# Leaf Cleanups



## madxtreme01 (Mar 5, 2015)

Just wondering what you guys are working with out there. We have been getting a ton of leaf cleanups and being that they pay per cy like any other debris, I am always looking for ways to make the job faster and easier. We have tried bagging them with the machine, blowing piles and raking them onto tarps, I even built a leaf plow. So as you all know the main problems is that you want to do them fast, but we need to show the most volume to get the most money. That means a truck or tow behind leaf vac is out because I am not being paid to shred leaves. Next idea was to use a leaf plow and push them up the trailer. Still compacts them enough that there has to be another solution, and unloading this way is a nightmare unless you have a dump trailer. Any ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## hammerhead (Apr 26, 2012)

sorry never thought it was worth it for the time involved. just mulched and moved on


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## madxtreme01 (Mar 5, 2015)

I've done several 30cy leaf cleanups that took the better part of a day each. If I can figure out how to get these done more efficiently, I could make bank, especially since we don't pay to dump leaves here.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Amazing what some guys can do with a pile of debris and a leaf blower. Probably the same ones that pull up to their lawn cuts with 30 bags already on the trailer and ready for staging.


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## cover2 (Apr 3, 2013)

madxtreme01 said:


> Just wondering what you guys are working with out there. We have been getting a ton of leaf cleanups and being that they pay per cy like any other debris, I am always looking for ways to make the job faster and easier. We have tried bagging them with the machine, blowing piles and raking them onto tarps, I even built a leaf plow. So as you all know the main problems is that you want to do them fast, but we need to show the most volume to get the most money. That means a truck or tow behind leaf vac is out because I am not being paid to shred leaves. Next idea was to use a leaf plow and push them up the trailer. Still compacts them enough that there has to be another solution, and unloading this way is a nightmare unless you have a dump trailer. Any ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Professionals charge $35-$50 per man per hour. Regionals want you to do this for what $3 a bag. Yea that'll fly like a lead balloon. Said it before and I will say it again GATOR BLADES!! Befuddle the cube monkey and mulched leaves are some of the best fertilizer for lawns ever used. There is no way I would spend a day RAKING BLOWING BAGGING leaves for a clueless company at a vacant house. Never heard of any city citing anyone for leaves in the yard, high grass yes, leaves no.


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## JDRM (Apr 16, 2012)

You can bill $25 per man hour to bag, and if u cannot mulch them up


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## madxtreme01 (Mar 5, 2015)

I've been doing it for Wells Fargo for the past 2 seasons and got paid per cy pricing. I think it's $28. I can fill a trailer in 3-4 hours, just sucks trying to dump and reload in the same day. My trailer can hold 20cy, but it's not a dump trailer so unloading is by hand. We don't bag leaves so I'm not sure what you're talking about with $3/bag, but if you use contractor bags, they are basically 1cy but who wants to sit there and load them. Currently I have a 10hp push blower and several backpack blowers. We make big piles and I built a plow for the front of my mower to push the pile up the trailer. Just makes unloading a lot harder because everything is so compacted.


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## Zuse (Nov 17, 2012)

We layer the trailer with 4 to 5 layers of tarps, 1st layer on trailer floor 1 to 2 ft deep in leave, 2 layer 1 to 2 deep in leaves, 3 layer 1 to 2 layer of leaves,

When the trailer is full we grab the end of the tarp and pull out the first layer of leaves then we do the same with 2nd layer of leaves and so on until all the leaves are out the trailer.

Roofers do the same with shingles when they don't have dump trailers, except they use chain line fence.


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## IPS (May 24, 2015)

Here in VT I'm able to just drag them into the woods because most properties are secluded and/or have ample woods for dumping leaves. I take my before pics, action shots and pics of them on the tarp. Then drag the tarp In go the woods and return the leaves to their home! Now how you do it depends on what company you work for. I used to have to use two yard sticks to measure my cy piles. Now it's based of your tarp dimensions. We removed 13cy yard of leaves in 25min. Two blowers into piles then we raked them onto the tarp, then dumped em. It does suck when we have to haul em... Which usually results in mulching because that labor is not worth the money paid out . The other post said $28 a cy...? For real? Then sign me up.


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## woowned62 (Jan 23, 2015)

Florida some want "clear " contractor bags and they say 6-10 contractor bags =1 YARD! 
Ridiculous


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## Bill6899 (Dec 25, 2020)

madxtreme01 said:


> Just wondering what you guys are working with out there. We have been getting a ton of leaf cleanups and being that they pay per cy like any other debris, I am always looking for ways to make the job faster and easier. We have tried bagging them with the machine, blowing piles and raking them onto tarps, I even built a leaf plow. So as you all know the main problems is that you want to do them fast, but we need to show the most volume to get the most money. That means aruck or tow behind leaf vac is out because I am not being paid to shred leaves. Next idea was to use a leaf plow and push them up the trailer. Still compacts them enough that there has to be another solution, and unloading this way is a nightmare unless you have a dump trailer. Any ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Unfortunately there is no easy way to deal with leaves at a property. How ever i have found that if you bag them its cleaner on you in the long run. Plus some not all but some pay by the bag you take like 2 bucks. The more you condense them the less you make in the long run. I suggest tarps they make it easier to collect them then tie the corners if your not getting payed extra


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## Bill6899 (Dec 25, 2020)

cover2 said:


> Professionals charge $35-$50 per man per hour. Regionals want you to do this for what $3 a bag. Yea that'll fly like a lead balloon. Said it before and I will say it again GATOR BLADES!! Befuddle the cube monkey and mulched leaves are some of the best fertilizer for lawns ever used. There is no way I would spend a day RAKING BLOWING BAGGING leaves for a clueless company at a vacant house. Never heard of any city citing anyone for leaves in the yard, high grass yes, leaves no.


iextrai try mulchinging everytbing i can they really have cut grass pricing through the years.


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