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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Landscaping quote - is £200 a day the going rate?

54 replies

PearlHeart3 · 30/07/2020 09:00

Hi all, I just received a quote for some work to be done on my front and back garden. It's a very detailed quote and I've used them before, so I'm happy with their standard of work. However I've calculated the cost of labour vs materials, and just over half of the quote is for labour.

To give you an idea, the total quote is approx. £6300 and the labour costs come to approx. £3600 - so that's over 50% just on labour. It works out to be about £200 per day (over 6 days) per contractor (there will be 3 of them).

I'm in Cambridgeshire region if it helps.

The question is, is that a reasonable day rate?

OP posts:
Original poster
PearlHeart3 · 30/07/2020 10:37

@Hilda40

Artificial turf you say?
Yep.
OP posts:
Reallybadidea · 30/07/2020 10:38

I'm in Cambridgeshire. I haven't had any landscaping work done, but just had some fencing installed by someone who also does landscaping. I'm fairly sure his daily rate was £150. We were extremely happy with the work he did and his final price was less than he'd quoted - happy to pass on his number if you pm me Smile

Original poster
PearlHeart3 · 30/07/2020 10:39

@Hilda40

Artificial turf you say?
I just realised what you meant Grin

Artificial grass* 🙃

OP posts:
Spotsandstars · 30/07/2020 10:48

We own a landscaping company. That is a very normal rate and not bad for your area. People really don't understand or appreciate just how much it costs to run this type of business, you pay for what you get and you get what you pay for.
If you want a cowboy job you can get it done cheaper but most of the time companies like us are then called in to clean up the mess.
Why is skilled manual labour worth less than other jobs, the training is high standard and not everyone can do it. I don't question how much solicitors/doctors/mortgage brokers/any other profession earn so why do people for manual work? If you can't afford the quote then just don't go with them company but to break it down and work whether people are worth their pay is frankly rude and incredibly demeaning.

Original poster
PearlHeart3 · 30/07/2020 11:06

@Spotsandstars

We own a landscaping company. That is a very normal rate and not bad for your area. People really don't understand or appreciate just how much it costs to run this type of business, you pay for what you get and you get what you pay for. If you want a cowboy job you can get it done cheaper but most of the time companies like us are then called in to clean up the mess. Why is skilled manual labour worth less than other jobs, the training is high standard and not everyone can do it. I don't question how much solicitors/doctors/mortgage brokers/any other profession earn so why do people for manual work? If you can't afford the quote then just don't go with them company but to break it down and work whether people are worth their pay is frankly rude and incredibly demeaning.
Thank you for your comments.

I wouldn't say breaking down a quote to work out someone's day rate is rude or demeaning, otherwise how do you know what exactly it is your paying for? If the day rate was £400 per contractor per day and I didn't break it down and just agreed on the grand total, I'd be accused of being naive for not checking. You can't win.

As I've already stated, I'm happy to pay the going rate as it were, but I wasn't sure what that was.

The previous work they did for me was slightly less in labour costs (and it was only done a few weeks ago so it would hardly be because of inflation).

OP posts:
Spotsandstars · 30/07/2020 11:16

I'm trying to make the point that you can afford only what you can afford. If a quote is out of your budget then either go back and try work out a way of choosing something different or save up a bit more etc etc. No good landscaper would mind this, we all understand that the general public don't really realise the true costs of delivering this service but actually what is frustrating is when people question if your day rate is 'worth' it. £200 or £600 or whatever it is the landscaper themselves believe they and their skills are worth it and that's that.

Alsohuman · 30/07/2020 11:18

I’m in Cambridgeshire. It sounds about right to me.

MintyMabel · 30/07/2020 11:23

The best way to check if it is the right number is to get a second quote.

I wouldn't flinch at 200 per day, I'd actually say it was on the low side.

I don't question how much solicitors/doctors/mortgage brokers/any other profession earn so why do people for manual work?
Plenty of people question this.

Caplin · 30/07/2020 11:29

My handyman is £32ph, so I would say this is pretty reasonable if they are putting in an 8 hour day.

Spotsandstars · 30/07/2020 11:31

Mintymabel so when you go into a bank you question the clerk on how much they earn? Or when you child breaks their leg you ask the surgeon what salary scale they are on? Really? I've never dreamt of doing it. I just accept that if a person is in a position they've earnt it.

Alsohuman · 30/07/2020 11:34

@Spotsandstars

Mintymabel so when you go into a bank you question the clerk on how much they earn? Or when you child breaks their leg you ask the surgeon what salary scale they are on? Really? I've never dreamt of doing it. I just accept that if a person is in a position they've earnt it.
That isn’t really comparable.
DonLewis · 30/07/2020 11:41

Getting builders in to do landscaping is a terrible idea. After all you wouldn't get a landscaper in to extend and remodel your kitchen would you?

Landscaping, done properly is a craft. If you don't want to pay their rate (and that's your perogative) get another quote.

