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  Adam Pilgrim January 10, 2014 at 5:12pm

  Beat me to it Andy.......

  No one else knows what nozzle, spray pattern or dosage you are using.

  I could give you a rough idea but that would be based on a Cooper Pegler CP3 sprayer jug tested with a NEW green nozzle - as we were shown on my PA1/6, a lot of different sprayers and thus nozzle patterns and therefore spray widths are out there...

  Are you using one nozzle or a small boom set up??

  Also depends what chemical you are using....

  From memory - and this is without checking the nozzle book, a CP sprayer with a green anvil nozzle running at 3 bar gives a 1 metre spray pattern at 50 cm..

  Perhaps it's a good time to dig out your course paperwork and refresh your memory - please don't take offence to that.

  Out of intrest, I NEVER give an hourly price for spraying - Quote will read 'To spray gravel car parking area with total weedkiller £X'
• PRO

  Gary RK January 10, 2014 at 5:29pm

  Ross, I remember how I felt the first time I had to put my training into practice - I was freaked :-).

  I can't tell you what to price, but I can you my strategy to price (if that makes sense).

  There is a pricing spreadsheet I put up in The Hub that I suggest you hunt down (or email me).

  Look at it from a business prospective;

  - you've costs to recover

  - a profit to make

  - by charging a fixed rate

  How ? well you need to work out your internal costs;

  - is it a one-off visit? If it is, you need to allow for traveling time from base/last job
  - I now allow and charge for 'blocks of time' if spraying
  - what are the chemical costs and area to cover
  - so you need to know the base chemical costs & its coverage to give you an internal price per M2 (see my spreadsheet) ie if product costs £50 and covers 500m2 (its cost to you is 10p/m2)
  - The area concerned; Visualize it in strips equal to your spray nozzle width.
  - How long does it take to walk a strip and turn round? and multiply by number of strips.
  - Allow mobilization and demobilization time at site to suit up, make up chemicals etc
  - Add your profit margin -either by your internal charging rate per hour or per job.

  After a few, you'll get into the habit and be able to streamline it. I find any task that is area based, responds well to be treated methodically in your head.

  Always have a min price for small jobs (just like when mowing).

  Then you can give a fixed price to cover all you costs and make a profit.
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  Ross Stuart Mckinlay January 10, 2014 at 5:45pm

  Thanks everyone i appreciate the thoughts. i have worked approx amounts of chemical, costs etc i will give them a cost for the job but as im new to this i was trying to gauge how long to allow as it will obviously take me a lot longer the first time. I thought if i gave the chemical, area, sprayer those of you with more experience (most of you!)could probably give me a ball park figure which i could check against my calculations?
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  Simon Smith January 11, 2014 at 11:06am

  Here is my back of an envelope time calculation for spraying time:

  Measure the volume of water from the sprayer nozzle for 30 seconds or a minute ( say 1 litre per Min )

  20 litre sprayer = 20 minutes of spraying time, before refilling, 10 Min to refill and start spraying,

  spray width ( say 1.5m ) walking 2 kilometres and hour = 3000m2 = 20 Min to spray 600m2

  1800m2 / 600m2 = 3

  3 fills at 10 Min, 3 applications at 20 Min = 1.5 hours / 80 x 100 = 1.85hrs

  ( say 2 hours Plus travelling time)
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  Dan Frazer Gardening January 11, 2014 at 11:30am

  Typical volumes are 50ml herbicide/2.5l water/100m2 ground cover. A guess would be 15 mins to spray out a tank 15 litres - 600m2) then add the time to walk back and refill.
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  Ross Stuart Mckinlay January 11, 2014 at 4:57pm

  Thank you guys that's what i was after!
• PRO

  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd January 11, 2014 at 9:33pm

  
  the time taken to walk back and refill could be a real factor. I fill up extra containers for water (up to 100l) in total for sites where there is too much walking or water is not accessible.
  Dan Frazer Gardening said:

  Typical volumes are 50ml herbicide/2.5l water/100m2 ground cover. A guess would be 15 mins to spray out a tank 15 litres - 600m2) then add the time to walk back and refill.
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  Ross Stuart Mckinlay January 13, 2014 at 2:39pm

  Good point thanks Nick
  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd said:

  
  the time taken to walk back and refill could be a real factor. I fill up extra containers for water (up to 100l) in total for sites where there is too much walking or water is not accessible.
  Dan Frazer Gardening said:

  Typical volumes are 50ml herbicide/2.5l water/100m2 ground cover. A guess would be 15 mins to spray out a tank 15 litres - 600m2) then add the time to walk back and refill.