# Did We Overpay for Our Core Aeration/Overseed??



## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

We are newbies to hiring someone to do a core aeration and overseed. We ended up hiring a local landscaping and lawn maintenance company who charged us $1,400 in total for two men to do the core aeration and spread a small amount of dirt and mushroom manure over some low spots, and also to overseed using SEED WE PROVIDED. We have approximately 3,800 sq ft of lawn. We did not get any other quotes, but we're not looking to open a discussion about that. We simply want to know if we overpaid, and what would have been a reasonable charge for this service. Thanks so much!!


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## CLT49er (Jun 19, 2020)

My 4k yard. $65 to aerate. Spreading seed you bought shouldnt be more than $30. Unless they brought in a few yards of soil, you severely over paid.


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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

sonlitekid said:


> We are newbies to hiring someone to do a core aeration and overseed. We ended up hiring a local landscaping and lawn maintenance company who charged us $1,400 in total for two men to do the core aeration and spread a small amount of dirt and mushroom manure over some low spots, and also to overseed using SEED WE PROVIDED. We have approximately 3,800 sq ft of lawn. We did not get any other quotes, but we're not looking to open a discussion about that. We simply want to know if we overpaid, and what would have been a reasonable charge for this service. Thanks so much!!


Did you have this quoted in advance of the work?


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

How much dirt is "a little"?

How many hours did they spend on site?

FWIW, I have a huge cedar hedge in my back yard. It's approx. 25 feet tall, 6 feet deep, and 150 linear feet long.

I hire a local tree service to trim it.

To trim the very top they don't even use ladders, they use climbing gear and go straight up the inside.

It takes a 3 man crew between 6-7 hours to set up all their rigging, trim the hedge, clean up the brush, and pack up their equipment.

That costs me $1200 Canadian.


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## Kiza (Oct 30, 2019)

That should cost you around $100, maybe less.

Next time, shop around for just a core aerator service. It's usually around $100 for under 10k sqft. If you want to overseed, buy a Scott's handheld seeder and do it yourself. It's literally walking on your lawn and turning a small lever. Don't seed on your mulch beds.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Can't comment on the top dressing. Depending on what they did that could take awhile. Did they roll over the seed or just spread on top?

Core aeration for my lawn the same size is $60 CAD here in Ontario from a one man lawn care company.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Did you have this quoted in advance of the work?
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Yes. We were initially quoted $1,200 for the core aeration/overseed (using our own seed), and then the $200 extra came later with the addition of soil and mushroom manure (if I remember correctly). The bill was not itemized when we got it (of course).


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Lawn Noob said:


> sonlitekid said:
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> > We are newbies to hiring someone to do a core aeration and overseed. We ended up hiring a local landscaping and lawn maintenance company who charged us $1,400 in total for two men to do the core aeration and spread a small amount of dirt and mushroom manure over some low spots, and also to overseed using SEED WE PROVIDED. We have approximately 3,800 sq ft of lawn. We did not get any other quotes, but we're not looking to open a discussion about that. We simply want to know if we overpaid, and what would have been a reasonable charge for this service. Thanks so much!!
> ...


Yes. We were initially quoted $1,200 for the core aeration/overseed (using our own seed), and then the $200 extra came later with the addition of soil and mushroom manure (if I remember correctly). The bill was not itemized when we got it (of course).


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

SodFace said:


> Can't comment on the top dressing. Depending on what they did that could take awhile. Did they roll over the seed or just spread on top?
> 
> Core aeration for my lawn the same size is $60 CAD here in Ontario from a one man lawn care company.


They just spread it on top.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Sinclair said:


> How much dirt is "a little"?
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> How many hours did they spend on site?
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> ...


A few wheelbarrows full of dirt, and a few wheelbarrows full of the mushroom manure.
They spent about 2.5 hours here at the most.


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## rs178028 (May 12, 2019)

Absolute rip off.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

Be interested how long they were there. I would say $500 would be more appropriate but not familiar with the prices in your area.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

ksturfguy said:


> Be interested how long they were there. I would say $500 would be more appropriate but not familiar with the prices in your area.


They were there for about 2-2.5 hrs, if I remember correctly.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

At $100 per hour for both guys + the top soil you maybe in $700-800 at most. They maybe rented the aerator and charged you with it.


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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

sonlitekid said:


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You didn't get ripped off in my opinion. You agreed to a terrible quote, in advance, for that scope of work. The extra $200, there may be a reason for anger there.

I hope it comes out great for you either way!


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

Wow just a Google search shows average price for a 5k sqft lawn for aeration and overseed is roughly $150. Wonder if this was some big lawn care company in your area or just some random people who were looking to rip people off. Usually the new lawn care guys who have no clue how to bid a job severely under estimate a price.