One thing you are forgetting is all the work they're doing on your garden that you don't see. Not just the tools maintenance mentioned above but sourcing your materials, arranging delivery, if things are out of stock, sourcing a new supplier, working out the areas, the quantities needed, arranging labour, and actually coming out to you and quoting. So it's not just £200 to turn up and work.

longwayoff · 30/07/2020 11:58

YABU for artificial grass. Pay a landscaper who knows what he's doing. If you use a builder you'll feel you wasted your money when it's finished.

MintyMabel · 30/07/2020 12:03

Or when you child breaks their leg you ask the surgeon what salary scale they are on?

Actually, it is literally my job to challenge the daily rates charged by people from lawyers to landscapers, from plumbers to project managers.

Your example is a really ridiculous one because I'm not paying my daughter's surgeon or a bank clerk. If I'm getting a quote from a lawyer to do work and I think their hourly rate is high, yes I will challenge that. I know when I issue quotes with my daily rate, that rate is challenged all the time.

MintyMabel · 30/07/2020 12:07

YABU for artificial grass

This seems to be the in thing at the moment. I was looking for a landscaper to come and do some design for our back garden. Every local one that was recommended had their "recently completed" testimonial and pictures, all were basically some concrete paving, a raised timber deck or bed, and artificial grass. It looks awful.

tara66 · 30/07/2020 12:25

You don't say the size of the total area being worked on. How big is the garden? How much is it per sq.m? Also presume some jobs need less expensive less ''skilled'' labour than others for various gardening projects.

Original poster
PearlHeart3 · 30/07/2020 12:25

I love how these threads go off topic (not).

To reiterate, it's a landscaping company (not a builder) that I've asked to provide a quote.

I've specifically requested artificial grass because I have a dog on chemo and his piss is lethal and kills anything that he urinates on. Maybe next you'll tell me I'm being unreasonable for letting my dog have chemo and how I should just put him down so I can get real grass?

OP posts:
hellsbellsmelons · 30/07/2020 12:32

My guy is £225 a day and he earns every penny.
He doesn't finish until he's 'finished', so last time he was here until after 7pm.
Daily rate per person is about right.
You are having a lot done and the quote looks about right.
Get another quote to compare though!

Nothing wrong with fake grass.
I have it at the back of my garden.
Dad has it at the front of his.
Neighbours have it as they have 2 dogs and it's far easier to manage.
Do what you want OP!

Spotsandstars · 30/07/2020 12:54

@MintyMabel

Or when you child breaks their leg you ask the surgeon what salary scale they are on?

Actually, it is literally my job to challenge the daily rates charged by people from lawyers to landscapers, from plumbers to project managers.

Your example is a really ridiculous one because I'm not paying my daughter's surgeon or a bank clerk. If I'm getting a quote from a lawyer to do work and I think their hourly rate is high, yes I will challenge that. I know when I issue quotes with my daily rate, that rate is challenged all the time.

Actually through taxes you would be paying the surgeon and through your custom you would be paying the clerk. The point is people see landscapers, builders and all tradesmen as fair game to question whether what they get paid as a wage is 'right' if you are not in that line of work how would you know? A good worker is worthy of their wage. Obviously if you have doubts about the authenticity and ability of a tradesperson then don't use them!
Spotsandstars · 30/07/2020 12:56

And op there is nothing wrong with artificial grass, if it's what you require then it's what you should go for. Everyone likes different things!

Dozycuntlaters · 30/07/2020 12:58

But you're not being quoted for a day rate, you are being quoted for the whole job. Presumably you have had other quotes too? If not then you should do, when I had my garden done last year I got three quotes although cheapest isn't necessarily best.

Original poster
PearlHeart3 · 30/07/2020 13:05

@Dozycuntlaters

But you're not being quoted for a day rate, you are being quoted for the whole job. Presumably you have had other quotes too? If not then you should do, when I had my garden done last year I got three quotes although cheapest isn't necessarily best.
You're right, I'm not being quoted for the day rate, but I am being given an itemised quote with a breakdown of each material cost, including van wear and tear(!) amounts and labour as a separate cost. I'm only dividing the labour cost by the number of days they have indicated the job will take and again by the number of contractors supplied.

I honestly can't believe some people are so against finding out about how much a person's day rate is.

OP posts:
ivfdreaming · 30/07/2020 13:19

£200 per day per tradesman is pretty standard
It's whether you think 3 people is overkill??

Dozycuntlaters · 31/07/2020 10:33

I honestly can't believe some people are so against finding out about how much a person's day rate is

Why? When you go to the hairdressers for say a colour, do you ask how much the materials are costing and how much is for her time? No of course you don't, you accept the price or not. Same goes for this. He's given you the quote for the whole job which you either accept or not. If you want someone on a daily rate then that's different, get the materials and everything else yourself and then just pay the labour.

myusernamewastakenbyme · 31/07/2020 10:52

My dh has his own landscaping business....that quote looks about right to me.