ᐅ Is the landscape gardener’s price justified – can anything be omitted?
Created on: 10 Sep 2019 15:18
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chrisw81
Dear forum members,
Next year, we plan to start developing our garden:
Plot size 600 m² (about 6460 sq ft), house footprint 100 m² (currently being completed), shed 24 m² already on site.
Paving for the parking area about 50 m² (about 540 sq ft), plus a path to the house around 10 m² (about 108 sq ft).
Deck made of Bangkirai wood, max. 30 m² (about 320 sq ft).
Rainwater infiltration via drainage (concrete rings 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) deep).
Also need to level the ground (parts require raising by 10–20 cm (4–8 inches)).
The landscaper plans to remove and transport 15 cm (6 inches) of soil everywhere, with excavation for the parking and terrace being a bit deeper.
Due to the 15 cm (6 inches) excavation and ground raising, several cubic meters of new soil will be needed.
Rolled turf will be laid on top.
The total price for everything including materials is 48,000 euros gross, calculated for only 250 m² (about 2690 sq ft) of garden area, with a minimal estimate for the filling as well.
So, it could easily end up costing even more.
Transport costs for removal and delivery represent a large portion, and building the terrace alone costs €10,000 (which seems a bit high to me).
My question is: Is this price justified? I expected it to be considerably less. I would estimate material costs and transport fees at about €15,000 (maybe €20,000) net, leaving a rather high labor cost of around €15,000–20,000 net.
That seems quite a lot for roughly two weeks of work.
Unfortunately, the offer does not separate material prices and hourly wages.
Maybe there’s room to save in some areas, for example, is it necessary to remove 15 cm (6 inches) everywhere if some areas are going to be filled further anyway?
Have you paid similar amounts?
I look forward to your opinions and experiences.
I can also share the offer document if needed.
Next year, we plan to start developing our garden:
Plot size 600 m² (about 6460 sq ft), house footprint 100 m² (currently being completed), shed 24 m² already on site.
Paving for the parking area about 50 m² (about 540 sq ft), plus a path to the house around 10 m² (about 108 sq ft).
Deck made of Bangkirai wood, max. 30 m² (about 320 sq ft).
Rainwater infiltration via drainage (concrete rings 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) deep).
Also need to level the ground (parts require raising by 10–20 cm (4–8 inches)).
The landscaper plans to remove and transport 15 cm (6 inches) of soil everywhere, with excavation for the parking and terrace being a bit deeper.
Due to the 15 cm (6 inches) excavation and ground raising, several cubic meters of new soil will be needed.
Rolled turf will be laid on top.
The total price for everything including materials is 48,000 euros gross, calculated for only 250 m² (about 2690 sq ft) of garden area, with a minimal estimate for the filling as well.
So, it could easily end up costing even more.
Transport costs for removal and delivery represent a large portion, and building the terrace alone costs €10,000 (which seems a bit high to me).
My question is: Is this price justified? I expected it to be considerably less. I would estimate material costs and transport fees at about €15,000 (maybe €20,000) net, leaving a rather high labor cost of around €15,000–20,000 net.
That seems quite a lot for roughly two weeks of work.
Unfortunately, the offer does not separate material prices and hourly wages.
Maybe there’s room to save in some areas, for example, is it necessary to remove 15 cm (6 inches) everywhere if some areas are going to be filled further anyway?
Have you paid similar amounts?
I look forward to your opinions and experiences.
I can also share the offer document if needed.
chrisw81 schrieb:
Dear forum members,
Next year we plan to start developing our garden:
Plot size 600 m² (6,458 ft²), house footprint 100 m² (1,076 ft²) (currently being completed), shed 24 m² (258 ft²) already on site.
Paving for the parking space ~50 m² (540 ft²),have this done by professionals, you need a large vibrating plate compactor and you must know what you’re doing.
plus a path to the house of about ~10 m² (108 ft²).I installed a gravel path using gravel grids. Stylish and much easier and lighter than paving. Excavate, recycle material, compact, edge stones, fill with sand, grids, gravel, done. I wouldn’t dare to do paving myself. This I managed.
