Would you pay £35 per hour for a gardener

[Puppytrashedmysofa]

Hope you don't mind just like to know if this viable for me to charge in the expanded ulez zone.I currently charge £25 per hour with most customers now in the expanded zone with a few outside.I may have to buy a new vehicle aswell.
The majority of my customers are women or agencies.

That's what I pay my gardener but he doesn't come weekly, more like every 6/7 weeks: lawn and tree trimmings.

You don't need a degree and to have won competitions to charge £30 where I live! As I've said I've often paid £30-40 in Central London.

Most if not all employed jobs offer a yearly pay rise. Honestly a £10 increase over 5 years seems perfectly reasonable considering COL hikes, inflation, etc. But the increase may be hard to stomach – so much easier said than done but it may be worth getting new clients or, in future, increasing the rate more regularly but minimally.

I can see central London would be more, but not outer London or surrounding areas. I don’t live in outer London but not far from it, and round here £22-£25 is normal. Some trades people come from the new ULEZ zone as it’s not far to travel, but no one here would pay increased rates for ULEZ as we would just get someone who didn’t live there who would charge the lower rate. London prices may work if OP sticks to actual London for clients, but unlikely for outside London.

I pay £20 in Herts.

Maybe £30 would be more viable but some have already accepted so would be unfair.

Assuming you haven't started to charge the £35, as thebULEZ isn't in force yet, just tell them you've had a rethink and will now charge £30. Those that agreed the £35 will be delighted and you'll probably pick up some referrals off the back of that.

I'm guessing business / marketing skills aren't your forte

Nope

No, but I would understand if you added in ULEZ costs so that it was less per hour for 3-4 hrs rather than a shorter period if that makes sense. So say £35 per hour for first hour, £32 for second,or £30 per hour for 3 hours or more.
But unfortunately it does all sound quite high for an hourly rate of gardening.

No, I wouldn't pay that. It's not a reflection on your abilities but when you pay for a service and there is a small increase in the cost you tend to accept it. A large jump like that would make me reconsider whether I really needed this service and with the cost of living in general increasing it would be the first thing to go.

Apologies can't answer everything at the moment working.When I increased to £25 the average back then was £20-£30.I have heard recently of gardeners quoting up to £50 an hour.Problem I've got now because I get recommended alot around friends/family I can't reduce if they know each other.I think I'll stick at £35 now and re-advertise at the higher rate and work for those prepared to pay it.Thanks this has all helped alot.

I would yes. Hard physical outdoor work , so could be coping with discomfort plus not possible in some conditions. Requires skill and strength.
Pay more for plumbers , painters etc.

You can charge whatever people are willing to pay- and it sounds like it’s been accepted by many of your clients already, so there will be more people like them. Doesn’t sound unreasonable to me- gardeners are in short supply, so there’s a premium.

We pay £30 and are Midlands - that's just cutting and strimming the garden and paddock.

I'd pay £35 for a gardener. I currently pay £30.00 (Scotland) and would expect to pay more if I lived say, in the south of England.

Two reasons that strongly influence me:

1. I am asthmatic with hellish hay fever, doing my own garden would be a nightmare of gargantuan proportions.
2. I am self-employed myself, I understand how self-employment works and all the costs involved.

Hi,
Hubby and I are gardeners in North East England and we charge £35 for the two of us for an hour. However on the gardening forums I've read £35 for one person for an hour seems to be the going rate in the South East so I think you're about right.

I pay my gardener £30 to cut the grass (average sized garden) and it takes him 15 minutes!

I don't know. The latter part of this thread indicates it's about average.It's been an eye opener , I think I've been too cheap for along time.

Marketing, what's that.I've done alright though , paid off my mortgage, kept up with bills .Went out on my own after working for a firm and a few garden designers 🖕😁

This is perfect!

Yes I've heard this alot from customers, very hard to get reliable , contentious gardeners with a good plant knowledge.

So you’re losing out on convenient easy to travel to, customers living outside of the zone? That sounds like cutting your nose off to spite your face! Why are you charging them anything extra if they are outside of the zone!?

My partner charges £70 for 2 men for an hour. All his customers are happy to pay this has he is an incredible gardener.
The outgoing costs to run his business are much higher than people realise, running the van, fuel for all the equipment (he averages £400-500 per month on fuel alone), the maintenance on the equipment. A good mower costs a small fortune these days. Insurance, wages etc.

I pay £88 for 2 hours with 2 men. so £22 per hour each. I'm inside the ulez zone. I wouldn't pay any high tbh

Well you're very lucky to get gardeners with all the right gear at that price in the ulez.They are either running round jobs all day to get a decent wage have numerous customers to get them through winter or they are afraid to raise your rates because you are a good customer, these are hard to find ,late payers e.t.c.

Yes e.t.c ,e.t.c,there is alot of costs to gardening.

Gardening politics🙂