all vegetation from a 570sqm block and installing new), we had plans drawn by a landscape architect and then employed a landscaper on an hourly basis to perform all limestone, paving and most of the reticulation work. I was his labourer whenever he was onsite for things like mixing cement, bringing limestone blocks very close to where he was working, bringing pavers to where he needed them, wheelbarrowing 20 cubes of brickies sand around the block prior to paving, planting lawn runners. I did most of the plantings and rubbish removal, all the organising of materials and tools and plenty of cajoling to keep him onsite after weeks of back breaking work.

All this probably saved us around $30,000 in labour costs over the year. The trade off was that between September last year and April this year I did not have a day off between my full time job and the landscaping.

Glenn

 

[D.T.]

I recently got a quote for my IP. Keep in mind that this is a 3 year old IP and the backyard looks exactly like 'new', ie nothingness.

* Limestone retaining wall (15m long 1m high),
* A few plants to go into such a wall, plus soil / mulch etc
* Brick paving in 2 areas, and pebble cover in a third
* Large feature tree in corner
* Lawn for the rest of the space
* Full reticulation
* All materials and all labor, $9250.

I can't do it myself since it's in a different state, and that is only the first of three quotes I've organised, but what do you guys think?

Thanks,