apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

great site

this aricle is from Australia so it may or may not be comparable to prices here in the US which also vary from region to region. I wouldn't use it as my bible for what the trades should cost, but maybe a (very) loose guide.

Not sure how translatable Australian labor costs would be to US costs... we need a homegrown version of this!

Yes! US version please.

Isn't the usual answer to this is to get several quotes. You'll usually get lots of numbers in the same region and usually one or two way out of range bids. For example, I got bids on putting ward wood flooring down, and there was one 1.2k bid, one 400 dollar bid, and about 5 in the 6 to 7 hundred dollar range. So it makes sense the fair price would be about 650 for this job.

We really need a Los Angeles version, this is AT Los Angeles. I was just thinking about this and wondering how much other people in LA pay for their landscaping service? $80/month for 2 visits which basically includes sprucing up the yard/mowing the lawn/basic trimming, etc. Sound right?

It might be useful to note that $1 AUD is about $0.86 USD. Not that you can assume costs in the US would follow a strict currency conversion, but just to give a bit of context.

Pricey, but there are 30 day free trials....
http://craftsman-book.com/downloads/index.php?page=trial

Eastcoast - for basic mow & blow at $80 you should be getting weekly servicing. If they are doing more intensive work (weeding, sculpting plants, etc.) then the price is right.

I use Angie's List constantly and I feel that is a great barometer for judging fair rates.