When did gardeners get so blooming ;-) expensive???
Discussion
cologne2792 said:
The Window Cleaner equivalent rate of £60 sounds about right. I know about half a dozen window cleaners (South West England) and I doubt any of them charge less than £35 per hour. It's all subjective though. Unless your property has an enormous amount of glass you'd still only paying £10 - £20 per clean...even at a theoretical £60 / hour. Does vary by saturation and district though.
I think with window cleaners you need to allow more for their travel time as the actual cleaning (if they're kitted up) takes less time than gardening. My window cleaner charges £20 per visit every 6 weeks. He has a van with a tank of filtered water and a filtration system. Our house has quite a large foot print with many windows. Comparing his capital investment and rate to our gardener, our gardener is definitely more expensive.
Our window cleaner ( 20 years ago now) used to charge a pound extra for wiping the cills ( or sills, depending which you prefer) .
He must have learnt a decent wage as he was always in the pub by 4.
He knew the local double glazing guy, and was always getting tipoff about who didn't;t order the self cleaners.
I've always cleaned my own windows since then - even on a top floor flat.
He must have learnt a decent wage as he was always in the pub by 4.
He knew the local double glazing guy, and was always getting tipoff about who didn't;t order the self cleaners.
I've always cleaned my own windows since then - even on a top floor flat.
talksthetorque said:
Our window cleaner ( 20 years ago now) used to charge a pound extra for wiping the cills ( or sills, depending which you prefer) .
He must have learnt a decent wage as he was always in the pub by 4.
He knew the local double glazing guy, and was always getting tipoff about who didn't;t order the self cleaners.
I've always cleaned my own windows since then - even on a top floor flat.
I think it's just one of those jobs that whilst not being rocket science is just something that the majority of people don't want to do. Many don't due to time constraints, others through safety fears if they're not ladder confident and some I've met feel that it's beneath their social standing.He must have learnt a decent wage as he was always in the pub by 4.
He knew the local double glazing guy, and was always getting tipoff about who didn't;t order the self cleaners.
I've always cleaned my own windows since then - even on a top floor flat.
I've been a window cleaner for the last 25 years and my experience is that it's always the social standing type that are the most difficult to work for / reluctant to pay. Fortunately I have the option to simply not work for them which saves a good deal of aggravation but if they're employers, as many of them are, I feel very sorry for their employees.
I haven't read all six pages, but the problem is not that gardeners are paid too much. It's that you aren't as well paid as you think you are.
Those morons in the Labour Party want to increase tax on high earners (£80k+). With the loss of child benefit, your tax free allowance, child care vouchers and your tax free pension allowance it won't be long before gardeners start employing white collar workers to clean their toilets for cash.
Those morons in the Labour Party want to increase tax on high earners (£80k+). With the loss of child benefit, your tax free allowance, child care vouchers and your tax free pension allowance it won't be long before gardeners start employing white collar workers to clean their toilets for cash.
cologne2792 said:
Window Cleaning is just one of those jobs that whilst not being rocket science is just something that the majority of people don't want to do. Many don't due to time constraints, others through safety fears if they're not ladder confident and some I've met feel that it's beneath their social standing.
Whilst I agree they can make a large amount per hour (once they've got an established patch)It took me well over an hour to clean all my windows off a ladder.
When the W Cleaner said he wanted £15 it was a no brainer.
He used the filtered water and long brushes and it took him around 10 mins - but that's not the point IMO - £15 saved me an hour.
ATG said:
Guess it depends what you mean by "gardener". The young gardeners I know mostly have the equivalent of two degrees. The older ones typically served a long apprenticeship with park authorities. Hardly unskilled.
^ this 
There's a world of difference between a qualified gardener with a horticulture diploma that typically requires 2-3 years of training and experience vs. someone who simply cuts lawns etc.
V8RX7 said:
cologne2792 said:
Window Cleaning is just one of those jobs that whilst not being rocket science is just something that the majority of people don't want to do. Many don't due to time constraints, others through safety fears if they're not ladder confident and some I've met feel that it's beneath their social standing.
