Getting local teens to do yardwork

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you know from experience how long the job will take then pay by the hour. We have neighbors and friends who have hired a person to do yard chores like weeding, laying mulch, cleaning up the edging around landscape beds etc. and we have done this twice. It's usually been through contacts - someone knows a guy (maybe day laborer) that will take small jobs like this for extra $.

HS/College kids mowing lawns, doing weeding... isn't uncommon... we get posts every year on the neighborhood listserv email when college kids are back for summer and during the year from some HS kids.

I wouldn't pay them any less than you would an older person. It's hard work and could take longer than you accounted for - which is why paying by the job rather than hourly could end up taking advantage of a teen.

It seems that $20/hour is the going rate among people we know - and most offer cold water/gatorade and the appropriate tools.

The younger generation is not stupid. $20/hr for pulling up ivy is laughable. Never pay by the hour. If the landscaping company is charging you $1700 then I would pay $750-$850 for the job. If it's two people they split the pay. The same if it's three. Plenty of water or Gatorade and show them which bathroom to use. I would also have them come very early in morning, 7 am, before the heat of the day. Make sure you tell them everything you want done including cleanup.

[Anonymous]

In the words of my father, "You get what you pay for." So if you want a job well done, then pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Pretty sure you need to remove the Ivy and additional layers below and then install a barrier that you cover with topsoil. That’s what you need to do to prevent Ivy coming back. You need a professional.

FYI, my 17 year old worked with a buddy for a local landscaper on big jobs on the weekends. He was paid $24/hour, and he only lasted a few months because it’s hard manual labor in the heat. He earns more with his reselling business.

[Anonymous]

My lawn guy will do side jobs for us such as weeding, mulching, trimming and planting. We pay cash, usually $200 for a half-day. He does an excellent job and works much quicker than I can. It’s hard work. $20/hr is a joke.

[Anonymous]

Wow. We live in 22101 (south of 123) and our neighborhood teens, and college kids home for the summer, are usually happy with $20-25/hour and some cold drinks for typical yardwork. They aren't doing this daily for weeks and months - its typically a one day job that take for extra $, and they seem to do maybe one such job a week. They clearly aren't skilled labor so we don't expect such results. Pulling ivy IS harder, so I wouldn't think hard about $30/yr. But $20/hr is not crazy for weeding and laying mulch etc.

Our neighborhood's HS girls charge $20/hr to watch two kids (and NOT just after they go to bed). The family two houses down from us have a HS girl watch their 4 and 6 year olds often and the she charges $20/hr, we use another girl one street over and she charges the same. They'd rather make $20/hr working in the same neighborhood than $15/hr working at a McDonalds where they have to wear a uniform and have to drive to and deal with ugly customers...

This is our experience, first hand, with several HS kids this year and last. And we always round up, provide food and drinks. Never had a HS ask for more per hour.

[Anonymous]

We live in College Park, MD. Minimum wage here is around $12.50. My 17-yr-old just shoveled a big pile of topsoil for our neighbor and was paid $15/hour and given beverages and a homecooked meal to take home. The project took 4 hours. Both parties were happy.

[Anonymous]

I've paid my teen son and his friends to do this work, and my son has also done similar work in our neighborhood (MoCo, DMV). $20/hour has been fine. When he has a friend with him, they just work and talk the whole time -- he's a hard worker and his friends have been too.

The biggest thing is training them to do exactly what you want, so you can point them in the right direction and let them go.

I've been very specific on tasks and completing one before starting the next. E.g., 1) This is what stiltgrass looks like. 2) Here's the things that aren't stiltgrass. 3) Pull all the stiltgrass.

OK, next task. 1) Here are all the baby trees sprouting in the yard. 2) Pull/dig all the baby trees.

OK, next task. 1) Here are all the random rocks leftover from previous owners. 2) Pick up or dig up all the rocks and stack them over here.

[Anonymous]

I think you are going to have to work along side the teen boys to make sure they are doing what you hope to accomplish. Most teen boys will be ripping out your flowers along with the ivy.

[Anonymous]

We're near Springfield. Any teen in my neighborhood would jump at $20/hour. My teens certainly would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get what you're going for, OP, but it will look a lot better if a professional does it.

The issue is cost. I just need people to rip vines out of the ground, most in the back and side areas. My husband and I have been doing it but there’s just not enough time in the day to do the whole thing. Once I get them pulled out of the beds, I can plant and/or mulch.

I’m trying to get other lawn care services and the estimates are crazy (to me at least as a new homeowner). The last company said $12,000 for the season and that doesn’t include mowing. And my yard isn’t even very large.

Agreed. Prices are insane.

A reflection of two income families and nobody has time to do their own chores anymore.

[Anonymous]

OP, i put an ad on craigslist offering $25 per hour for someone to weed my yard in DC. Got about 25 quick responses, screened them, called one or two to see when they could do the job, and had it done the next day. Had my choice of college kids, moonlighting laborers, and randos. Ended up finding someone who did a nice job, took about four hours, and I paid them $150.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you know from experience how long the job will take then pay by the hour. We have neighbors and friends who have hired a person to do yard chores like weeding, laying mulch, cleaning up the edging around landscape beds etc. and we have done this twice. It's usually been through contacts - someone knows a guy (maybe day laborer) that will take small jobs like this for extra $.

HS/College kids mowing lawns, doing weeding... isn't uncommon... we get posts every year on the neighborhood listserv email when college kids are back for summer and during the year from some HS kids.

I wouldn't pay them any less than you would an older person. It's hard work and could take longer than you accounted for - which is why paying by the job rather than hourly could end up taking advantage of a teen.

It seems that $20/hour is the going rate among people we know - and most offer cold water/gatorade and the appropriate tools.

$20/hour is for a babysitter to sit in your house after your kids go to bed.
For hard labor like pulling ivy? Wow.

My 14year old weeds for $20 an hour in the DMV...It think the under 16 crowd is who you most likley will get. Older kids have better options this summer.

[Anonymous]

My friend did this and it was a total disaster. I think she went through 3 kids. One ghosted her so she didn’t have to pay the 1-day of work before she quit.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had good luck with TaskRabbit for similar jobs.