In the future definitely get 2 or 3 bids.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Lawn Noob said:


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No, you're completely right. Lesson learned. In his eyes, the quote is not terrible at all; in fact, he just texted me back (this is a portion of the text):
"typically a core aeration over seed is anywhere from 1200 to 2,500 depending upon what we do"


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Lawn Noob said:


> sonlitekid said:
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No, you're completely right. Lesson learned. In his eyes, tho', the quote was not terrible at all; in fact, he just texted me back earlier today (this is a portion of the text):
"typically a core aeration over seed is anywhere from 1200 to 2,500 depending upon what we do"


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

ksturfguy said:


> Wow just a Google search shows average price for a 5k sqft lawn for aeration and overseed is roughly $150. Wonder if this was some big lawn care company in your area or just some random people who were looking to rip people off. Usually the new lawn care guys who have no clue how to bid a job severely under estimate a price.
> 
> In the future definitely get 2 or 3 bids.


Yeah, that's how I ended up on here, actually. I did the same Google search you did and (in turn) felt like an idiot.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

ksturfguy said:


> Wow just a Google search shows average price for a 5k sqft lawn for aeration and overseed is roughly $150. Wonder if this was some big lawn care company in your area or just some random people who were looking to rip people off. Usually the new lawn care guys who have no clue how to bid a job severely under estimate a price.
> 
> In the future definitely get 2 or 3 bids.


This was a local staple (independent) company that has been around forever. We've only been here for 5 yrs ourselves, tho'.
And, yeah, that's how I ended up on here, actually: I did the same Google search you did and (in turn) felt like an idiot for what I paid.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

ksturfguy said:


> At $100 per hour for both guys + the top soil you maybe in $700-800 at most. They maybe rented the aerator and charged you with it.


Company owned equipment, I believe.


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

sonlitekid said:


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He knows he grossly overcharged you and is trying to make you, and maybe himself, feel better.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

I think the way you can calculate for any job is by man hours that were/need/could be spent on the job. Man hours includes labor, equipment, parts, fuel, administrativecost etc etc.

Generally the man hour cost is between $65-80 (will vary from region and experience of the person but it's a good reference point).

2 people doing 3hrs of work = 2 x3 x 80= $480. You can up this by 10-15% as an industry standard for variation in job.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Sinclair said:


> sonlitekid said:
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I definitely don't doubt that. 🙁


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

uts said:


> I think the way you can calculate for any job is by man hours that were/need/could be spent on the job. Man hours includes labor, equipment, parts, fuel, administrativecost etc etc.
> 
> Generally the man hour cost is between $65-80 (will vary from region and experience of the person but it's a good reference point).
> 
> 2 people doing 3hrs of work = 2 x3 x 80= $480. You can up this by 10-15% as an industry standard for variation in job.


Thanks so much for this! 🙏🏻


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

Lawn Noob said:


> sonlitekid said:
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I hope it comes out great too. 
And I don't think there is anything immoral about quoting high ($200 extra excluded from my comment). 
It's happening now for accounting service too. I'm completely out of capacity at my firm. New projects get turned away daily, and if it does get quoted it's extremely high. 
Same thing for lumber at the hardware stores. Prices up like crazy.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Thejarrod said:


> Lawn Noob said:
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I totally understand where you are coming from. He had this to say, tho', in a text earlier today:
"typically a core aeration over seed is anywhere from 1200 to 2,500 depending upon what we do"
With all due respect to your comment, where exactly do you draw the line?


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Thejarrod said:


> Lawn Noob said:
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I totally understand where you are coming from. He had this to say, tho', in a text earlier today:

"typically a core aeration over seed is anywhere from 1200 to 2,500 depending upon what we do"

With all due respect to your comment, where exactly do you draw the line?


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

I feel bad about the high price, and i should have said that earlier.

my comment was about morality. as long as the price is discussed beforehand, I don't think there is any upper limit that someone could quote for a totally discretionary service like aeration and overseeding.

i made a similar mistake when i traded in a car. i didnt prepare enough and i got less than i could have. it sucked. and even though i dont think the salesman did anything immoral, I didnt go back to that dealer again either.

the price was high, but based upon the other comments, it maybe isnt quite as high as I initially thought, especially if they had to rent the aerator for the day. with the topsoil/compost they put down it will probably come in nicely. just keep some water on it :thumbup:


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

Thejarrod said:


> I feel bad about the high price, and i should have said that earlier.
> 
> my comment was about morality. as long as the price is discussed beforehand, I don't think there is any upper limit that someone could quote for a totally discretionary service like aeration and overseeding.
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> ...


They own their own equipment, so there was no rental involved, but, again, your point is well taken! (I just hope there is no preying on the unassuming/unknowledgeable going on.) I appreciate you taking the time, my friend! 🙏🏻


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## dport (Oct 13, 2019)

sonlitekid said:


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He is lying to you. I live near Philadelphia. Prices here are typically more than that in western PA. I pay about $160 for core aeration/overseed and I have a 12,000 sq foot lawn. The company I use is reputable and well known in the area. You got completely ripped off.


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## creediddy2021 (Mar 27, 2021)

Yes at most that should have been less than $200 for the labor/services rendered. I recommend that you contact three companies before any work is started. Check an app called NextDoor as their are plenty of people In your community that has gotten work done and can provide recommendations. That way you know whether if someone is telling the truth or scamming.


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

$1,400 would be an acceptable price for a total renovation on 3,800sqft with all the bells and whistles, including gold tag seed.


