How much should I quote for shrub removal and landscaping?
Pricing shrub removal and landscaping jobs requires balancing material, labor, and travel costs while accounting for specific project details like stump treatment, debris barriers, and square footage. Without a clear way to estimate these variables and time requirements, contractors risk undercharging or struggling to set a profitable rate.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 40.2× more often in r/Landscaping than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Charging a flat rate per piece plus a debris haul-off feeDid this help you?
- 2Getting multiple quotes from local contractors or tree companiesDid this help you?
- 3Doing the removal work independently as a DIY projectDid this help you?
- 4Asking online forums for quote estimates and pricing adviceDid this help you?
- 5Trying to convince clients to use alternative materials like mulch or ground coverDid this help you?
- 6Building retaining walls or using custom barriers to prevent material spillageDid this help you?
- 7referencing an hourly wage from an existing jobDid this help you?
- 8asking a forum community for project pricing estimatesDid this help you?
- 9Guessing pricing and absorbing financial lossesDid this help you?
- 10Shopping around and going directly to independent workers instead of using a big companyDid this help you?
- 11Charging a mobilization fee plus a couple hundred dollars including haul offDid this help you?
- 12Checking the hedge type to set client expectationsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I don't get these 'what would you quote' posts. Just figure out material and labor costs and tack on your profit. If you can't figure out how many hours it will take you to do it, then you shouldn't be running your own business.”source ↗
“Is this a fair quote? I am based out of round rock Texas and this is my first time looking for a landscaping project.”source ↗
“It’s an hour away from my location this is a customers house they asked what the price would be if I kept the stump and covered it with top soil I told them 300 per bush”source ↗
“how to keep this stuff from spilling over he wants us to use this flower bed barrier and spray the river rocks what would you quote it at area is 1350 sqft and the mound is 5 ft from the bottom”source ↗
“Most folks just guess and eat the loss later.”source ↗
“What would be a fair price for this scope? Or any of these items just to give me an idea of fair price?”source ↗
“Where do I find workers?”source ↗
“How much would removing these cost there 5 of them”source ↗
“How much would you charge to trim this?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 14Why is professional lawn care so expensive now?
- 12How to start planning a large sloped yard landscaping project
- 13How to fix up an overgrown, rocky rental yard on a budget
- 4How to landscape around outdoor HVAC units and electrical wiring
- 8How to get rid of a bunch of old landscaping rock
- 6How to tell if bad contractor landscaping work needs to be redone