Contracting price guide for a beginner

macho-leddy · 02-02-2023 9:53pm #1

Howya folks, fairly straight forward as topics go so here it is;

How much do you charge a contractor for topping or mulching services? Do you go hourly, acres , something else? Is fuel included or not in the cost?

I am based in the west and as you can imagine rushes are a plenty. Last few summers I've been lucky enough to work away at topping fields, but now that I'm old enough, and have my own tractor, I would like to do a few odd jobs and hopefully start a small agri-business. The topping I did before was for a lad renting land nearby,and was roughly priced at 270 for 25 acres, and him supplying me with fuel. I cant imagine that's the standard, like I cant ask a client to drop off 3 gallon drums for me at the field gate, cause if it's hassle I imagine people be put off. So for a 75 hp tractor and a 6 foot topper, what would ye pay for heavy rush topping?

Here's a pic of my super major 6 cylinder from the last post

ruwithme · 03-02-2023 9:21pm

Don't begin.

ruwithme · 03-02-2023 9:26pm

Oh, jakers, i see you've already started. Might not be too late to pull out though.country's polluted as it is with established lads at it, many of them on the bread line, if were to believe them.

893bet · 03-02-2023 9:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120198245#Comment_120198245

Plenty of room for a small lad I think. But all lads seem to want to get big and keep adding machinery.

Lads that used to do our slurry “got big”. Has everything under the sun now right up to the big M (that rarely gets used I suspect).

Result of that for a small farmer like us is him sending his slurry outfit of the agitator and 2-3 tractors and tanks that spend half their time waiting with me paying. Sure they empty the tank in two hours but charge for 6 hours with half them standing around waiting on top of the agitator charge. Changed to a smaller lad. Usually on his own. He drives down and stirs the pot, does away and then comes back with the tanker. He is a touch cheaper per hour and spends less hours at it.

Feisar · 03-02-2023 10:00pm

Not a farmer at all, I just like some of the threads here.

I work in construction and I see it there to, lads getting big, needing more money to cover overheads etc. There's always room for a hard and smart (don't forget smart) working "small lad". I don't even like the term, it's like a negative. They say a jack of all trades is a master of none. The full saying is: a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one. Now, your situation isn't about mastery however the "big lad" has gone all in and needs bigger numbers to make it work, you can tip around at the edges on a smaller scale and make good money for yerself.

As to what to charge, work out what it costs to have the machine on the road, diesel, wear and tear, depreciation, insurance, tax, etc and then yer own time. For example, are you paying a relief farmer/help (whatever the term is) to work your ground while your out contracting well then that's the base rate. Are ya an accountant? Well then that's the base cost rate. Basically figure out how to put a value on your time. That plus the running cost roughly bolded above would have you breaking even, then add a margin for yourself.

roosterman71 · 04-02-2023 7:24pm

Charge what yer able to get. Most lads are the same price so ya need to differentiate yourself with quality work, on time and done speedily.

BTW, I'd say €270 for 25 acres topping and getting the diesel for free is a savage price for you. Tenner an acre would be adequate for topping I'd say

French Toast · 04-02-2023 7:31pm

In the long term avoid getting diesel off farmers in drums and factor it in to your cost instead. Serious hassle in dirty diesel.

FintanMcluskey · 04-02-2023 9:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120202740#Comment_120202740

Absolutely.

If the topping was easy the farmer would do it himself.

Topping rushes @ €10 per acre is small money.

The responses so far in this thread proves something another chap wrote in here recently, basically the farmer will be happier paying the lad making no money😀

older by the day · 07-02-2023 1:22am

Some day you might end up like this lad. And have a thousand cows as a hobby.

https://youtu.be/jA-V-LVHJhE

Donald Trump · 07-02-2023 2:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058282641/contracting-price-guide-for-a-beginner

Roll-bar?

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 12:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120198322#Comment_120198322

Nice to know there's a place for small operations, I appreciate the wisdom

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 1:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120198417#Comment_120198417

Fierce handy advice, I really appreciate the breakdown, and it's cool to know the full saying now

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 1:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120202530#Comment_120202530

OK so I should aim for total perfection on removing rushes from edges of fields , without compromising on time too much, and if my work speaks for itself then my name might be passed around?

Thanks for the response, greatly appreciated 🙏

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 1:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120202562#Comment_120202562

Feck I never even considered that...

Absolute nightmare if a my tractor got bollocksed from that and I wasn't compensated by the farmer

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 1:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120202740#Comment_120202740

Has me wondering, a standard topper is what I'll be using for the first while, but would people be interested in flail /mulching ? More expensive cause of fuel, but do people prefer it over standard topping

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 1:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209979#Comment_120209979

Seen that recently, driving in fields 4 kilometres long would be fierce boring I'd imagine

macho-leddy · 15-02-2023 1:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120210031#Comment_120210031

Working on sorting a cab for it, just stuck looking for one thats not cramped on not expensive...

Contracting price guide for a beginner

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