Terrace Bangkirai wood ~30 m² (320 ft²) maximum.Do it yourself.
Rainwater infiltration via drainage (concrete rings 1.60 m deep (5 ft 3 in)).Do it yourself. You can install concrete rings yourself with a few people or use a small loader. Place one level on the ground, step inside, dig underneath. When the top edge is flush with the ground, set the next one on top.
Also some ground leveling (partly 10-20 cm (4-8 inches) height increase required).
The landscaper wants to remove and transport 15 cm (6 inches) of soil everywhere, excavate the parking space and terrace somewhat deeper.
With the 15 cm (6 inches) excavation and the ground added, there will definitely be several cubic meters of new soil.
Then roll out turf on top.
The total price for everything including materials is 48,000€ gross, calculated only on 250 m² (2,690 ft²) of garden area, and the fill amount was estimated very conservatively.
So it could easily be more expensive.
Transport of materials and soil accounts for a very large portion, terrace construction costs 10,000€ (seems a bit high to me).
Now my question: is this price justified? I expected much less. I would estimate the cost for materials and transport (delivery and removal) around 15,000€ (maybe 20,000€) net, which leaves a quite large labor cost of approximately 15,000-20,000€ net.
I think that is quite a lot for two weeks of work.
Unfortunately, the quote does not separate material prices and hourly labor rates.
Maybe some savings are possible, for example, do you really have to remove 15 cm (6 inches) everywhere if some spots are going to be filled again?
Have you paid similar amounts?
I look forward to your opinions and experiences.
If needed, I can also post the offer.MAXIMUM 10K, if you buy things like mowers, plate compactors, etc. yourself.
fragg schrieb:
MAXIMUM $10k, if you buy tools like a mower, vibrating plate compactor, etc.Well, it might end up being a bit more. fragg schrieb:
MAXIMUM $10k, if you buy tools like a mower, vibrating plate compactor, etc.Thanks for the tips, you can probably do a lot yourself. I would have paving work done by professionals.
Unfortunately, things like soil disposal and delivery are very expensive here (not a new development area).
Disposal costs about €60/m³ (around $60/yd³), delivery €30/m³ (around $30/yd³).
Depending on how much material you remove, disposal and delivery can easily reach up to 100 m³ (130 yd³).
It is relatively expensive. I would recommend getting multiple quotes for comparison; we were able to save about 50% and were very lucky.
Doing it yourself is not really practical for the garden area. Labor costs are low at around 30 euros gross per hour, expensive machinery is required, and it demands good planning.
Of course, you can handle tasks like sowing the lawn, planting, or laying a small foundation yourself. We had 30 meters (100 feet) of retaining wall stones and a staircase with slope stabilization. Paving and terraces are better left to skilled professionals.
Doing it yourself is not really practical for the garden area. Labor costs are low at around 30 euros gross per hour, expensive machinery is required, and it demands good planning.
Of course, you can handle tasks like sowing the lawn, planting, or laying a small foundation yourself. We had 30 meters (100 feet) of retaining wall stones and a staircase with slope stabilization. Paving and terraces are better left to skilled professionals.
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boxandroof10 Sep 2019 19:02Get more quotes. We used two small local tradesmen. Without the terrace, we paid about €25,000 (approx. $27,000) gross for 120m² (1,292 ft²) of paving, 450m² (4,844 ft²) of lawn, and infiltration. In addition, there were various other services such as 30m (98 ft) of L-shaped retaining stones and replacement of 40m (131 ft) of hedge. According to the invoice, earthworks included removal of 110m³ (3,886 ft³) of soil and 45m³ (1,589 ft³) of new soil.
I also had a significantly higher offer from a larger company. In that quote, the 40m² (431 ft²) bankirai terrace at €5,000 (approx. $5,400) gross was the only affordable item. I built the terrace myself, nothing else.
I also had a significantly higher offer from a larger company. In that quote, the 40m² (431 ft²) bankirai terrace at €5,000 (approx. $5,400) gross was the only affordable item. I built the terrace myself, nothing else.
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