Garden landscaper offer ok or rather totally exaggerated?

Are those really pharmacist prices?

I meant that if someone is supposed to make a comparative offer, they probably think it’s about underbidding, and therefore they can’t use their standard prices, which presumably are at competitor level. I didn’t want to disparage that. They also have to make a living.

I only came to that because my site manager once commented on whether we really want to spend that much. He says the finishing work is very expensive (about 40%) and that the items for earthworks are exaggerated. But so far I have no means of comparison.

I don’t know how much higher quality, for example, "natural stone gravel 03/32 for €91.68 per m³" is compared to "gravel" for €39.90 per m³ from the earthworks in connection with the preparation of the site. The site manager just chuckled at that.

On the other hand, it’s also strange; the alternative to request, which he told me about, is supposedly also a landscaper. But I can’t find a website and nothing comes up googling the name. I was supposed to send the documents to an @aol.com email address. That certainly isn’t the alternative where it makes sense to request an offer (I emailed anyway out of curiosity).

Sorry, I only saw after the last posting that much more was written....

How big is the property?

1,085m²

Forget about the pool..... when the landscape gardener introduced himself, he even suggested a pool himself and said that with the given budget of €125,000 a pool, a lighting concept, the robotic lawn mower, and the irrigation system would all be included. Now none of that is visible anymore.

Cubic meter of natural stone chippings 0/32 we had without delivery 20 Euro/t, should be 35 Euro per cubic meter, 90 Euro are charged for material, delivery, installation, and compaction.
I find that okay.

These are not small quantities being processed

Then it fits. Perfect. That’s also my preference, because work-wise I think I can trust the provider well.

You call someone in and tell them to give you a comparative offer? Because you already have someone but his offer is too expensive or how should I understand that?

Basically yes. I wouldn’t say just call someone in. I call, explain the situation, and ask if they’re interested in making an alternative offer. Do you find that unusual? I do that with every furniture purchase. Then they always look dumb “But we only have the 40% off on Hülsta today; what else do you want?” And then you get it cheaper elsewhere. I have been telling them for years to spare me their percentages and just give prices in euros that I can compare.

We did the same with the house construction. The house was fully planned, and then we took the general contractor’s offer elsewhere to have it checked. They said, top offer; we can twist and turn but can’t do better; we can’t go lower. They even admitted that both providers have a similar reputation and that you can build there calmly.

At least things like robotic lawn mowers, play equipment, and the fire bowl don’t necessarily have to be provided by the landscape gardener as a complete package. You can conveniently find something suitable yourself. And what kind of fire bowl is that supposed to be? We also bought a 100cm forged one, but for under €200.

The play equipment is built by the gardener himself. We want proper wooden equipment there and no plastic. If you know good alternative addresses for that, please let me know. No idea about the fire bowl. I haven’t seen one yet and it certainly won’t be ordered.

Otherwise, only the outside area at the front and on the terrace is supposed to be paved for now anyway. I believe we told him €55k for the first step. But then that’s it, because fresh money only comes again in December and until then I have to pay all trades.....

So if the assessment is that the offer fits, as I have heard so far, I am even happy. Because my feeling about the provider is very good. However, it’s surprisingly many who ask me about the pulse when they see or hear the offer. They don’t find it normal.

I am a bit speechless right now. This is about an amount of over 100k€ and you don't get any comparative offer(s!) because the provider Vorlauf might not be amused and "closes the shutters"? Take the offer, remove the prices, leave the quantities in, and use it as a basis to contact other providers. Then you will get a real comparison. That is certainly more meaningful than someone who lives 300km away from you and compares your prices with theirs here in the forum.

You yourself now say that the offered is nothing special. Then someone who also installs gardens for average earners should be able to manage it too. The whole story with the garden landscaper, first boasting loudly about the pool, lighting, etc. all being included in that amount and now everything is missing, makes me doubt a bit whether he can even do some basic calculation. These are definitely not small items that are missing now. Who tells you he has calculated the other items correctly and in the end it won't be 180k? Billing is based on actual consumption and not what's stated in the offer.

I would not recommend 100x100x8 concrete engineered stone slabs for the object – and the well-known gala provider with the green river name – but rather Bergischer Grauwacke with the big "Q" in the name.

The material is available, for example, in 4 cm thickness, which is almost as heavy as the concrete (in a gravel bed), at 136,- (free lengths) or 164,- gross (flamed, fixed lengths) per sqm in direct purchase. For example, we use 100x50x4. And they cut everything exactly to the millimeter according to your wishes or even thicker from the blocks.

The concrete slabs already cost around 99,- for the material. According to the internet presence, the gala provider also has sufficient experience with Grauwacke.

On the other hand, it’s also strange; the alternative to requesting, which he told me, is supposedly also a landscaper. But I can’t find a website for them, and nothing can be googled under that name either. I was supposed to send the documents to an @aol.com email address. That certainly isn’t the alternative where getting a quote makes sense (I emailed anyway out of curiosity).

You’re still chasing after glossy brochures. Then you just have to pay accordingly. The money for marketing and chit-chat experts has to come from somewhere.

Our pavers, plasterers, screeders, window installers, and the carpenter also do not have a website. The carpenter says: why, if I need jobs, I just stand at the bar at some [Schützenfest], and after that I am booked for at least 6 months... That's how it goes with smaller craftsmen at the moment.