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Just
How Cheap is That "Cheap" Job??
by
Owen E. Dell
The true
cost of owning a garden can be much greater than people think.
For instance, did you realize that if you pay a gardening
service $50 per week to mow your lawn, it will end up costing
you over $50,000 over a 20 year period? That's probably a
lot more than the average person really wants to spend. Poor
design can set many undesirable forces in motion in the living
system that we call a garden, resulting in greatly increased
costs to manage the chaos that ensues when plants grow too
big, suffer from pest and disease problems, and eventually
have to be replaced. Considering all the true costs, it pays
to design a garden right in the first place. That's what sustainable
landscaping is all about.
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| |
THE
"CHEAP" JOB
|
THE
"EXPENSIVE" JOB
|
| Professional
Design |
$0.00
(who
needs it?)
|
$2,000.00
(do
it right the 1st time)
|
| Materials |
$5,000.00
(the
cheap stuff from Home World)
|
$7,000.00
(shop
where the pros shop)
|
| Labor |
$5,000.00
(some
guys from "the wall")
|
$7,000.00
(licensed
contractor with trained staff)
|
| Demolish
Failed Work |
$2,000.00
(oops!)
|
(not
necessary)
|
| Redesign |
$2,000.00
(back
to square one)
|
(ditto)
|
| Relandscaping |
$14,000.00
(older
& wiser now...)
|
(ditto)
|
| TOTALS |
$28,000.00
|
$16,000.00
|
| COST
DIFFERENCE |
$12,000.00
LESS
|
B. Maintenance
ASSUMPTIONS:
1. 5000 square feet actual area; planting & irrigation
only (no hardscape).
2. 20 year lifespan of project before relandscaping is necessary.
3. Prices are not adjusted for inflation.
| |
THE
CONVENTIONAL GARDEN
|
THE
SUSTAINABLE GARDEN
|
| Original
Design & Installation |
5000
sq. ft. @ $2 = $10,000.00
|
5000
sq. ft. @ $2 = $10,000.00
|
| General
Maintenance Labor |
2000
sq. ft. @ $0.03/mo. x 20
years = $14,400.00
|
5000
sq. ft. @ $0.01/mo. x 20 years = $12,000.00
|
| Lawn
Mowing |
3000
sq. ft. @ $50/week x 20 years = $52,000.00
|
none
|
| Dump
Fees |
$10/mo.
x 20 years = $2,400.00
|
$2/mo.
x 20 years = $480.00
|
| Pesticides,
etc. |
$10/mo.
x 20 years = $2,400.00
|
$2/mo.
x 20 years = $480.00
|
| Water |
10
HCF/mo. @ $5.00 (inc. sewer charges & tax) x 20
years = $12,000.00
|
3
HCF/mo. @ $4.50 (inc. sewer charges & tax) x 20
years = $3,240.00
|
| Replacement
Of Short-Lived Plants |
10/year
@ $40.00 inc. removal & disposal x 20 years = $8,000.00
|
none
|
| TOTALS |
$101,200.00
|
$26,200.00
|
| Maintenance
as a Percentage of Total Cost |
90%
|
62%
|
| NET
COST SAVINGS OF SUSTAINABLE GARDEN |
$75,000.00
|
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