Hey guys

[cgland]

Hey guys and gals, I just wanted to stop in and introduce myself. My name is Chris or Cgland as some of you may know. I've been running a landscaping biz for about 10 years now and I love it! We mainly specialize in Hardscaping (patios, walkways, driveways, walls, pool decks, etc.) You get the point! Anyway, over the last few years I have realized a big deficiency in the online information available to hardscapers as well as people looking to get into the hardscaping biz. So what I did was create a website/forum dedicated to the hardscaping industry. It's chock full of information! Tips, pics, tricks, as well as discussions dealing with Everything that encompasses hardscaping. So come on over and check it out, I'm sure you get bit by the hardscape bug! See you soon! www.prohardscaper.com Chris

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[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Chris thanks for joining us. How big of a market do you feel the installation of hardscapes is? Is it under served? Should more lawn care operators consider installing hardscapes? If so, what are some easier/beginner projects you feel they should look into marketing?

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[cgland]

Steve - Hardscaping?....Underserved? * Maybe! * I will tell you that quality hardscapers are few and far between. *What I find happens most is a Lawn care provider wants to break into the hardscaping industry because they think there is a ton of money to be made, but to do it properly takes a huge capital investment (machines, specialty tools, trucks, etc) *This is where the problem firsts starts. *Beginners try to rent everything at first and most of the time they underestimate the time they need the equipment for.......What happens next is they start to cut corners because they realize that they won't make any money if they keep that plate compactor for another day....What you get in the end is an improperly installed hardscape feature. *This is where my site fills a need! *prohardscaper.com is an excellent research and information tool dedicated to every aspect of hardscaping. * So if your looking to get started in the hardscape trade, we have all the info you will need to not only install the job properly, but how to estimate it and effectively run a hardscape business. *Our site is geared towards the inexperienced guy. *We want him to price jobs correctly, install jobs correctly, and follow up on jobs correctly. *This will only better the industry as a whole and give itmore consistancy as well as the professionalism it deserves.
As far as a beginner type project, I recommend you start with a small walkway or landing in front of YOUR OWN home. Get a feel for the materials and the equipment. This way, when you are ready to do an install at a customers property you have some knowledge of the process, but THE most important thing is to educate yourself prior to doing ANY type of install.

Chris

[Steve]

Hi Chris,

Very interesting information!

Reflecting back now from your years in the business, could you tell us what equipment a lawn care operator really needs to own before they start offering hardscaping to their customers?

[Fernando's CleanCut!]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (cgland @ Nov. 27 2007,11:05)]THE most important thing is to educate yourself prior to doing ANY type of install.

Hi, Chris and Welcome to the pack!
You know a couple of customers had asked me if I do some patio work, but I'm only starting on my Lawn Sevices. I would consider to do small hardscaping jobs, but this is going to be in like 3-4 years from now, i want to have a good income and then jump into that. If I need some info about this I for sure check your website/forum.

.Fernando/CleanCut!.

[cgland]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Nov. 27 2007,1:33)]Hi Chris,

Very interesting information!

Reflecting back now from your years in the business, could you tell us what equipment a lawn care operator really needs to own before they start offering hardscaping to their customers?

Steve - As far as equipment goes, one could certainly start doing hardscapes with the simplest of tools. Shovels, rakes, hand tamper, string line, line level, 4' level, hammer and a broom! You can initially rent the excavating equipment, vibratory plate compactor, and brick saw untill you're doing enough work to warrant purchasing it. You just have to make sure your knowledge of the process is sound and your estimate to the customer covers ALL of your expenses as well as a percentage for profit. I see all too often a young upstart wants to get their feet wet and they think the best way is to charge a rediculously low price to get jobs. The thought process is...get job, show customer the quality of my work, more jobs will pour in! The reality is this: They don't charge enough money to begin with therefore they can't cover their costs and they can't afford to do a good job, quality suffers and the referrals never come in becuase they have an unhappy customer. It's a vicious cycle that can eat you alive if you are not prepared. All of these issues are covered over at ProHardscaper.com It's a wealth of information geared towards running a successful hardscape business. Check it out!

Chris

welcome to the forum.