Odd gardening jobs - how much to pay?
Odd gardening jobs - how much to pay?
Author
Discussion

Julia121

Original Poster:

331 posts

77 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
Hi,

I need to get someone in to do some work in the garden and don't know how much or when to pay them. I'm in Surrey and the work includes clearing out some dead trees, cutting down some others and clearing the ground of nettles/brambles etc. I had someone previous to the Covid outbreak but they're not reliably available.

I've had an offer from someone I know on behalf of his son and he's left his phone number, but I don't know how much I should pay. Last chap who did this asked for £12 per hour as it was a side hobby thing and he turned up when he was short of cash. Does anyone know what the current rate is roughly per hour or is it a quote for the job? Thank you.

rog007

5,818 posts

247 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
If they know what they’re doing, have all the kit and can legally dispose of the waste, then that looks like a bargain! I’ve got family in Surrey; they can’t find anyone to do anything anywhere near that. I know what she pays her window cleaner, and it’s not pretty!

MOBB

4,316 posts

150 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
Our gardener is a young fit guy (according to my wife pah) and charges £18 per hour.

Brings all his own gear

ResQ1

99 posts

71 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
Day laborer rates run between £70 and £90 per day round Heathrow area, so around £11.50 per hour for unskilled labour.

So for a more skilled worker, but not a qualified gardener I'd guess at between £13 and £15 per hour ?

UpTheIron

4,057 posts

291 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
How big are these trees?
How much waste is going to need taking away?

Chances are a labourer can fill a skip in a day... that's probably an extra £250-300 right there...

xx99xx

2,695 posts

96 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
My guy is £15/hr but leaves any waste for me to dispose of.


CubanPete

3,760 posts

211 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
MOBB said:
Our gardener is a young fit guy (according to my wife pah) and charges £18 per hour.

Brings all his own gear
That sounds reasonable value to me. Once you've paid for kit, fuel and travel it pushes the earned rate down quite quickly.

How big are the trees? You could be into needing people with tickets and insurance.

How much waste. Are you taking it to the tip, expecting it to be taken away, or need to rent a skip?

MOBB

4,316 posts

150 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
CubanPete said:
That sounds reasonable value to me. Once you've paid for kit, fuel and travel it pushes the earned rate down quite quickly.

How big are the trees? You could be into needing people with tickets and insurance.

How much waste. Are you taking it to the tip, expecting it to be taken away, or need to rent a skip?
The value he brings for me is just knowing what looks right.

We had a heavily overgrown area that I was sure needed ripping out, in 2 hours he had it looking great just by thinning and repositioning

I wouldn’t have had a clue and spent a day on it

He charges £10 per ton bag to remove waste, useful at the moment!



robinh73

1,248 posts

223 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
I am a self employed tree surgeon and also do garden maintenance during the summer months when the tree season is quiet.
I charge £20 per hour for garden work and for tree work, £200 per day per man.
We are all fully qualified and insured and obviously have all our own gear including chippers.

CubanPete

3,760 posts

211 months

Friday 19th June 2020
quotequote all
Re the trees, if you know someone with a fire, and a chainsaw they'll probably do it for the wood, as long as they aren't too difficult, and expect to have to get rid of the waste.

Julia121

Original Poster:

331 posts

77 months

Saturday 20th June 2020
quotequote all
Thank you everyone, great input from PH's finest as usual!

Fortunately everything can be burned on site so don't need to hire a skip. That leaves the vote at around £15-18 for ground clearance and £200 a day for cutting trees, unless it's Mobb's wife's handy man who's fit wink

Perhaps it's better to leave him to sort out the equipment and insurance side just in case .......

Countdown

47,164 posts

219 months

Saturday 20th June 2020
quotequote all
MOBB said:
Our gardener is a young fit guy (according to my wife pah) and charges £18 per hour.

Brings all his own gear
How much does he charge for the gardening?

wink

Wacky Racer

40,596 posts

270 months

Saturday 20th June 2020
quotequote all
Countdown said:
MOBB said:
Our gardener is a young fit guy (according to my wife pah) and charges £18 per hour.

Brings all his own gear
How much does he charge for the gardening?

wink
MOBB'S gardener:-



MOBB

4,316 posts

150 months

Saturday 20th June 2020
quotequote all
That’s actually quite accurate lol


MOBB

4,316 posts

150 months

Saturday 20th June 2020
quotequote all
Countdown said:
MOBB said:
Our gardener is a young fit guy (according to my wife pah) and charges £18 per hour.

Brings all his own gear
How much does he charge for the gardening?

wink
Lmao

EarlofDrift

4,716 posts

131 months

Monday 22nd June 2020
quotequote all
I've noticed prices in my neck of the woods prices are all over the place. Some guy charges about £10 and hour and does a great job, two lawns cut and general tidying up. Then there is a guy that does a few local businesses including one of my relatives, he charges £50 an hour, he turned up and sprayed weeds and CCTV timed him being there for a whole eight minutes. So after £8 of weedkiller that's £40 profit for a whole 8 minutes.

Paying more doesn't mean a better job, some young person with a mower trying to earn a few quid during the holidays will usually do a better job than an established garden maintenance company with a name on the van.

GT03ROB

13,976 posts

244 months

Monday 22nd June 2020
quotequote all
I pay 15/hr for a guy, supplies all his own kit, Dorset/Hants border. Probably get a fair deal as he stores all his stuff in our stables!