Importing soil and getting rid of the existing soil on site because it’s not up to scratch are both very expensive and very unnecessary pieces of many project puzzles. Recently, we saved Hutchinson Builders $250,000 on a project by recycling the existing soil on site – adding nutrients, gypsum, fertilizer and compost to bring it back to life and make it viable to support the greenery that would be planted in it next.
Avoiding importation of new soil and exportation of existing soil also means less trucks on the road – and trucks are expensive. Outside of saving money from your bottom line, soil recycling is an easy way to join the circular economy. It takes a resource that’s already on site, improves it, and reuses it. The planet will thank you for it.
Plants, especially established ones, aren’t cheap. In a previous life, Chief Soil Recycler Chris was in the landscaping industry and his biggest money saving tip in this space is to pre-order any plants and shrubs you’ll need for the project. It means getting better stock for a cheaper price locked in early. By the time you’re ready to plant them, they will have already grown a bit (and buying them at the bigger size would cost you more). Time of year is something to consider too with plants always costing more in Spring, when everyone wants to get stuck into some landscaping.
Securing a great relationship with a local supplier will also mean better deals and a reliable service. Networking isn’t just for white collars.
Lastly, this might seem obvious but: make sure you buy the right plants. If you haven’t consulted a landscaping company who will be able to point you in the right direction, you can find yourself outlaying a chunk of cash on greenery that just won’t last in the project’s environment (or it’s subpar soil).
Engaging a company that really knows what they’re doing with the landscaping from the get-go will help you avoid more mistakes than buying the wrong plants. Their guidance will mean time won’t go wasted on pursuing a job that’ll need to be re-thought later down the track – which of course saves you money too. It also means that they can secure materials at a discounted price, early on. Cost planning errors are one of the top reasons projects run over budget and often, this can be avoided by engaging the right people from day one.
Sticking to what you’re good at and outsourcing the rest is an old adage for a reason. Bringing on the professionals when you’re already halfway through a project will always be the more costly option.
Want to chat about how we can get more money in your back pocket, and give the environment a hand while we’re at it? Get in touch, we’d love to chat.
