The Eden Keeper price rate, currently discounted to $18 per hour, is based on the value of equivalent volunteer work and is consistent with the average of the salaries for a landscape designer, a foreman, and a crew, which you will be getting as the one man working without the all the rest just standing around. Relative to most designers and contractors doing comparable work this rate reflects combined discounts of 50%, 20%, and/or 10% that may be lifted progressively as demand warrants. Lower rates are suspect whether it be just unskilled labor, or fly by night businesses that are not compliant with taxes and license regulations much less qualified. The hourly rate is best for maintenance work, which may
include multiple task and allows full flexibility for change request
ranging from additions to cancellation. .
Bid Estimates
Bid prices are available with an estimate of up to about 5 times the retail cost of plants, which includes the design (knowing what plants are needed plus where to get them and where to put them), installation (prepare, plant, and stake if necessary), and initial grooming (mulch, water, and later removal of any stakes) also see the Seven Day Project and Trail Work descriptions below.
Mileage (if excessive) and per diem if applicable
For places either over an hour or more than 45-50 miles away the respective hourly or mileage rate will be apply to travel. This does not apply in an area that roughly includes all of Jackson County, all of DeKalb County, all ZIP codes in Marshall County along Alabama Highway 431, the portions of Madison County as accessible as the Flint River , the portion of Cherokee County north of the Coosa River, and the portions of Etowah County closer than the Noccalula Falls exit on I-59. Per diem will apply to cover expenses if the distance is such that it is more cost effective to stay in the area overnight rather than commute. For example a seven day project near Mobile would have a travel day plus the 6 days of actual work with 7 days per diem then another travel day.
Seven Day Project
1) Contact, consult, design, and check for utilities
2) Layout design and begin digging
3) Continue digging and/or go get plants and materials
4) Bring and install plants
5) Attract wildlife if applicable
6) Get thrown out of the garden, hopefully with payment
7) Relax and enjoy
This is a hypothetical schedule that will vary with conditions of the weather and/or soil.
Trail Work
The rate for trail work is per mile of traverse (1x for loops, but up to 2x for out and back) plus a surcharge for total elevation change. This is based the hourly rate and a hiking rule of thumb of allowing for two miles per hour plus an hour for every thousand feet of elevation change. Several traverses will be required for routing, clearing vegetation, forming the tread, etc. where any especially rough sections may take a considerable amount of time. A typical trail assuming 8% slope over the course of a mile could be as affordable as $225 per mile although a dime per foot would be a good estimate to start with on a simple cleared path for a walking trail while a dollar per foot or perhaps more may be required for complex sections requiring more cut and fill, brush clearing, switchbacks, water diversion, etc. Maintenance at the hourly rate would be about $50 per mile barring a landslide or more likely a significant deadfall consisting of a large tree trunk and/or multiple branches totally blocking the trail. Another example to explain how distance affects cost would be putting an artificial tread of what ever material say something that cost a dollar per square foot for the material and about a dollar to install the first foot thus $2 per foot for the first foot, but by the last foot on a mile long trail out and back trail the cost would be close to $20 per square foot.