Whilst I agree they can make a large amount per hour (once they've got an established patch)It took me well over an hour to clean all my windows off a ladder.
When the W Cleaner said he wanted £15 it was a no brainer.
He used the filtered water and long brushes and it took him around 10 mins - but that's not the point IMO - £15 saved me an hour.
I've had some jobs that took me 45 minutes cleaning traditionally reduced to 10 minutes when I switched to a Water Fed pole.
But as you say it comes down to the value of your time. I actually had my windows cleaned by another window cleaner as when I arrived home from work I just couldn't get motivated.
only read the first few posts as It would annoy me if I read any more. I wouldn't get in my truck, much lest get many thousands of pounds of tools out for £15 an hour. Every now and again you get someone like the OP, fortunately you usually realise very quickly and politely decline. Thankfully there are more people than I have time to work for that do appreciate that qualifications, expensive equipment that does a quality job and a professional, honest trustworthy person is well worth paying for.
it is funny how all the social warriors don't bother reading the thread though as they are having too much fun lambasting the OP because they see him as wealthier then they are...
they keep justifying £25 p/h because they need tools / vans / special clothing / training etc.
no, the OP has clearly said that he has the tools, so they don't need that or vans, he seems happy not to have someone with garden design degrees etc... so yes £25 p/h is very high...
also, many claiming market forces and how dare he tell them how much they can earn etc. yet ignoring that he was paying less and actually the customer does have the right to decide how much they are prepared to pay - that is market forces the coming together of rwo people prepared to pay / receive the same amount...
as for £30 an hour for window cleaners and £25 an hour for gardeners, I can only assume that most of the posters on here ironically are wealthy and living in expensive areas, as here in the Cotswolds you would have been mugged if you paid either of those rates...
go and look at the real cost of jobs:
http://jlpjobs.com/search-jobs/?request_found=1&am...
waitrose delivery drivers, from £8.08 per hour and not much more in London - yes there are some employer on-costs, but not up to £25 p/h and they need a driving licence - around here some gardners turn up on a bike...
the reality with this thread is the jealousy from other posters... if the OP had been a pensioner in a bungalow no longer able to do his own garden there would have been sympathy instead of chip on the shoulder attitudes...
yes there will be big garden companies who need to charge that money, but that is not what the OP is asking for, if he wanted a company with office staff no doubt he would pay more, but he just wants someone to mow the lawn, and as mentioned above a 10 year old could do it!
they keep justifying £25 p/h because they need tools / vans / special clothing / training etc.
no, the OP has clearly said that he has the tools, so they don't need that or vans, he seems happy not to have someone with garden design degrees etc... so yes £25 p/h is very high...
also, many claiming market forces and how dare he tell them how much they can earn etc. yet ignoring that he was paying less and actually the customer does have the right to decide how much they are prepared to pay - that is market forces the coming together of rwo people prepared to pay / receive the same amount...
as for £30 an hour for window cleaners and £25 an hour for gardeners, I can only assume that most of the posters on here ironically are wealthy and living in expensive areas, as here in the Cotswolds you would have been mugged if you paid either of those rates...
go and look at the real cost of jobs:
http://jlpjobs.com/search-jobs/?request_found=1&am...
waitrose delivery drivers, from £8.08 per hour and not much more in London - yes there are some employer on-costs, but not up to £25 p/h and they need a driving licence - around here some gardners turn up on a bike...
the reality with this thread is the jealousy from other posters... if the OP had been a pensioner in a bungalow no longer able to do his own garden there would have been sympathy instead of chip on the shoulder attitudes...
yes there will be big garden companies who need to charge that money, but that is not what the OP is asking for, if he wanted a company with office staff no doubt he would pay more, but he just wants someone to mow the lawn, and as mentioned above a 10 year old could do it!
akirk said:
it is funny how all the social warriors don't bother reading the thread though as they are having too much fun lambasting the OP because they see him as wealthier then they are...
they keep justifying £25 p/h because they need tools / vans / special clothing / training etc.
