Question on landscaping prices

[Bob Chen]

Hi Everyone,

New to BiggerPockets, so pardon if this is a newbie question. I'm a newbie =). I acquired a multi-unit property in Memphis but was looking at the expenses and noticed that landscaping is quite expensive for my property. It's about $125 a month for mowing the grass and I don't even have that much grass. They do come once every other week. I'm not local to Memphis so not certain if my pricing is competitive or it's on the high side. Seems to be a bit on the high side.

Thanks,

Bob

[Richard F.]

Aloha,

Before you request new proposals from a variety of vendors, you need to determine what, exactly, are your requirements.

You should have an accurate total yard size, not "probably about"; how many linear feet of concrete edging; are there shrubs, hedges, or trees to maintain and/or trim around, and estimated sizes; other obstacles to work around or be cautious of; is loose trash, or excessive fruit dropping, an issue that needs to be addressed prior to mowing; minimum/maximum grass height expectations (address areas where scalping might be a problem, and how "rain days" are handled in terms of scheduling and charges); what type of schedule do you actually need; are you ok/is property suitable for using string trimmers for all areas, or must they use a push/ standard mower; bag and remove the waste, or blow it to specific area (that will not upset your neighbor); do you require periodic weed killer/fertilizer, and spot weed killer; is there/do you need an irrigation system to properly maintain some/all of the yard area (if so, the system should be checked periodically for proper operation and settings, and at every visit after mowing/trimming complete all heads should be checked to ensure none are broken); and most importantly, be sure your vendor has appropriate insurance to protect YOU in case of injury to your tenants, their vehicles, your property, or the workers, caused by their operation of rotating equipment or other job related efforts.