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## dport (Oct 13, 2019)

learningeveryday said:


> $1,400 would be an acceptable price for a total renovation on 3,800sqft with all the bells and whistles, including gold tag seed.


Yeah agree. Also, for about $500-$700 you can get a years worth of professional lawn services (aeration, seeding, fertilizer, weed spray, etc) on a 10,000 sq foot lawn.

This is one of the worst prices gouges I've heard of.


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

learningeveryday said:


> $1,400 would be an acceptable price for a total renovation on 3,800sqft with all the bells and whistles, including gold tag seed.


😭😭😭


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

dport said:


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This is helpful. Thank you. 🙏🏻


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

creediddy2021 said:


> Yes at most that should have been less than $200 for the labor/services rendered. I recommend that you contact three companies before any work is started. Check an app called NextDoor as their are plenty of people In your community that has gotten work done and can provide recommendations. That way you know whether if someone is telling the truth or scamming.


Thank you; good tip. Agreed. 🙏🏻


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## sonlitekid (May 1, 2021)

dport said:


> learningeveryday said:
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> > $1,400 would be an acceptable price for a total renovation on 3,800sqft with all the bells and whistles, including gold tag seed.
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Thanks. Good to know. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻


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## maltycolgate (Mar 3, 2021)

Hey, we all learn our lessons. I've been screwed before for different services. It's usually what causes me to learn all I can about something.

Now you know you can rent an aerator, seed, and cover with Peat moss for about $200 - and that's with using premium seed.

Lesson learned. Never again.


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## Colinwjholding (Apr 6, 2020)

I own a landscaping company,

This absolutely obscene.

That job depending on soil amount which if it is just a top dress would be maybe 2 yards. With seed at most should have been around 500$ at the very most.

I aerated and topdressed 4000 sqft just today and it was 320$ cdn. Mostly because the sand was expensive. (Triple screened masonry sand).


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## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

Oh my gosh, I hope this is a joke.

I don't own a landscape company but it seems shady to use a customers seed (especially when charging that much) and just goes to show he doesn't give a crap if it actually turns out successful or not. If he cared, he would insist on supplying seed that he has used successfully before in your area and has good experience with and knows the age, storage conditions, etc.

With your newfound information, I'd be tempted to have a conversation with him to justify his price with an answer other than "I was trying to rip you off since you were uninformed".

Totally immoral in my opinion and a terrible way to run a business if you want any longterm repeat customers.

Did he make you pay cash? Just wondering.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

@Vtx531 really don't think them using the customers seed is shady. If that's the seed the customer wanted but just didn't know how or did have the proper equipment to spread it then no big deal.

Yes most times you will use your own fertilizer and seed that you buy in bulk but don't think it's a big deal to use the customers seed.

There are a lot of lawn and landscape companies that I wouldn't trust to pick out seed lol some guys really know what they are doing but you'd be amazed at how many in the business have absolutely no clue.


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## Old Hickory (Aug 19, 2019)

I'm in the minority. The company quoted a price and it was accepted. So there is no gouging or robbery. If the question is "did we overpay" then the answer is probably yes. But then we are overpaying for nearly everything these days.

I hope the work performed ends up looking like a million dollars.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Old Hickory said:


> I'm in the minority. The company quoted a price and it was accepted. So there is no gouging or robbery. If the question is "did we overpay" then the answer is probably yes. But then we are overpaying for nearly everything these days.
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> I hope the work performed ends up looking like a million dollars.


 :thumbup: Agree. When a piece of burnt toast that appears to have a religious image on it gets listed on e-bay for $500 and sells for $1000. I don't see how you defame the person who listed it.

They honored the price quoted. There was no added cost after the work was done.


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## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

So I guess if an old lady (uninformed customer) goes into a car mechanic shop, you would be fine with the owner quoting her $1000 for an oil change and as long as she agrees then no problem


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Vtx531 said:


> So I guess if an old lady (uninformed customer) goes into a car mechanic shop, you would be fine with the owner quoting her $1000 for an oil change and as long as she agrees then no problem


If that is that particular mechanic shop's standard rate for an oil change, yep. It's called caveat emptor.
There has been nothing to indicate this wasn't the standard rate for that service provider for the services provided.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

So I think there are 2 ways to look at this. I have a few friends who are contractors and I have discussed their bidding process with them before. Basically if they are really busy, very often they will throw out very high bids. Thinking is if someone wants to pay me 2x to fit them in, then great, otherwise, they will pass. I have seen it first hand. I got 3 bids when I redid my HVAC ranging from 11-20k (similar equipment). When my house was painted it was 10k-18k. I really don't have a problem with this.

Of course there are also guys out there who would attempt to take advantage of people if they think they are uninformed, or desperate, or because there is a benz in the driveway.


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## creediddy2021 (Mar 27, 2021)

Vtx531 said:


> So I guess if an old lady (uninformed customer) goes into a car mechanic shop, you would be fine with the owner quoting her $1000 for an oil change and as long as she agrees then no problem


And the sad thing about all of this as the business providing the service know that they are getting away with scamming the customer. They really have no integrity in doing what's right for the customer. It happens all of the time.


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