Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzello
That nursery you went to was as crooked and uneducated as they come, which is why they had to close up shop and move to the middle of nowhere.
The palm you saw for $95, most good landscapers buy for $50 and plant for $75 or $100 depending on context.
I will say, that when the job is very small, there has to be money in the job to actually make a profit. 2 men grabbing 1 plant, driving a truck that isn't leaking oil on the road in front of your house 20 minutes to your home, spending 30 minutes removing the tree, planting the new one and watering it in, checking the bubbler is there and properly adjusted...
Standard pricing:
1 hour with truck- $50
2 man hours- $100
+ price of plant.
The problem is there are no 2 men in the world that will be sent on this job and back at the nursery in 1 hour. But the process is how that nursery works. The EXPENSIVE nursery across the street sends out a truck and 2 men every Friday to do "small installs". But they have higher overhead and owners that expect to make more money. PLUS you got to shop at a cleaner prettier nursery. Pricing will be similar. Maybe higher.
Yes, doing ANY job yourself should save you money over hiring it done. But you didn't mention cutting up the old tree and dragging it to the curb and the mess you had to clean in your trunk.
What about warrantee from the nursery? That has value as well.
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That "crooked" nursery was actually cheaper than any of the other half dozen nurseries I had visited before settling on Lowes.
The "mess" in my wife's SUV was contained by an old blanket we keep in the back of the SUV for just such an occasion. I removed the Palm, pulled out the blanket, shook out the small amount of dirt and threw it in the washing machine. No muss, no fuss...
The old tree was easily cut up with heavy duty Fisker shears (that I bought at Costco), and most of it fit in one of the brown paper yard bags. The bag and the rest of the tree was left by the curb and taken by the trash guys the next day...
Warranty? It's been 6 months and the palm is thriving... If it died within the first few months, Lowes would have replaced it.
If it dies a year from now, I'll replace it myself and I'll still be way ahead of the game...