Tractor Work Price

[dhillis]

I am a teacher and looking to pick up mowing jobs for the summer. A local church has asked me to bid to mow their church property. It is 11 acres. What would be a fair bid to put in for this? I will be using a 45 HP mahindra with a 5' brush hog. It is just grass and they usually keep it mowed, but they are having a hard time with everyone going on vacation to keep it mowed.

I am very close friends with most of the people at the church.I am not trying to get rich, but do want to make sure that I make something off the job. It sounds like it would be something that I maintain over the summer, so not a one time job.

Thanks

[60 Deluxe]

I did mowing for a short while three years ago using my Ford 3000 and a 5' brush hog. If you keep moving it will take you about six hours to do ten to eleven acres. Do the math. Cutting a 4 1/2' swath per pass and covering something in the neighborhood of 500,000 sq. ft. at say 4 mph. It is surprising how many miles you will drive. Once you get the math done you won't feel any guilt asking for $60 an hour or $425 for the job.

I got tired of going to look at mesquite patches, gullys, and rock farms. I was turning down 75% of the jobs so I just quit advertising.

[dhillis]

I did mowing for a short while three years ago using my Ford 3000 and a 5' brush hog. If you keep moving it will take you about six hours to do ten to eleven acres. Do the math. Cutting a 4 1/2' swath per pass and covering something in the neighborhood of 500,000 sq. ft. at say 4 mph. It is surprising how many miles you will drive. Once you get the math done you won't feel any guilt asking for $60 an hour or $425 for the job.

I got tired of going to look at mesquite patches, gullys, and rock farms. I was turning down 75% of the jobs so I just quit advertising.

It all depends on if they are going to 1099 me or not. I sent a breakdown for if it is 1009 or cash, and monthly or one time. We will see what happens. I said $300 for cash monthly and $400 for 1099 one time. Then a breakdown between the two depending what they wanted to do.

[Jerry Worley]

Most guys here go with $75 for first hour and then $50-60 for each additional hour with a four hour minimum.

[cashcropper]

Up until a few years ago I bushhogged for hire a good bit. My rule of thumb was 50$ per hour or 50$ per acre whichever paid more.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

In my experience you never charged enough to cover all your expenses.

[denimdeerslayer]

Maybe they will let you make hay on it?

[dhillis]

It is a church so I'm not looking to get rich. I would be happy with around $300 for the day. It is about 1 mile from the house so I'm not even going to load it on the trailer, just drive to it. Don't have a bailer, so no hay.

[wow]

You mow it for what you think is right. I mowed for a few years and I charged by the hour.