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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think £40 ph is alot for a gardener?

84 replies

allinadaystwerk · 15/04/2022 08:23

Just that really. Had a quote to give garden a good tidy, clear leaves, neaten low hanging tree branches shape the edges of the lawn, weeding.. just getting it to look half decent after winter.
Quote is £240 for each day worked 10am till 3.30/4pm.
Grass area is app 6x6m and similar patio area so not a big garden.
Am I just deluded and need to pay the bloke or is he having a laugh...

OP posts:

Hmum0fthree · 15/04/2022 08:25

@allinadaystwerk seems expensive were do you live?

Neveranynamesleft · 15/04/2022 08:27

He is having a laugh. Get another quote then at least you can compare.

You could just say that it is more than you were expecting / can afford to pay at the moment. Or maybe that a family member has offered to help for free.

cherry978 · 15/04/2022 08:27

I've never had a gardener so i don't actually know the going rate but i am shocked at that price! If thats how much a gardener costs for that amount of time then maybe i should change my job!

FindMeInTheSunshine · 15/04/2022 08:28

That seems very high, unless it's covering disposal of waste, or specialist tools. Although, if it's a one off rather than regular work it's probably not way out if you're in a pricy area.

LovelyYellowLabrador · 15/04/2022 08:28

30 sounds more normal to me

DrDetriment · 15/04/2022 08:28

Ridiculously expensive even if you are in London. £20 to £25 per hour max.

IchBinAnnaOfCleves · 15/04/2022 08:28

I think it’s a lot, that’s the sort of thing my friends’ teenage sons would do for a few quid.
Different if it’s specialised tree surgery or something dangerous but general tidying, it does seem a bit steep.

SirChenjins · 15/04/2022 08:28

He’s having a laugh!

Northernsoullover · 15/04/2022 08:29

Mine is 20ph

Vanillalime · 15/04/2022 08:33

I agree it does seem on the higher side of what I’d be expecting to pay. Have you shopped around & got a few quotes? Maybe you can get it cheaper elsewhere?

My friend is currently looking at driving lessons & mentioned they are £35 p/h. I couldn’t believe it (I think mine were £14!!), so maybe I’m out of touch with reality but everything seems so expensive these days 😀

AtomicBlondeRose · 15/04/2022 08:34

Well, it’s whatever you’re prepared to pay tbh. My DP is a gardener - he currently charges £20ph but this will have to go up soon. Quite honestly I think he underpriced himself when he started out last year as he could work double the hours he currently does with zero marketing or advertising - I think he could charge more and people would pay it as there’s a huge shortage of gardeners! It’s all very well saying a teenager could do it. They could physically but you need the tools (not necessarily specialised but you do need some), you need transport and you need to be able to deal with all the leaves, branches and grass cuttings which is a huge part of the job. Plus cutting trees and hedges isn’t as easy as it looks. DP really needs someone to help him but finding someone reliable and who wants to do the physical work is really hard!

ThursdayLastWeek · 15/04/2022 08:36

IME when someone’s quote is too high, it’s because they don’t want that work!

RIPWalter · 15/04/2022 08:37

I'd say that is on the higher end of the scale, but on that rate they have to cover fuel to and from your property, fuel for equipment, purchase and maintenance of van and equipment, insurance, pension/sickness etc as they are self employed.

If they are a qualified and competent gardener they will likely have self funded RHS courses and exams (or a degree in botany like my friend) and may well have put in significant hours of volunteering at national trust/RHS gardeners.

If you can't afford them hire someone cheaper, but watch that they don't cut back things that they aren't supposed to. Like the gardener who strimmed and killed the tree my friend planted as a memorial for her DD.

Ariela · 15/04/2022 08:39

@Vanillalime

I agree it does seem on the higher side of what I’d be expecting to pay. Have you shopped around & got a few quotes? Maybe you can get it cheaper elsewhere?

I can believe that, given the cost of insuring a vehicle plus all that fuel with the car engine running all lesson the price it is!! 7 years ago DD 1 was paying £28/hour

NurseButtercup · 15/04/2022 08:41

@allinadaystwerk

Just that really. Had a quote to give garden a good tidy, clear leaves, neaten low hanging tree branches shape the edges of the lawn, weeding.. just getting it to look half decent after winter. Quote is £240 for each day worked 10am till 3.30/4pm. Grass area is app 6x6m and similar patio area so not a big garden. Am I just deluded and need to pay the bloke or is he having a laugh...

Depends if you can afford to pay that rate & does he come with good references? I'm about to start my search for a Gardner and I'm only willing to pay a maximum of £30 per hour (with references). If I can't find anybody suitable I'm going to book time off work to do it myself (and take plenty of paracetamol to address the aches & pains for working my underutilized body parts).

MiniDaffodils · 15/04/2022 08:42

What were your other quotes? That would give you a more accurate rate for your area than MN.

FourTeaFallOut · 15/04/2022 08:42

Gardeners seem to be in hot demand at the moment. You might find someone cheaper but I don't think it would be much cheaper for a one off job.

PinkiOcelot · 15/04/2022 08:43

That seems high to me. £40 an hour?! Pisstake!

FleeceNavidadfromtheSheep · 15/04/2022 08:43

Is is just one person or are there a couple of them?
I say this because our gardener charges £75ph but it's him and three lads.They're like a whirlwind, trimming, clearing etc and take all the waste away. Spent 2 hrs bringing our garden back to what it should be, ready for spring.

CoastalWave · 15/04/2022 08:44

Full day rate of £150 no more for a grafter type gardener.

If he was actually planting flowers and dealing with them, then £200.

He's having a laugh.

thewhatsit · 15/04/2022 08:45

I usually see £30ph advertised BUT that’s for regular work.
I can see why if it’s a one off they’d charge a lot - they aren’t incentivised to give you a good deal if it’s a one day only thing. They probably just aren’t that interested in the job.

milkysmum · 15/04/2022 08:46

I'd check if it included two workers?
As another has said it could also be deliberately high as he doesn't want the job.

IcedOatLatte · 15/04/2022 08:46

@ThursdayLastWeek

IME when someone’s quote is too high, it’s because they don’t want that work!

Ime if a tradesman doesn't want the work they don't bother to send the quote or even turn up to look at the job in the first place

I have to apply the rule that if it's going to cost more than I earn per hour then I'll have to do it myself if at all possible so this would be too much for me but I don't know what the going rate for garden work is

ChinstrapBobblehat · 15/04/2022 08:47

That’s expensive. Don’t know where you are, but I’m in the South East and gardeners all seem to be around £15-20 p/h. Rates are higher for specialists (tree surgeons etc), and you pay extra for rubbish disposal. I wouldn’t pay that for the work you’ve described.

Paragon86 · 15/04/2022 08:48

If it’s a one off job you need a quote for the whole job, making quite clear in writing what is included. Otherwise you’re just writing him an open cheque and he’s just going to spin it out.

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