!
yeah funny that ,the ops first posts stated that all the gardeners in his area he had contacted wanted £25 per hourthey keep justifying £25 p/h because they need tools / vans / special clothing / training etc.
!
"We need a new set of gardeners and they are all asking £25/hr"
what was that you were saying about not bothering to read?
citizensm1th said:
akirk said:
it is funny how all the social warriors don't bother reading the thread though as they are having too much fun lambasting the OP because they see him as wealthier then they are...
they keep justifying £25 p/h because they need tools / vans / special clothing / training etc.
!
yeah funny that ,the ops first posts stated that all the gardeners in his area he had contacted wanted £25 per hourthey keep justifying £25 p/h because they need tools / vans / special clothing / training etc.
!
"We need a new set of gardeners and they are all asking £25/hr"
what was that you were saying about not bothering to read?
the OP clearly was posting that he was surprised that they seemed to be asking £25 p/h as he couldn't see how that was justified for an entry-level manual job... others then jumped in to say of course it is justified as a gardener needs: a van (presumably new and wrapped with their 'brand') / clothing / expensive tools / and even people in an office managing the team of gardeners - all justification for £25 p/h - however around here a gardener turns up in their own car wearing serviceable old clothing and may have some tools but the majority will use the tools at the house where they garden...
sure if this was in the business section of PH asking for advice on setting up a gardening business and how to brand it then these things would be important - but in the majority of the country gardening is not a franchised or centralised business with overheads, it is one bod on a bike / in a car (usually beat up subaru) who turns up does some hours and then goes away... if someone is paid £10 - £15 an hour that is a liveable wage - if it is not, why is our national minimum wage so much lower:
25 and over - £7.50
21 to 24 - £7.05
18 to 20 - £5.60
Under 18 - £4.05
Apprentice - £3.50
what surreal world do posters above live in that they believe that a manual job requiring no skills, no kit (OP provides it) etc. should be paying 3.5 x minimum wage?
go and look at some reality checks - actual pay for actual jobs...
Dental Nurse - c. £8
Office Admin £8-9
Retail assistant £6.69
Retail manager £8.34
looking on payscale.com suggested median pay for a gardener is £15k p/a which works out as £8.26 per hour if working 8 hours a day for 227 days a year (52 weeks x 5 days - 8 bank holidays & 5 weeks holiday (i.e. generous holiday time)...
where exactly does £25 p/h come into the equation as anywhere near sensible?!
akirk said:
funnily enough I did read that and I didn't take that out of context as the OP agreeing!
the OP clearly was posting that he was surprised that they seemed to be asking £25 p/h as he couldn't see how that was justified for an entry-level manual job... others then jumped in to say of course it is justified as a gardener needs: a van (presumably new and wrapped with their 'brand') / clothing / expensive tools / and even people in an office managing the team of gardeners - all justification for £25 p/h - however around here a gardener turns up in their own car wearing serviceable old clothing and may have some tools but the majority will use the tools at the house where they garden...
sure if this was in the business section of PH asking for advice on setting up a gardening business and how to brand it then these things would be important - but in the majority of the country gardening is not a franchised or centralised business with overheads, it is one bod on a bike / in a car (usually beat up subaru) who turns up does some hours and then goes away... if someone is paid £10 - £15 an hour that is a liveable wage - if it is not, why is our national minimum wage so much lower:
25 and over - £7.50
21 to 24 - £7.05
18 to 20 - £5.60
Under 18 - £4.05
Apprentice - £3.50
what surreal world do posters above live in that they believe that a manual job requiring no skills, no kit (OP provides it) etc. should be paying 3.5 x minimum wage?
go and look at some reality checks - actual pay for actual jobs...
