How to Price Hedging by Volume, Not Linear Meters

⚡TL;DR: Key Takeaways

Most businesses price hedging by linear meter, missing disposal costs entirely
Volume-based pricing accounts for the actual work: cutting, collecting, and disposing
A 2m tall hedge produces 4x more green waste than a 1m hedge at the same length
Result: 15-20% higher margins on hedge jobs when you price correctly

The Problem with Linear Meter Pricing

Every lawn care operator has done it: quoted a hedging job at $X per meter, finished the work, then realized they barely broke even after dump fees.

The issue is simple. Linear meters measure length, but hedging involves volume. A 50-meter hedge that's 2 meters tall produces massively more waste than a 50-meter hedge that's 1 meter tall. Yet most operators quote them the same.

How Volume-Based Pricing Works

Instead of quoting per linear meter, calculate the actual volume of hedge you'll be cutting:

Volume = Length × Height × Depth of cut

For a typical hedge trim:

10m long
1.5m tall
0.3m trim depth

That's 4.5 cubic meters of green waste to handle.

Factoring in Disposal

Here's where most operators lose money. Green waste disposal costs $80-150 per cubic meter at most tips. A job that looks profitable on paper becomes marginal once you've done three trailer runs.

The Formula

Job Price = (Volume × Cutting Rate) + (Volume × Disposal Rate) + Travel

For the example above at $30/m³ cutting and $100/m³ disposal:

Cutting: 4.5 × $30 = $135
Disposal: 4.5 × $100 = $450
Travel: $50

Total: $635

Compare that to a typical "per meter" quote of $10/m × 10m = $100. You'd be losing $535 on the job.

Quick Estimation Method

Don't have time to measure every hedge precisely? Use this rule of thumb:

Hedge Height	Multiplier
Under 1m	1×
1-1.5m	2×
1.5-2m	3×
Over 2m	4×

Multiply your base linear rate by the height multiplier to get closer to true cost.

Key Stats

Average green waste tip fee: $120/m³ (varies by region)
Average hedge trim depth: 0.2-0.4m
Time to load trailer: 15-30 minutes per m³
Margin increase with volume pricing: 15-20%

The Bottom Line

Switching to volume-based pricing won't lose you jobs. Customers understand that bigger hedges cost more. What it will do is ensure you're not working for free on the jobs you do win.

Track your actual costs on the next 5 hedge jobs. Measure the volume, note your disposal fees, and compare to what you quoted. The difference might surprise you.