As a Top-Dressing machine manufacturer, one of the biggest questions we’re asked is, “How do I price my jobs as I set up my Top-Dressing business?” Topdressing is a niche, and applicators are often complicated to find and expensive.
Disclaimer:
We are an equipment manufacturer—not an applicator or contractor—so each user needs to do their own research. We are based out of Lancaster, PA, and while several top-dressers operate locally, we ship machines all over the U.S. Every area has unique variables (e.g., warm-season grasses, terrain, customer base). Your area determines your local job type (tight HOA, open commercial facility), materials used (sand, topsoil, compost), and time of year for best results.
Two Options For Pricing Structure When Quoting:
1. Price Per Foot:
Sometimes, users will price by the area if they know the material application will be consistent. An example would be pricing the job at $$X.XX per square foot. This number has to be determined by the one quoting the job, there is no one size fits all. While rates vary, we’ve heard anything as low as 15¢/sq. Ft. up to 35¢/sq. Ft. or more, depending on the job.
2. Pricing Per Ton:
Sometimes applicators will charge per ton instead of per sq. ft. covered. This is more relevant when lawn leveling or applying variable depths, in which case the material used in one spot will vary when filling in ruts or low spots. Need to calculate how much material you need for a job quickly? Check out our materials calculator. An additional variable could also include how much material is needed out front of the house vs behind the house, etc. This applies when other factors like different aesthetic goals or grass types come into play. In either scenario, the user could charge for picking up the material and add their own cost for trucking and overhead expenses incurred.
Additionally, a contractor can request the customer bring their own material and charge the client for the application onto the turf. Typically, the contractor should arrange their materials so that they are connected to a quality supplier of materials and for consistency from job to job. This also allows for control over delivery times, which asks another question: “How important is quality material?” We will leave that topic for another article. Check out our compost supplies map that shows who we work with if you need high-quality compost.
If you have any additional questions about pricing, feel free to give us a call or request a quote.
Four Main Factors When Pricing a Top Dressing Job:
There are 4 big factors when pricing jobs. It really hinges on your setup, materials, and equipment as well as additional misc. factors.
What Factors Play a Role in Pricing?:
1. Overhead And Labor Costs:
The first thing to consider is your overhead and general labor costs. When a landscaper or lawn care enthusiast prices a job, it’s important to recognize the upfront cost of bringing a crew and equipment to the job site. This creates a minimum charge to show up to any job (even if it’s a small lawn).
Another factor that plays into that initial charge is quoting the job itself. Some will quote via satellite, while others will drive out to the site before even quoting or doing a job. There’s no right or wrong method to quote a job other than ensuring that it works for your business and that you’re prepared to serve the customer best. Additional factors that play a role in accurately pricing a quote, beyond just looking at a GPS schematic, include viewing hills and finding nuances like hard-to-reach areas, stumps, etc., that must be worked around.
2. Accessibility Is Key:
Accessibility is another thing to consider when pricing a job. Often, jobs are either residential or wide open commercial, and it’s important to realize that accessibility can play a huge role in the cost of a job.
A commercial facility may have more space for bulk materials and your equipment. However, some commercial facilities may be more limited due to any activities happening at said facility. For example, schools often have ongoing programs or sports that restrict access.
In the residential world, it can go both ways, but it’s typically a tighter area to work in and provides unique challenges like curbs, high/tight traffic areas, etc.
The points above expand upon the real question: “How hard is it to get the job done”? Are you going to spend lots of time transporting from the load site to the spreading area? Do you have to set up cones and watch traffic when around your vehicle? Do you have to dump material on the road and then clean up afterward? These small questions may be plentiful as you start, but they are important to consider. Top-Dressing is a premium service where small things that may not be a big deal to the applicator may be frustrating to customers, such as tracking compost or sand onto the driveway or parking a big truck on the curb for an extended period of time, etc. We tackled this problem head-on with the 410SP (pictured above). It’s a smaller, stripped-down, more nimble version of the 415SP but thin enough to go through the smallest typical yard gate.
3. Equipment is the Key to Efficiency!
With all the other information factored in, the final factor in pricing is your equipment setup. There is more than one way to do top dressing; the most entry-level would be to start with a wheelbarrow for material and a shovel to spread. When doing multiple jobs, it’s vital to value efficiency and consistency, which is where a heavy-duty top dresser comes in. Without the proper machinery, applications will be inconsistent, providing uneven results and an unhappy customer; this is the main issue with running the wheelbarrow and shovel operation. Adding a rake, leveling rake, or drag mat will assist in evening out the high and low spots of material but will only work as much as it’ll catch and distribute.
With top dresser machinery/tools factored in, material transport and machine loading efficiency is next. Each operator will find different methods that work for them depending on their situation. People have used anything from mini skid steers and compact loaders to truck beds that unload directly into a top dresser. This is where efficiency becomes the key to long-term success when Top-Dressing multiple facilities back-to-back, thus maximizing time value.
We offer financing to help people get started with Earth and Turf, but you can also factor in renting equipment when quoting to complete larger jobs. Check out our sales/rental dealer network to find someone closest to you.
Earth & Turf Topdressers
4. Lastly, Consider the Full Range of Services When Quoting
Topdressing is incredibly effective when paired with aeration, overseeding, scalping, dragging, and raking, along with additional fertilization applications, water, etc. If you can offer more than one service, it can be the best way to sell an entire package, upsell the customer, and add the best value while you’re already on the job. Make sure to keep track of what equipment and other inputs are necessary to see the job through to the end. This is where the 415-SP shines as it combines 3 services (seeding, aeration, & topdressing) into one machine, utilizing one operator and completing areas in a single pass, depending on the task.
In Summary
We know the final cost is subjective all over the country, with differing jobs costing more or less and staying competitive in fitting the job pricing to your customer base. All owner-operators are required to do their own research. One of the best ways to research and connect to the community is to join online groups on Facebook or other forums to ask general questions. Other options are to research other companies in the business and call for questions if they’re willing to share. It can be a great opportunity to join and pair up with another local company by sharing various job types. (i.e., the big established outfit likes big jobs and provides you leads for smaller jobs).
Trade shows like Equip Expo are also excellent places to network with other users, owner-operators, and industry leaders to grow your business plan. As Earth & Turf, we can only provide a portion of the plan for setting up a successful topdressing business, but we are here to help you however we can to ensure you get your customers that fresh green lawn they’re looking for!