Dental Nurse - c. £8
Office Admin £8-9
Retail assistant £6.69
Retail manager £8.34
looking on payscale.com suggested median pay for a gardener is £15k p/a which works out as £8.26 per hour if working 8 hours a day for 227 days a year (52 weeks x 5 days - 8 bank holidays & 5 weeks holiday (i.e. generous holiday time)...
where exactly does £25 p/h come into the equation as anywhere near sensible?!
I realise that not all of the Country is governed by the same economic factors and I can only speak from my own experience over the last 25 years of cleaning windows and that of my associates over this time:the OP clearly was posting that he was surprised that they seemed to be asking £25 p/h as he couldn't see how that was justified for an entry-level manual job... others then jumped in to say of course it is justified as a gardener needs: a van (presumably new and wrapped with their 'brand') / clothing / expensive tools / and even people in an office managing the team of gardeners - all justification for £25 p/h - however around here a gardener turns up in their own car wearing serviceable old clothing and may have some tools but the majority will use the tools at the house where they garden...
sure if this was in the business section of PH asking for advice on setting up a gardening business and how to brand it then these things would be important - but in the majority of the country gardening is not a franchised or centralised business with overheads, it is one bod on a bike / in a car (usually beat up subaru) who turns up does some hours and then goes away... if someone is paid £10 - £15 an hour that is a liveable wage - if it is not, why is our national minimum wage so much lower:
25 and over - £7.50
21 to 24 - £7.05
18 to 20 - £5.60
Under 18 - £4.05
Apprentice - £3.50
what surreal world do posters above live in that they believe that a manual job requiring no skills, no kit (OP provides it) etc. should be paying 3.5 x minimum wage?
go and look at some reality checks - actual pay for actual jobs...
Dental Nurse - c. £8
Office Admin £8-9
Retail assistant £6.69
Retail manager £8.34
looking on payscale.com suggested median pay for a gardener is £15k p/a which works out as £8.26 per hour if working 8 hours a day for 227 days a year (52 weeks x 5 days - 8 bank holidays & 5 weeks holiday (i.e. generous holiday time)...
where exactly does £25 p/h come into the equation as anywhere near sensible?!
The fact that I've survived this long with no shortage of customers tells me that the economics listed above don't have a complete real world application.
For every 100 customers that own a property that I would price at £30 one or two may argue that it's too much and that they're not prepared to pay. That's fair enough and is their choice. However this type of customer will almost always then attempt to engage in a long winded and frankly pointless argument stating why they think so. This is not something that I have the time or inclination to engage in and so return to the other 98% and get on with work and life. However on numerous occasions I've been invited back by new owners of the same properties and had the quote accepted without a quibble having transpired that the previous owners ' just couldn't get a window cleaner '...
My (very) old mother has a gardening chap come one day a week for 3 hours to look after her small garden: no lawn these days so pruning, weeding, watering etc.
I asked her how much she pays him...£9/hr plus a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits (and she's not even an estate agent). After reading this thread I suggested she upgrade to chocolate hobnobs from rich tea to keep him sweet.
He's been coming for years and I actually think they're good pals now and enjoy chatting to each other. She says now she's so old she can't pay as much attention herself and he treats it like his own, choosing what to do and what goes where (she pays for any new plants of course). And a flipping good job he does too, it looks lovely.
I think he lives on a nearby street, may even walk round.
I asked her how much she pays him...£9/hr plus a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits (and she's not even an estate agent). After reading this thread I suggested she upgrade to chocolate hobnobs from rich tea to keep him sweet.
He's been coming for years and I actually think they're good pals now and enjoy chatting to each other. She says now she's so old she can't pay as much attention herself and he treats it like his own, choosing what to do and what goes where (she pays for any new plants of course). And a flipping good job he does too, it looks lovely.
I think he lives on a nearby street, may even walk round.
Does anybody thing Gardeners aren't subject to the rules of the free market? They're not operating some cartel. If they’re charging £25/hour then the chances are that the market rate is £25/hour. Comparing it to somebody on £6.50/hour is meaningless. Just because A.N.Other is prepared to do a job for £6.50/hour doesn’t mean that a gardener is/isn’t worth £25/hour.
