Government Bid

[Shark1611]

Need some advice please. I am going to bid out on a industry park. What this consist of is mowing a eight foot apron along side of the road. The apron is 2-1/2 long. The gutter is the slop back type so this is easy to work on. I do not have the paperwork on what all the details will be but what I do know is it will require mowing, trimming, and blowing. The only water is when it rains so this tells me i should not be all the time. Any of you have an idea of how you would bid this job? Not sure if it will be pay as you mow, pay once a month like some of my other contrcts are. Any ideas out there. Thanks

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

The apron is 2-1/2 long. How long is it? I do not have the paperwork on what all the details will be Are you going to be getting this before you place the bid? If you get it, let us know the job requirements.

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[Shark1611]

Originally Posted by Steve

How long is it?


Are you going to be getting this before you place the bid?

If you get it, let us know the job requirements.

Sorry it is 2-1/2 miles long. Here is the requirements:

It has a 12' apron to be mowed.
It is mow as needed. Right now in Texas we have had zero rain. The gutter is one of the slope kind that is no problem with equipment.
The main entrance is very small but is to me fertilized when needed and sprinkler heads replaced when needed. Seasonal flowers and mulching. This would be my expence if won.
All curbs edged and all the streets clean of grass clippings.
Must be insured. And I am.

The grass is not grown very think. In fact it is kind of wild grass. All the rocks, sticks, etc. are gone so there is nothing in the way.

The labor part is weeding along the curb for 2-1/2 miles and blowing!!! I think I can ride my mower along with a blower but I sure cannot do that with a weed eater.

I can see that at the most I would cut about twice a month with little rain from April - October then once November and December. Jan - March nothing. I know the area very well I use to work at one of the places of work in this area.

Just do not know how fast my 60" Dixon and 44" Dixon can run a 2-1/2 mile loop. Then going back with weed eating some areas I know so places I will be able to skip due to no grass at all and then blow it all off.

[Shark1611]

Originally Posted by Steve

How long is it?


Are you going to be getting this before you place the bid?

If you get it, let us know the job requirements.

The bid is due by Aprill 22nd.

[Shark1611]

Originally Posted by Steve

How long is it?


Are you going to be getting this before you place the bid?

If you get it, let us know the job requirements.

should not be that hard to figure so I will give it my best shot with what I have to work with.

[Steve]

We can use the lawn mowing calculators if we have an idea at what speed you will be mowing at?

If I take 1 mile, that equals 5280 ft.

(2.5 miles x 5280) = 13200

(13,200 long x 12 ft wide) = 158,400 sqft in total

Now I used the calculator and set the mowing speed of a 60 inch mower to about 10 ft per sec. and came up with a time to mow it at about an hour.

What's your thoughts on that?

[Shark1611]

Originally Posted by Steve

We can use the lawn mowing calculators if we have an idea at what speed you will be mowing at?

If I take 1 mile, that equals 5280 ft.

(2.5 miles x 5280) = 13200

(13,200 long x 12 ft wide) = 158,400 sqft in total

Now I used the calculator and set the mowing speed of a 60 inch mower to about 10 ft per sec. and came up with a time to mow it at about an hour.

What's your thoughts on that?

Steve I like that. I also have to look at weed eating and blowing. Then I have to estimate about how many times I will need to mow and then bid out for a year contract. This one seems like it would be easy to bid but maybe I am just making it hard. Thank you for wanting to help.

[Steve]

If you know the amount of total linear feet you need to line trim, you can use that in the calculator too to estimate the amount of time it will take.

[Shark1611]

Originally Posted by Shark1611

Steve I like that. I also have to look at weed eating and blowing. Then I have to estimate about how many times I will need to mow and then bid out for a year contract. This one seems like it would be easy to bid but maybe I am just making it hard. Thank you for wanting to help.

Well Steve I think I have something over my head to bid on. I just do not think I have been in this long enough. Man it kind of stings but I sure do not want to mess this one up. It is such an easy job that I thought bidding would be no problem. I mean you run a mower on a 12' path for 2-1/2 miles and then go back and weed eat the 2-1/2 miles of gutter and around a few water boxs. My 60" would have to go around twice or have my 44" go in behind me and get at least 10'. The front has bedding plants that I would have to keep weeded and make sure the sprinkler system is running and fix at my expense if broken head. Mulch is another thing needed. The two beds are about 1,000 sq foot each.

I tried to use your program but just not sharp enough to understand it.

Just by looking at it I it looks to me that it would take me a good two hours for one trip around the darn thing. So I see 4 hours in mowing and trimming would be walking all the way around the 2-1/2 mile strip. That may take another two hourse. With everything else I am thinking it might be a 6 to 8 hour day! Do not have to mow it but only when it needs it so it would not be every week. I can see once a month and no more than twice a month if we have rain.

[Steve]

Are you thinking you may pass on this job now and wait until you feel you have more experience or are you still thinking of putting in a bid to see what happens?