Why is Seattle yard work so expensive?

Question

Why is Seattle landscaping service so expensive the past year?

I got quotes for basic yard clean up and it is $1,000 for  8hrs of work. I got three quotes all around the same price.

Each one quoted $75 to mow each time twice a month and it takes under 30mins.  This is equaling over $100/hr for lawn service.

Yard workers are now charging more than skilled craftsman such as plumbers and electricians.

I just do not have time to do it myself since I am busy with day job and family.

What is going on? My guess is all the techies do not know how or want to mow so they are paying this high rate?

can anyone recommend some quality affordable yard workers in Seattle?

Thanks

Steve Vaughan · Answer

Could have mowed your lawn 4 times already with the time and effort already put into this 'time-saving' exercise.

Que up a podcast and go mow.  By the time you vet 16 guys, wait for them to show up over and over as scheduled, clean up after them, spend time licking and sticking checks to pay the invoices, figuring out if it's a deductible expense or not, on and on.  Just mow the thing.

Bonus if you have kids and get to spend time doing it with them. Teach them the value of a tangible result they earned and that work = money.

Eric Gutierrez · Answer

Wow.  Sounds like there is an opportunity for opening a lawn care business in Seattle.  Minneapolis mowing, weed whipping and leaf blowing runs me about $25-$35 per yard depending on size.

Joseph Delia · Answer

Has absolutely nothing to do with Seattle minimim wage laws.  I'm amazed at the number of folks from elsewhere in the country hoping and praying those laws are hurting our fair city.  False hopes.

Has everything to do with low supply (and inane immigration policies) and huge well paid demand (lots and lots and lots of well paid corporate workers who have disposable income but not time...time is more valuable than cash).  Also, Puget Sound weather means vegetation grows like crazy relative to dryer climates like SD, for example.

Giovanni Isaksen · Answer

Part of the reason is that Seattle is swamped with newly minted college grads pulling down 100k or more and that has an effect on demand for everything including workers. Not many people here want to mow lawns for a living when there are so many 'easier' jobs available and we haven't been importing many blue collar workers since 2008. For example Mexico has had negative net migration (more people moving back home than coming to the US); partially because their unemployment rate is even lower than ours and Mexico is the 11th largest economy in the world.

Another piece of the puzzle is that working class people are getting killed on rent increases in Seattle so they need to make a decent wage just to be able to have a roof over their head.

And just try to pry the game controller out of some school kid's hand to come mow your lawn!

Good hunting!

Joseph M. · Answer

@Justin Case , are these like 'landscaping' companies that do a lot of marketing,etc or more independent people?

Have you tried posting on craigslist or searching on craigslist under 'services' .   In L.A I've noticed there are companies that focus on more higher end type of landscaping work and then more the people that will do cleanups cheaper and stuff...but of course it's a different market.

Also they are there 30 mins..but then they have to spend the time to drive there, maybe in traffic and also spending gas and wear and tear on a truck etc.

If they are out for 8 hours in a day they aren't getting paid for all those 8 hours.

Adrian Chu · Answer

What part of town are you located?

Why is Seattle yard work so expensive?

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