I’ve recently found a roofer who charges £100/day, and builders who charge £120/day. Previously I’ve paid £200/day. There’s not much correlation between how much you pay them and how good they are. That’s what they charge – you either pay or you go elsewhere.
I’ve recently found a roofer who charges £100/day, and builders who charge £120/day. Previously I’ve paid £200/day. There’s not much correlation between how much you pay them and how good they are. That’s what they charge – you either pay or you go elsewhere.
akirk, you're wasting your time! the baying crowd are enjoying giving the 'snob' a good telling off too much to actually read what's in front of them or even try and take on board a different point of view.
As it happens, david number 1 came yesterday and did a perfectly good job. he's perfectly happy with the situation and i'll be seeing him every monday for the forseeable.
let me just put this here in support of the fact that there are plenty of people out there who can read a job description and decide that they are happy to do some basic labour for 30% more than minimum wage. they all proactively replied to the job over the course of a day or two....
ps, i'm not an estate agent, my property interests are generally new build affordable housing on brownfield sites.
That was the whole point of my recent posts, i'm not some sort of modern day mill owner looking to fiddle the system, i just thought that £25 was too much for a man to pull weeds and i've been character assassinated for it. It says more about the aggressors than me IMO...
'The market' appears to have spoken, and i was right....
As it happens, david number 1 came yesterday and did a perfectly good job. he's perfectly happy with the situation and i'll be seeing him every monday for the forseeable.
let me just put this here in support of the fact that there are plenty of people out there who can read a job description and decide that they are happy to do some basic labour for 30% more than minimum wage. they all proactively replied to the job over the course of a day or two....
ps, i'm not an estate agent, my property interests are generally new build affordable housing on brownfield sites.
That was the whole point of my recent posts, i'm not some sort of modern day mill owner looking to fiddle the system, i just thought that £25 was too much for a man to pull weeds and i've been character assassinated for it. It says more about the aggressors than me IMO...
'The market' appears to have spoken, and i was right....
akirk said:
funnily enough I did read that and I didn't take that out of context as the OP agreeing!
the OP clearly was posting that he was surprised that they seemed to be asking £25 p/h as he couldn't see how that was justified for an entry-level manual job... others then jumped in to say of course it is justified as a gardener needs: a van (presumably new and wrapped with their 'brand') / clothing / expensive tools / and even people in an office managing the team of gardeners - all justification for £25 p/h - however around here a gardener turns up in their own car wearing serviceable old clothing and may have some tools but the majority will use the tools at the house where they garden...
sure if this was in the business section of PH asking for advice on setting up a gardening business and how to brand it then these things would be important - but in the majority of the country gardening is not a franchised or centralised business with overheads, it is one bod on a bike / in a car (usually beat up subaru) who turns up does some hours and then goes away... if someone is paid £10 - £15 an hour that is a liveable wage - if it is not, why is our national minimum wage so much lower:
25 and over - £7.50
21 to 24 - £7.05
18 to 20 - £5.60
Under 18 - £4.05
Apprentice - £3.50
what surreal world do posters above live in that they believe that a manual job requiring no skills, no kit (OP provides it) etc. should be paying 3.5 x minimum wage?
go and look at some reality checks - actual pay for actual jobs...
Dental Nurse - c. £8
Office Admin £8-9
Retail assistant £6.69
Retail manager £8.34
looking on payscale.com suggested median pay for a gardener is £15k p/a which works out as £8.26 per hour if working 8 hours a day for 227 days a year (52 weeks x 5 days - 8 bank holidays & 5 weeks holiday (i.e. generous holiday time)...
where exactly does £25 p/h come into the equation as anywhere near sensible?!
