What do you do to get fall calls?

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Originally Posted by Steve Oh very interesting ok so then maybe it is better to simply have a list of seasonal services you offer. Some of these services, a home owner may not even be considering at the moment but when they see it listed, it might spark something and then they might say, 'hey that is something I should do.' These are all great lessons! I think the short answer is simple, what can I offer? As Home/yard/grass providers I think we sell ourselves short, there are so many chores we can do and do well that the client doesn't want to or can not do so why not offer it. I have to ask are we/you stuck in a rut, thinking lawn service??? If so, my experience is you are overlooking a lot of income, look around the clients property, I know there are many things we can offer, so offer it. Then what happens is the referrals, forget door knocking as you won't be able to keep up.

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

I was just thinking, what about sewer line clean outs? Are there other services that can be offered maybe for septic tanks? That could fall under another type of job a homeowner wouldnt want to do and one that is needed.

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[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

I was just thinking, what about sewer line clean outs? Are there other services that can be offered maybe for septic tanks? That could fall under another type of job a homeowner wouldnt want to do and one that is needed.

I did two septic tanks yesterday, every home has one, sometimes two tanks that need to be pumped every few years, I go in and dig where the tanks are and lift the tops off for the pump truck then I go back and fill the area back in, takes about 45 min on average and I charge $100.00, I sent letters to companies that do this pumping, two call us on a regular basis as homeowners do not want to dig these up by hand.

[Steve]

That is great! Are there times during the year when this should be done? Or is it whenever it's full? How does that work?

How cautious must you be when digging the dirt off the covers? Can these tops be easily broken?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

That is great! Are there times during the year when this should be done? Or is it whenever it's full? How does that work?

How cautious must you be when digging the dirt off the covers? Can these tops be easily broken?

Good questions:

The rule of thumb is six years but it depends a lot on how well the homeowner follows the rules of what to flush and what not to.

The best time to do this is in the fall, I have no idea why but I did 5 more today and the guys have six to do tomorrow as I am starting a large excavation job that will tie me up for two weeks.

Depending on how old the tank is yes one must be careful, but if you did brake a top it's no big deal, $50.00 for a replacement and my agreement states very clear that I am not responsible for any damage and it's signed by me, the homeowner and the pumping company before I start.

You get a feel after running a backhoe or excavator after a while, I can now tell you what kind of rock the teeth are hitting most of the time, I can tell when I hit concrete also, we go slow for two reasons, to be cautious and I don;t want the homeowner thinking my price is outrageous, I charge $100.00 and if I wanted to could unload, dig the tank and be loading in 20 min.

Perhaps not in a big city but I think every yard care company should have a backhoe and loader, the money they bring in is crazy, I understand the upfront cost is high but it takes gear to make serious cash, that has been clear to me this summer, I don't think there is anything we can't do, we have the equipment for every request, yes it came at a very steep price but everything except one tractor is paid for.

I ordered a John Deere X729, it's their most expensive garden tractor, 48" deck, PTO, 3 PH, Four wheel Steer and four wheel drive, guaranteed to not tear up a lawn as every wheel has a hydro motor of some sort, anyhow it was just under $17,000, my company bought it outright just from a profit account I set up where I put a percentage of profits into from each job.

It's now saving for a 6 ton excavator and a 2 1/2 ton diesel truck with a dump.

[Steve]

It's now saving for a 6 ton excavator and a 2 1/2 ton diesel truck with a dump.

I don't know anything about these. What does that mean. a 6 ton excavator? What kinds of services can be offered with that type of equipment?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

I don't know anything about these. What does that mean. a 6 ton excavator? What kinds of services can be offered with that type of equipment?

Our biggest truck is an F150, it is limited what it can pull. The big issue is we have paid out cose to six grand so far this year in having roots/stumps hauled away and small loads of clear stone, mulch, topsoil etc. We will quite often use one of our trailers as I keep a supply of all the lawn care products we use at home however the trailers are generally in use hauling equipment.

a 2 1/2 ton with a dump will haul around 16,000 pounds so we can now buy larger equipment like a 6 ton excavator, this will allow us to build septic fields as there is major $$$$ in them, I start a course in January to get certified, it's a three month course at a community college. We will then be able to offer digging foundations for homes, we currently do garages but we really need bigger equipment. I turned down about fifty grand in jobs this year as I didn't have gear big enough to do it nor did I have anything that could pull the gear even if I did. I will also get it in diesel and a king cab to transport staff. New construction of homes hasn't slowed or if it has very little, I see ad's by developers looking ofr companies that can provide this service but everyone that can is busy and the entry level for this setup is high, all in around $160,000 with the proper trailer.

Here is a few images of what I am adding, basically I am taking the company to the next level, I can compete with the bigger companies and jobs and I have found the demand for this work is high and the profit matches.

[Steve]

I start a course in January to get certified, it's a three month course at a community college. We will then be able to offer digging foundations for homes, we currently do garages but we really need bigger equipment.

I had no idea there was so much involved in digging foundations. It sounds very interesting!

How does the certification work? Does the township require to see it before you dig or is this more of the contractors want to see it for insurance reasons?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

I had no idea there was so much involved in digging foundations. It sounds very interesting!

How does the certification work? Does the township require to see it before you dig or is this more of the contractors want to see it for insurance reasons?

If you build a septic field with out certification, the fine starts at $5,000 and goes way up from there, if you built one and something happened and the dept of health were called, your insurance will not cover you, this is taken very serious by the Canadian Dept of Health.....probably like the IRS when it comes to taxes, don't fool around

[Steve]

What is the difference between a septic field and a septic tank?