Landscape Costs
 

I got a quote for a very small area in my front yard. Some items listed: removing pine straw - $250. Place matting down - $150. I just don’t get it, really? I can buy a roll of garden matting at Lowe’s for $12.99. I only need 3 tons of gravel. Is there a place where a resident can purchase a load of rocks? I’m not doing this for a showcase, I just want some very basic, minimal work done. Total quote $2550.
I’m new to TV, this seems outrageous to me. What am I missing?
Can I do some or all of this myself?

We are new in TV also We also want the pine needles GONE and rock put in
I’ll be interested to see the replies to your post

Yes, you can do it yourself. One place you can buy rocks is at Home Depot, but I would shop around. I would get approval from ARC before you do anything. Most people don't want to do that type of work, and the $2,550 price sounds reasonable, depending on the size of the area. If you do hire a landscaper, get competitive quotes, and do not pay any money until they complete the work. Good luck.

Quite a few contractors think we are all rich and can afford to pay higher prices.

They apparently think we are also stupid.

I would also get some more quotes (see whom your neighbors use) and follow the advise of Retired Guy in dealing with contractors.

Thanks
 

Appreciate the advice.

I’ve got a 68 year old husband who has Alzheimer’s. He’s as strong as an ox and we need something to do. He can help remove pine straw. He can unload bags of Home Depot stones. Someone please tell me it’s not a bad idea to do some of this stuff ourselves!

It’s not like I’m cheap (well, a little) or we can’t afford it. We’re putting a pool in the backyard…that’s where I want to splurge. That will be our (his) oasis. The front…I’m not here to impress anyone. I just want something basic and I don’t see handing over $2550 (while I sit on my rear and watch) when I can do it myself for less than half of that.

Does anyone else feel me?
😊

Go to Dirt Cheap on Highway 27/441 north of highway 42. They sell most of rock around here. They'll deliver it (used to be $50 per truckload) and there are plenty of folks around who can spread it if you don't want to. Dirt Cheap used to have a lot of business cards on their register wall and they can make a suggestion.

If you can do it, then it is a good idea. Get ARC approval before starting. If you do any digging, be careful about hitting cables. They are very shallow.

When you buy the weed blocking fabric, buy the better quality fabric. It is more effective at blocking weeds and lasts much longer.
Also there are places that will deliver the rocks you want and dump it in your driveway. Buy or rent a wheelbarrow to move the rock.
I have done what you want to do. Just take your time.

Yep - Dirt Cheap on 441 is the place to go.

Second vote for Russo’s Dirt Cheap.

Labor is usually the largest component of any renovation work. Right behind labor is the capital investment the contractors make to support their businesses (that truck and all the tools, the sales people, the people who schedule the work, and the accounting people who manage the firm's money, and the fuel to drive everything to your doorstep). It all adds up.

When you do it yourself, very rarely do you consider the cost of your own time, or the cost of your own tools, or all the rest of the capital investment costs. So, the contrast is always striking.

and...
... if you lobbied for, or supported, a $15 minimum wage, you increased your landscape costs
... if you lobbied for, or supported, shutting down oil pipelines, you increased your landscaping costs (gasoline has increased more than 40% in a mere 6 months.)

Attend a Master Gardners class in TV. The pine straw should stay and a no to the rocks.

try doing it yourself !!!!!!!!!

Landscape
 

I had a quote for $8000 to remove rock and put a few plants in last year. Keep calling people.

You can do it all yourself ,

Welcome to the Villages. Cost for services is very high. Similar landscaping we had done in other parts of the country were less than what we ended up paying here.

Call Son Life Lawn & Landscaping. They are very fair priced. You can find them on Facebook.

I think you should get in touch with the other guy and trade

Landscape
 

You can buy the metal edging and fabric from lowes or home depot. Easy to install if you have a few basic tools. If you are removing any sod, digging it up and disposing of it is the hard part. I had the sod removed and edging and stone installed on 3 sides of a 1500 Sq ft with golf cart garage home for 1550.00. There are reasonably priced contractors out there.

Hello,
You will need ARC approval through The Villages before work is approved.
Labor costs are high which justified your quote. It's back breaking work.
Good luck.

You are right ! The impression here is everyone is rich and naive. You need Preen barrier cloth stakes and YES you can do it yourself. Wait until November. They charge these prices, drag the job out and they pay the illegals cheap wages!

It’s this way about everything.The more you can learn on your own the better it will be. I’ve been gouged so much I’ve given up. I’m selling my house and moving to maint free!

You are 100.% right ! Besides you’re going to get nickel and dimed on the pool as you probably are having T&D do it!

Labor rates. BTW, why replace natural mulch with gravel? You’re not “eliminating” weeds. They will most likely increase in number and density on top of the “weed mat.” Pine straw helps prevent many weeds from germinating.

I've read on TOTV about many people who regretted doing stone in their yard. They still get weeds and they're much harder to get rid of from the stones. I'd stick with pine mulch which I hear is the best. But if you end up wanting to do it still, get hubby and yourself to put in the elbow grease for sure!