Slightly confused, I was under the impression that the OP had contacted Gardening Companies not some boy in his fiesta and trailer with nothing else to do. the OP clearly was posting that he was surprised that they seemed to be asking £25 p/h as he couldn't see how that was justified for an entry-level manual job... others then jumped in to say of course it is justified as a gardener needs: a van (presumably new and wrapped with their 'brand') / clothing / expensive tools / and even people in an office managing the team of gardeners - all justification for £25 p/h - however around here a gardener turns up in their own car wearing serviceable old clothing and may have some tools but the majority will use the tools at the house where they garden...
sure if this was in the business section of PH asking for advice on setting up a gardening business and how to brand it then these things would be important - but in the majority of the country gardening is not a franchised or centralised business with overheads, it is one bod on a bike / in a car (usually beat up subaru) who turns up does some hours and then goes away... if someone is paid £10 - £15 an hour that is a liveable wage - if it is not, why is our national minimum wage so much lower:
25 and over - £7.50
21 to 24 - £7.05
18 to 20 - £5.60
Under 18 - £4.05
Apprentice - £3.50
what surreal world do posters above live in that they believe that a manual job requiring no skills, no kit (OP provides it) etc. should be paying 3.5 x minimum wage?
go and look at some reality checks - actual pay for actual jobs...
Dental Nurse - c. £8
Office Admin £8-9
Retail assistant £6.69
Retail manager £8.34
looking on payscale.com suggested median pay for a gardener is £15k p/a which works out as £8.26 per hour if working 8 hours a day for 227 days a year (52 weeks x 5 days - 8 bank holidays & 5 weeks holiday (i.e. generous holiday time)...
where exactly does £25 p/h come into the equation as anywhere near sensible?!
The figures you quote above are hourly rates paid to persons working for a company, not what is actually being charged to the consumer.....
The same as your £15k pa for an employed gardener is not what the company would be charging the customer, you are kind of choosing figures to suit your argument.
I say good on the Gardener having so much work he can charge that and also turn down work if required.
had to laugh and your quote that you require no skills to be a gardener, trying to progress mine at the moment and I can say I have not got the skills.
Greg_D said:
akirk, you're wasting your time! the baying crowd are enjoying giving the 'snob' a good telling off too much to actually read what's in front of them or even try and take on board a different point of view.
As it happens, david number 1 came yesterday and did a perfectly good job. he's perfectly happy with the situation and i'll be seeing him every monday for the forseeable.
let me just put this here in support of the fact that there are plenty of people out there who can read a job description and decide that they are happy to do some basic labour for 30% more than minimum wage. they all proactively replied to the job over the course of a day or two....
ps, i'm not an estate agent, my property interests are generally new build affordable housing on brownfield sites.
That was the whole point of my recent posts, i'm not some sort of modern day mill owner looking to fiddle the system, i just thought that £25 was too much for a man to pull weeds and i've been character assassinated for it. It says more about the aggressors than me IMO...
'The market' appears to have spoken, and i was right....
Sounds as though you are only look for some basic work around the garden so most likely have been contacting persons who have gardening skills that can get the £25 an hour for doing more challenging gardening work.As it happens, david number 1 came yesterday and did a perfectly good job. he's perfectly happy with the situation and i'll be seeing him every monday for the forseeable.
let me just put this here in support of the fact that there are plenty of people out there who can read a job description and decide that they are happy to do some basic labour for 30% more than minimum wage. they all proactively replied to the job over the course of a day or two....
ps, i'm not an estate agent, my property interests are generally new build affordable housing on brownfield sites.
That was the whole point of my recent posts, i'm not some sort of modern day mill owner looking to fiddle the system, i just thought that £25 was too much for a man to pull weeds and i've been character assassinated for it. It says more about the aggressors than me IMO...
'The market' appears to have spoken, and i was right....
I hope the person knows his flowers from his weeds.......I take it all the above persons are vetted and you know their workmanship. Very easy to get some texts from some random's.... not something I would be to keen on.
Hope it goes well
Edited by tighnamara on Tuesday 23 May 13:00
Greg_D said:
akirk, you're wasting your time! the baying crowd are enjoying giving the 'snob' a good telling off too much to actually read what's in front of them or even try and take on board a different point of view.
