4 minute read
What Drives Costs in Landscape Maintenance
from April / May 2022
By Randy Zellers SDL, Director of Operations There are many factors that will determine costs in maintaining landscapes both now and in the future. Labor shortages, cost of water, style of pruning shrubs, plant selections and tree maintenance are all factors that will have a significant impact on pricing of landscape maintenance moving forward. Let’s take each category and determine how and why costs are being driven.
Over the past two years, our labor costs have increased by 25%. Landscape maintenance was deemed an essential service during the early Covid pandemic and had to survive and thrive while many industries closed their doors or laid off employees. Even though there were seemingly more people available, it was the classic case of supply and demand in the labor pool. The demand for employees increased and contractors were faced with having to offer more money to fill openings. Potential employees became more selective due to the labor shortages and drove costs upward at a pace not seen prior to 2020. Landscape maintenance at its’ core is a labor business and defined by the frequency of each task to be performed. Controlling labor costs is the number one factor in landscape maintenance pricing and questions around how we reduce labor while maintaining our landscapes to ensure increased property values will be paramount to success for both communities and landscape contractors.
The cost of water will increase with the ongoing demand due to a growing population and the drought conditions we have been experiencing in the southwest. Turf is the largest user of water in the landscape so managing and evaluating essential turf areas will be a priority in controlling costs in the future for homeowners’ association budgets. Do turf areas add enough value to the community to justify the cost of trying to maintain it? Turf area should always be functional and pleasing to the eye to continue to exist. This will be the ongoing discussion communities will have to answer moving forward when developing budgets for the community.
Pruning styles, select pruning vs shearing, has a direct impact on labor costs. Keeping shrubs tightly pruned increases labor because of the frequency needed to achieve the tight, manicured look. Selective pruning of shrubs has proven to be a healthier way to maintain growth and increase flower production in each plant. Select pruning styles and rejuvenation pruning will decrease labor to maintain shrubs by roughly 60% and the overall look of the landscape dramatically improves. Does it make sense to spend additional money on a tightly maintained landscape?
Choosing low water use plants and the location they will be planted will reduce costs to maintain. Desert adapted plants require less water and if planted in the proper location, will lessen the need to prune to fit the space. This reduces costs in labor and water and will enable communities have their dollar go further in future contract negotiations with contractors. This talking point is becoming more critical for communities as inflation rises and the dollar continues to buy less product and services.
Trees are the most valuable commodity in landscapes due to the fact replacement costs for like size and species is exorbitant. Proper spacing for trees is key to how often you’ll have to prune. If trees are planted too close to one another, they will compete for sunlight and nutrients and canopies will often become entangled requiring separation and needless pruning that is ongoing without providing real value to the community. It is reactionary to a condition as opposed to being proactive with thoughtful foresight when planning landscape designs.
Hopefully, these topics will become discussion items with communities and landscape contractors to ensure both are viable into the future. Educating communities on where their maintenance costs derive from is the first step to honest and transparent communication. Better discussions lead to winning decisions.
CITY OF SCOTTSDALE COLLECTION SERVICES
April 11th & May 9th SCOTTSDALE RANCH IS AREA 3
This Information can be found on the City of Scottsdale’s website at www.scottsdaleaz.gov.
The earliest items can be placed out is the Wednesday prior to the week of pickup and must be placed out no later than 5:00 am on Monday the week of the scheduled pick up. Residents, please be considerate of your neighbors - do not put your items out before the designated dates.
Placing items out before this time can result in hefty fines being assessed to your account.
Please be patient as the city has all week to pick-up in our area.
NOTICES FROM THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE:
Please separate your brush and bulk pickup into two piles – one for green waste and one for everything else. The piles will be picked up by separate trucks during your designated brush and bulk pickup week.
*Please refrain from placing trash containers or bulk trash where it blocks the sidewalk and would prevent pedestrians or wheelchair bound residents from passing along the sidewalk.
The use of SRCA facilities and amenities are voluntary and at your own risk. Scottsdale Ranch Community Association cannot ensure that all areas are free of COVID–19 or other pathogens. The Association is not the guarantor of your personal safety if renting the community center, recreational boat rentals, or attending any groups, clubs or SRCA events.