Landscaping
 

It's a BIG mistake to put rocks down in landscaping. The desert look belongs in Arizona, not FL. Rocks will increase your ambient temperatures (do we need that?) and I guarantee you, it will not keep weeds out. Weeding is much more difficult around rocks (if you want to remove weed roots). If anything, use pine bark instead. It's a good idea to put an under layer of weed cloth, but you really don't need to remove the pine straw. It will disintegrate eventually. Just put the weed cloth over it, then the pine bark. Lots cheaper solution and environmentally sound. And consult with a master gardener about landscaping with FL friendly plants. You can do a Zoom consultation. Sumter County Master Gardeners - The Villages

We did it ourselves. Six tons of rock hauled ourselves from Russo's over a few months. At first we used five gallon buckets to haul the rock, later a wheelbarrow.

While it wasn't pleasant it is a point of pride. Thousands saved with no downside, hard work is good for the soul. But, remember in The Villages, virtually no one wants to work. So few will understand why you chose the DIY option.

The matting is a waste of time......weeds will eventually grow on top of it anyway......

Welcome to The Villages
 

Just about all the subs here are high on price. They think you are rich and that you can’t do it. First off if you think you need that much rock don’t buy it in bags from Home Depot. That is way to expensive. That is why the landscaper has a trailer. Buy it from a rock yard by the cubic yard. I live here in the Villages and do little jobs here and there. Licensed and insured. If you want to do most of it I can haul away the straw and bring the gravel. I can do as much as you want me to and I do not price gouge.

Landscape work
 

We replaced all of our pine straw with river rock and weed block plus curbing for far less give Morgans whole 9 yards for a quote
352-203-8410

Have you ever shoveled rock into the wheelbarrow and then rolled it around to where you need the rock...like hundreds of times? It is back breaking work. That rock is heavy. Good luck and have the Motrin ready because you will need it.

Pardon my laughter. Three tons is 6,000 pounds. Have you ever shoveled 6,000 pounds of gravel? That’s like shoveling two SUVs or four or five golf carts. Do you own a big, sturdy wheelbarrow? A little one won’t do it. Can you push it and dump it? Can you do all this in Florida in July? I’ve shoveled tons of gravel and tons of soil mix. It is a LOT of work. I would pay a lot to never have to do that again. Sorry. I know the bill hurts. Get competitive bids if you like. Would you like to use only documented workers, or are you okay with workers who are afraid of being deported and willing to work for less money. I have friends who hire undocumented Guatemalans at a gas station, drive them to their house, pay them each $15 an hour and a rotisserie chicken for lunch. But they don’t have their own tools—you provide them. And they may not know how to do the landscaping the way you want it.

No need to remove the pine straw. Just add the other stuff on top. The pine straw breaks down as it is organic matter. You can get anything delivered in bulk to your door, just look on line. I love the pine straw. My house is surrounded with wildlife and many birds because my yard is filled with flowers and is nature friendly. I don't understand this fascination with rocks.

Rock
 

Just please be aware that every professional landscape designer I’ve talked with says rock is a huge “no-no”. It’s too hot for plants. Also, to change from pine needles to rock, you will need to get approval first from the architectural board, because it’s a major change in your front yard.

However, to answer your question. Most definitely you can do the work yourself.

It cost a lot of money to run a legitimate business. They should be fully insured, vehicle and payroll expenses not to mention taxes. Then they hope there is a profit at the end of the Job. It ain't cheep to be in business these days.

I've been in landscaping for 40+ years. Easy, quick number check. For $3 a square foot, you get bare minimum work, $5 gets you some nice grading and mulch or rock. Remember, these laborers are people, not machines. Some of these posts are really inconsiderate and others downright mean toward the people that do our work for us. I'll leave it at that.

hmmm...something for us to think about. We were considering rock in the garden when we eventually buy in TV for looks and lower maintenance. I see a lot of negative comments on it though. We were kinda hoping to get away from buying and spreading 10-15 yards of mulch a year for our current gardens once we retire. But if it doesn't do as well keeping weeds out and is bad for the plants, not sure it's worth it.

That's one of the reasons I wanted to start reading TOTV way before we move, learning before spending!
Thanks, all

I've got a guy! RMR Landscaping. Excellent work, great price!
 

RMR Landscaping, Cliff Robertson. 352-901-1985, cliff126767@gmail.com. He spread three yards of stone, put down landscaper-quality fabric barrier, and took all the old wood chips away. He is a hard worker and doesn't stop for anything! Great price compared to other estimates we received. Pleasant to have around too.

HUH? Of course you can do it yourself. Garden matting? Weed block fabric? Only 3 tons of gravel? That is 6,000 pounds. Endless debate pine straw vs landscape fabric and gravel. No matter what you do you will have weeds. With gravel you need to weed or pay someone to do it by hand. Tools will damage the landscape fabric.

REALITY-no matter what you do you will have weeds. We have pine straw. You will notice that in public areas the maintenance contractor uses pine straw. With pine straw you can use tools to weed. With gravel tools will damage the landscape fabric. Weeds are stubborn the will find every hole even come up between sheets of landscape fabric. Ten to fifteen yards of mulch our home is 2600 sq foot with beds all around? Reminder you are replacing what has turned to compost-rotted away. We use roughly 6 bales of pine straw every year cost is about 3-$4 a bale.

RE: low maintenance
Choice of plants is important as well as the proper plant in the right place.

Source for rocks
 

Dirt cheap on 441 Summerfield. They also deliver.