I know - bizarre isn't it, I think there are a lot of people who play a very weird game online - to attack someone for wealth and then express their belief that all basic work should be paid at 300% of minimum wage suggests that they are the wealthy out of touch people - however I suspect they are just out of touch... there is a huge difference between someone running a big company with its overheads, and just wanting someone self-employed to come and do some gardening...Greg_D said:
'The market' appears to have spoken, and i was right....
Good end result = you are happy and someone else is earning and making money...tighnamara said:
Slightly confused, I was under the impression that the OP had contacted Gardening Companies not some boy in his fiesta and trailer with nothing else to do.
that wasn't how I read it - I think the thread was confused by people jumping in saying that they ran companies with teams of gardeners and vans and offices and office staff and therefore needed to charge lots of money per hour... The OP's most recent post would seem to confirm that he was simply after someone self-employed to come and pull out some weeds...tighnamara said:
The figures you quote above are hourly rates paid to persons working for a company, not what is actually being charged to the consumer.....
The same as your £15k pa for an employed gardener is not what the company would be charging the customer, you are kind of choosing figures to suit your argument.
You need to read it with the previous post - even allowing for overheads and NI etc. £8-9 doesn't translate into needing to charge £25The same as your £15k pa for an employed gardener is not what the company would be charging the customer, you are kind of choosing figures to suit your argument.
tighnamara said:
had to laugh and your quote that you require no skills to be a gardener, trying to progress mine at the moment and I can say I have not got the skills.
nor do I - I am likely to kill anything green (which is why I have a gardener - and not at £25 p/h) however I am perfectly capable of mowing a lawn and pulling out some weeds - it doesn't require any skill at all... fine, if you want it re-designed there is a different set of skills needed, equally running a sophisticated garden, but this is basically garden maintenance and running a lawn mower over some grass can (as mentioned above) be done by a 10 year old with no qualifications...akirk said:
nor do I - I am likely to kill anything green (which is why I have a gardener - and not at £25 p/h) however I am perfectly capable of mowing a lawn and pulling out some weeds - it doesn't require any skill at all... fine, if you want it re-designed there is a different set of skills needed, equally running a sophisticated garden, but this is basically garden maintenance and running a lawn mower over some grass can (as mentioned above) be done by a 10 year old with no qualifications...
Agreed,Still think the likelihood is that the persons quoting can get £25 an hour doing more sophisticated gardening so quoted what they can get in the market irrelevant of the basic requirements from OP.
Cant see them lowering their hourly rate just because the job is easier.........
Look at it another way, you put you car into a garage to get brake pads installed / wheels changed (pretty straightforward job) and the next week It requires a new clutch (slightly more challenging)
Do you pay less of an hourly rate to the technician based on the easiness of the task, no the hourly rate stays the same irrelevant to what task he carries out in his hour.
Seems the gardeners contacted work the same way, as would be expected.
tighnamara said:
Look at it another way, you put you car into a garage to get brake pads installed / wheels changed (pretty straightforward job) and the next week It requires a new clutch (slightly more challenging)
Do you pay less of an hourly rate to the technician based on the easiness of the task, no the hourly rate stays the same irrelevant to what task he carries out in his hour.
Interesting thought and I think you get charged more for a clutch per hour because its a PITA. The garage trade isn't at all transparent and I bet the number of full hours which get charged for 40 mins work are really, really high.Do you pay less of an hourly rate to the technician based on the easiness of the task, no the hourly rate stays the same irrelevant to what task he carries out in his hour.
If you are paying someone £25 / hr gardening chances are you actually see them work for that time. In the garage trade in the south east even back street one man bands are charging £70 / hr with no frills at all. I find that way worse value than a good gardener at £25 / hr.
Not sure if we have had this interesting source which puts the cost of an employee at 1.85 times salary. Which puts £12/ hr at about £23 / hr cost to employer.
http://www.accountingservicesforbusiness.co.uk/cal...
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