So Cal Pelicans. Any experience with Turf Terminators?

[Wilhelm]

Get Started | Turf Terminators
"We’ll do all of the work to replace your lawn FOR FREE. Get started today!"

Anyone here dealt with this outfit ? Sounds too good to be true.

[stomachmonkey]

You assign the rebates to them.

They do the work for less than the value of the rebate.

Free for you.

They keep the difference as their profit.

[Hugh R]

Gotta be careful, the rebates are based on areas of living grass only, no credit for dead areas.

[Wilhelm]

So "they keep the difference as their profit" is the problem I guess. Thanks for the reply. I guess I will check it out to see how much they will do for "free" Hope it is more than a front yard of gravel and a cactus or 2 !

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Gotta be careful, the rebates are based on areas of living grass only, no credit for dead areas.

That is unfortunate since I let my backyard die in order to save water. I guess I could plant some new lawn back there and then water it for a couple weeks.

[Wilhelm]

Hugh and stomachmonkey; Have either of you used Turf Terminators ?

[Hugh R]

In my area the rebates are based on live grass. I did email them however, so we'll see.

[Wilhelm]

I think I will give it a try as well. Cant hurt to see what they say ! Thanks Hugh. Let me know how it goes

[look 171]

check your city code. The folks across the street from my foks put in a drought resistance yard full of cati and crush granite. Their lovely came by and cited them for not having enough green/grass area. There's a percentage or formula they go by. They had to tear it up and redo some of it back to grass or plants.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Wilhelm

So "they keep the difference as their profit" is the problem I guess. Thanks for the reply. I guess I will check it out to see how much they will do for "free" Hope it is more than a front yard of gravel and a cactus or 2 !

Well not really a problem.

Any company that you would hire to do the work would charge you more than their material and labor cost.

So really all they are doing is providing materials and labor equal to value of rebate minus profit.

Let's say your rebate were calculated at say $1,000.00.

If you called in 2 other landscaping companies for bids what would you get for your $1,000.00 compared to TT?

Then decide if the difference, if any, is worth your time to work the rebate process on your own.

[craigster59]

I know someone who had their yard done by TT. Didn't cost them a penny, covered by rebates, but there is an "upsell" side to it where you can upgrade to better plants/ groundcover for more money out of pocket. That's where their real profit comes in.

[ossiblue]

Yes, check with your local department that is offering the rebate as the terms vary among jurisdictions.

In my area, the rebate is calculated on square footage of living grass. The rebate is applied to the final cost of your re-landscaping, meaning, the rebate cannot exceed what it cost to replace your grass. You must submit a simple sketch of the proposed new landscape, and a copy of your water bill. An estimator comes out to physically look at your property and a few days later, you are approved to begin the change over. You cannot get the rebate without prior approval
so don't remove anything until the approval is given.

So, if your rebate is calculated at, say $1000 and your cost of change is $800 (because you did the labor yourself, for example), you would receive only $800. If the change costs $1500, as verified by bills and receipts, your rebate would be the full amount calculated and your out of pocket would be $500.

As far as companies like Turf Terminators, as said, they are assigned the rebate amount knowing, in advance, what it will be. If they agree to remove for free, they are doing it with their profit already built in.

BTW, check also with other districts in your community, like the water district, as some offer additional rebates if your remove your entire irrigation system. This is a separate rebate from the grass removal rebate.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by craigster59

I know someone who had their yard done by TT. Didn't cost them a penny, covered by rebates, but there is an "upsell" side to it where you can upgrade to better plants/ groundcover for more money out of pocket. That's where their real profit comes in.

Makes sense.

That's why getting competitive bids is important.

If they were to tell me the rebate would only cover mulch and not the DG I'd pass.

Slowly converting more and more of my back yard to DG.

Great stuff. Easy to maintain, snakes won't cross it (we have copper heads out the wazoo), the lizards and geckos love it (they eat the bugs that freak my wife out), less grass to cut.

Win win.

[techweenie]

Capitalism. Gotta love it. As I read this I'm watering the lawn. I do it one day a week.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by ossiblue

...(because you did the labor yourself, for example)....

Tearing up and getting rid of the dead grass is not a fun job.

I could be convinced to give up 100% of the rebate just to avoid that part.

Planting stuff yourself is not a big deal.

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Tearing up and getting rid of the dead grass is not a fun job.

I could be convinced to give up 100% of the rebate just to avoid that part.

Planting stuff yourself is not a big deal.

Around here, hauling stuff to the dump is an arduous and costly process.

[Jim Richards]

It's not too bad in OC. I love using my pickup truck to take debris from my home remodeling to the dump.

[Jim Bremner]

Joanna and I have been looking into it as well. The trees are staying, however she wants to keep the Honey suckle? ( the white flowering plants ) I'm not sure if things would look right.

[Jim Bremner]

Alison Terry ~ Landscape Architect ~ Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego

One of the houses in my neighbor hood hired this Lady to do their front yard It's done well!