View Full Version : Anyone do landscape services or have a reference?
I'm wanting to get about 25 tons of river rock, quite a bit of top soil, and after shoveling about that much by hand last year this year I want to have someone move it all with a bobcat or something. Took too long last time. I can easily look up a landscape company but wondered if anyone here does it for a living or has a good, affordable reference. A tiny bit of landscape design would be nice too even though I know mostly what I want to do. Thanks!
Good luck. Any big company probably wont waste their time. I know people with full yard jobs and they still cant get a call back. Or at least they couldn't last year.
If you just need manual labor, I'd post it on the local Facebook market groups or on Craigslist. Find some kids that want some extra money and pay them cash to move it.
I don't mind the labor aspect it's more than due to where the materials need to be dumped, I need it moved in a day or so and really the only way to do that is with mechanical assistance like a bobcat, and really only landscape companies have that available.
Of course I could buy the materials in smaller amounts and truck them back and forth with a pick up but my guess is the cost wouldn't even be close.
Rent a loader from Home Depot.
Hell even if someone knows a place you can buy stuff in large bags that can be dropped at the site in smaller loads would even be fine.
Rent a loader from Home Depot.
My only issue there is whether the time and cost of renting and delivery would possibly surpass the cost to have a company do it. But maybe not.
Yes, you can rent a bobcat. I rented one to move 20 tons of granite rock. I got mine at arapahoe rental. I think it was in the $3-400 range. That included them dropping it off and picking it up after I was done.
This guy is available for $180/day from Arapahoe Rental.
http://www.arapahoerental.com/product-images/big/MT55%20Walk%20Behind%20Loader-1.jpg
Its a little smaller and might even fit through gates, I believe. The small skidsteer is $160/day. Weird.
http://www.arapahoerental.com/search.aspx?txt_search_main=bobcat
Ill have to do calculations too, maybe buying in bags and doing loads in a pick up truck smaller amounts at a time, although more expensive for materials, may Balance out in labor since I don't mind moving bags around just not a massive pile of loose rock. Those are pretty good deals on the machinery though, I could probably get it done in a day. Are they hard to drive?
Sorry I meant the boncats, I didn't see the one was walk behind. That might not be bad either.
Ill have to do calculations too, maybe buying in bags and doing loads in a pick up truck smaller amounts at a time, although more expensive for materials, may Balance out in labor since I don't mind moving bags around just not a massive pile of loose rock. Those are pretty good deals on the machinery though, I could probably get it done in a day. Are they hard to drive?
Those little ride on skid steers arent difficult to drive, but if you are running over rough terrain, they do a pretty good job of beating the shit out of your knees and back.
The skid steer wasnt hard to drive. They gave me a basic tutorial when they dropped it off.
Great-Kazoo
03-13-2017, 15:06
Ill have to do calculations too, maybe buying in bags and doing loads in a pick up truck smaller amounts at a time, although more expensive for materials, may Balance out in labor since I don't mind moving bags around just not a massive pile of loose rock. Those are pretty good deals on the machinery though, I could probably get it done in a day. Are they hard to drive?
How many trips are worth your time & money vs 1 load dropped off and bobcat rental ? Since this was in your OP Took too long last time.
How many trips are worth your time & money vs 1 load dropped off and bobcat rental ? Since this was in your OP Took too long last time.
obviously that is always to be considered. however, also in my OP was "shoveled by hand". I am talking about spending more to get it in bags that can be dropped at the site.
I am in the green industry. You renting the equipment and getting a bulk delivery will be cheaper than having someone do it for you.
Average rate is around $40 per hour per guy (this is the very low end). 10 hour day with 4 crew members puts labor at $1600. Cost of materials (20 ton of rock) and delivery marked up adds up to $1300- $1500. These are really rough figures. You mentioned design work, that might be additional. Are you doing edging or weed fabric under the rock? Add more $$$$$
I would say plan on at least $4-5000 for a simple project like this.
And others said, finding someone to do a small project will be difficult.
I really don't mind doing it myself, I did the rest of our yard. 25 tons of rock, 5 tons of mulch, watering system. It's just a pain so I figured if someone here has a bobcat or knows someone that wants a fairly easy job at a decent range I could go that route. However if I have to do it that's fine. I can get the rock for about 900 delivered, dirt is ball park the same, it'll just be a matter of figuring out where to have them dump it and get it moved to the back asap. There is enough room for a truck to get bavk there but it has to be over the driveway which a load that heavy could Crack it.
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