Message Board - Natural Turf: Verti draining costs
12 Mar 2010 by TerryS
Hello
I have made some enquiries and received 4 estimates, however, the chairman believes that "in the past we have paid less than that" and wants me to ask around again! All my estimates are within £200 (for 2 football pitches and a cricket outfield) so I think I will be wasting my time. What estimate should I expect for a 'standard' sized football pitch? any ball park figures anyone could give me would be a great help.
We are a non league club in the East Midlands.
Thank you
12 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
Perhaps your Chairman should go and buy a vertidrain and go into business
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2010 by Neil Dixon
in the past "he " may have paid less, but inform him of the increased price of diesel , overheads etc,
Assuming you contacted a contractor relativley local, then it is a reasonable assumption that a contractor further away is going to charge more.
12 Mar 2010 by Steve63
Perhaps the chairman could produce the invoice for the lower amount therefore showing who you should be asking for this competative rate.
You have asked around and got the prices, if he feels a better price is possible then he should put his mouth where his money is and ask for himself.
Don't talk to me about Contractors Wonka, I am one myself......
12 Mar 2010 by Noah Little
Hello WatNotts
Just as Barry and Neil say, if it is that easy to do it cheaply (and properly!!!), why isn't he running a verti-drain business?
I suspect he is just like most chairmen who think nothing of paying some nobody-of-a-footballer a ridiculous wage for very little loyalty, mediocre ability, etc. etc., but baulks at paying for anything to improve the pitch that his "precious" player (allegedly) plays on....
Perhaps your chairman could fill all us groundsmen in on where we can get quality grass seed for nothing, decent contractors for nothing (ask Vic Demain about that one!), fertiliser for nothing, yet have playing surfaces resembling The Emirates Stadium!!!
Rant over... 
In my experience, getting a decent contractor in to punch holes 10 - 12 inches deep (x 3/4 or 7/8 inch diameter) on a 5 - 6 inch centre spacing is what one should look for. I ask my very local one to do a 100 x 69 metre pitch and he charges £320.
Based on what you want, I reckon my bloke would be looking for £900 - 1000 provided he didn't have to travel too far. I don't know how that compares with elsewhere - all I do know is that he does a damn good and very tidy job, never leaving great lumps all over the place and is very careful, always checking if I am happy at the end of it. Good work with a proper level of attentive service goes a long way in my book.
Good luck getting that freebie contractor your chairman seems to think exists.... 
12 Mar 2010 by Grassman2011
WatNotts, have you got a qoute from the contractor who operates the soil reliever for the RFU? They will do soccer pitches as well as rugby and they have a fixed price. Ask your local rugby club.
12 Mar 2010 by Trolly Dolly
Totaly agree with montesa them prices are just about spot on and I should know im a verti-drain contractor.
Oh by the way watnotts tell your chairman this and see what he thinks,
1x 7626 verti-drain
1x 90 hp John Deere
20x 16 inch X 1 inch tines
Total about 60 Thousand Pounds !
and he expects it for naff all,makes me laugh !!!!!
4 wheels are better than none
12 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
His Chairman is a complete and utter ***head. Id love to know what he does for a living.
People like this p**ck really get up my nose.
I imagine he is very,very thick, Donk sums it up, its the cost of the equipment and the expertise to use it, not the actual time it takes.
Give the p*at a fork and tell him to do it himself
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2010 by Steve63
You could hire a tractor and deep aerator and then do the job youself, you might just do it for slightly less, just.
Don't talk to me about Contractors Wonka, I am one myself......
12 Mar 2010 by TerryS
Thanks for all your input. The best estimate was a little over your figure Montesa, as most have to travel thats sounds about right.
Have you met him Barry?
Thanks again
12 Mar 2010 by Barry Pace
Maybe he is one of these Chairman that actually pay the bills on time..... that would be worth about 10% discount rather than putting up with blatant lies, bullshite, cheque in post, sponsor not paid yet boolocks that normally comes from footy clubs...
We have one that STILL hasnt paid for last seasons renovations... makes you wonder if football is actually worth it unless you know and can really trust the client.. we certainly not chasing any renovation works unless they straight up about payment... it is hard enough doing the job on tight margins fighting the weather in a tight window of opportunity as it is let alone paying all the wages, repairs, seed, fert, haulage, sand etc etc to not get paid and worst is give them a better surface for the next season....
Wish we had gone back in with powerharrow now ...
There ought to be a list of clubs who you wouldnt even want your worst competitor to go to to protect contractors...
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
12 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
WatNotts
No, just people like him. Comes with age.
Football is full of t**ts from the very top to the very bottom.
I played until I was 42 as well.But I hate the game with a passion now, from the overpaid morons who play it professionally, to the sad idiots who just play junior football but pretend they are better than they are and the even sadder idiots who "run" kids football teams so they can take out their frustrations by screaming at a bunch of children.
Yeah, thats about it
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2010 by Barry Pace
Barry... you run out of happy pills this week or is the PSR getting to you ROFL
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
13 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
No Barry
Lethal combination of idiot football people plus a bottle of cheap Merlot!
PSR?Chance would be a fine thing!
Ps- I ran out of happy pills about 30 years ago.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
13 Mar 2010 by ticky21
im in agreement with Barry and Barry....lol....ive been stung for about £8k before now, from a football club for renovation works, it was only when i turned up at the ground on a sarurday morning, with a 160hp John Deere and a 6 furrow plough threatening to put in thru the pitch did they get the money together,...as for the matter in hand, i would be looking at charging around £400 per pitch to vertidrain, i run a Kubota M9540 with a 2.1m Aeroking, (not the ryetec blue one the original one)...and as someone mentioned, my deisel has gone up 11p perlitre since last october...
Ticky supports British farmers...!!
13 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
Nice one Ticky. Im just a small bloke who does a cricket ground and some odds and sods but if I were a contractor, I would ask for half up front or no deal but then I suppose in the current economic climate, someone will always step in and take a chance to get paid.
Ive known a couple football "Chairmans", one in particular only dealt half the time with cash up front in his own line of work but would think nothing of not paying for ages for work done on the ground. Its all ego with these creeps.
Mind you, there is a few of them creeping into cricket now.
Whoops, the Merlot is kicking in again!
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
13 Mar 2010 by mwood
As someone who is involved in football, junior football and grounds maintenance, I would just like to point out that you can meet tossers and idiots at all levels as Barry Glynn has shown in his latest posts!
13 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
Theres always an exception to a rule and it takes a tosser to know another one
15 all
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
14 Mar 2010 by mwood
Grow up mate, your embarrassing yourself!
14 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
Why break the habit of a lifetime?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
14 Mar 2010 by chrismitchell
Children perleeese!
Chris
You will never see a statue in honour of a committee.
14 Mar 2010 by barry glynn
Sorry, Ill put my dummy away now
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
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