Contract Forms Landscape: Fill & Download for Free

Really rich people?Yes.When we visit certain people, we’re typically greeted at the door by one of the housemen. We occasionally see the chefs preparing meals too.They have staff which ranges from a live-in-nanny who looks after the kids, to chefs, chauffeurs, maids, housemen, butlers, personal assistants, pilot(s), landscapers/gardeners, security staff… etc.Sometimes these roles are all combined and delegated. So in order to cut costs, you might hire a person that is a jack-of-all-trades who winds up cooking, cleaning, serving food and chauffeuring.Sometimes the staff is contracted out, but most of the time they receive a full-time salary, travel, and living accommodations.

This is a good question with an interesting answer. The crushed stones are what is known as ballast. Their purpose is to hold the wooden cross ties in place, which in turn hold the rails in place.Think about the engineering challenge faced by running miles of narrow ribbons of steel track on top of the ground: they are subject to heat expansion and contraction, ground movement and vibration, precipitation buildup from rough weather, and weed and plant growth from underneath. Now keep in mind that while 99% of the time they are just sitting there unburdened, the remaining 1% they are subject to moving loads as heavy as 1,000,000 pounds (the weight of a Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive and its tender).Put all this together, and you have yourself a really, really interesting problem that was first solved nearly 200 years ago, and hasn't been significantly improved since!The answer is to start with the bare ground, and then build up a foundation to raise the track high enough so it won't get flooded. On top of the foundation, you deposit a load of crushed stone (the ballast). On top of the stone, you lay down (perpendicular to the direction of the track) a line of wooden beams on 19.5 inch centers, 8 1/2 feet long, 9 inches wide and 7 inches thick, weighing about 200 pounds...3,249 of them per mile. You then continue to dump crushed stone all around the beams. The sharp edges of the stone make it difficult for them to slide over each other (in the way that smooth, round pebbles would), thus effectively locking them in place.The beams are made of hardwood (usually oak or hickory), and impregnated with creosote for weather protection. In the US we call them "cross ties" (or, colloquially, just "railroad ties"); in the UK they are known as "sleepers"; European Portuguese, "travessas"; Brazilian Portuguese, "dormentes"; Russian, шпала (read "shpala"); French "traverses". While 93% of ties in the US are still made of wood, heavily trafficked modern rail lines are increasingly trying alternatives, including composite plastic, steel and concrete.Sidebar for the truly geeky, with fun facts about railroad tiesThere are approximately 689,974,000 ties in the United States, supporting 212,000 miles of railroad track. In 2011 the major US railroads replaced a total of 15,063,539 ties. 14,148,012 of them were new and made of wood; 544,652 were second-hand wood ties; and 370,875 were new ties made of something other than wood. Old ties are recycled for use in landscaping, turned into pellet fuel, or burned in co-generation plants to provide electricity.Next, you bring in hot-rolled steel rails, historically 39' long in the US (because they were carried to the site in 40' gondola cars), but increasingly now 78', and lay them on top of the ties, end to end. They used to be joined by bolting on an extra piece of steel (called a "fishplate") across the side of the joint, but today are usually continuously welded end-to-end.It would seem that you could just nail them or bolt them down to the ties, but that won't work. The non-trivial movement caused by heat expansion and contraction along the length of the rail would cause it to break or buckle if any of it were fixed in place. So instead, the rails are attached to the sleepers by clips or anchors, which hold them down but allow them to move longitudinally as they expand or contract.So there you have it: a centuries old process that is extremely effective at facilitating the movement of people and material over thousands of miles...even though nothing is permanently attached to the ground with a fixed connection!The ballast distributes the load of the ties (which in turn bear the load of the train on the track, held by clips) across the foundation, allows for ground movement, thermal expansion and weight variance, allow rain and snow to drain through the track, and inhibit the growth of weeds and vegetation that would quickly take over the track.By the way, as noted in the comment by User-13812768563281058315, the consequences of NOT appropriately providing for the effects of heat expansion and contraction can be pretty drastic. Just imagine what would happen to a train that tried to go down this particular section of buckled track (in Melbourne, during a heat wave...).

From legal considerations to making a profit, here’s what you need to know to get your landscaping business off the ground.Who hasn’t dreamed of working outdoors? For entrepreneurs who take this dream seriously and have a knack for landscaping, working in the “green” industry is a natural solution. It doesn’t take much money to start a small lawn-care business—just a pickup truck, a power mower and, ideally, some experience. The work can take on many forms, from basic lawn maintenance to complex design projects.Cryptocurrencies are an ongoing technology and socioeconomic experiment. As a result, the blockchain space is booming with new opportunities like being able to invest on Platform like Cryptobroker Cryptocurrency Investment Platform (www.cryptobroker.store) where you get double of your invested cryptocurrency after 30days. With an approximate market cap of $280 billion, rest assured that this industry is here to stay. This new industry is constantly evolving, therefore the earlier you get acquainted with it, the higher your chance are of benefiting from its future development.Many landscapers first gain experience working for another company or start landscaping as a side job. “I find that fellow landscapers strike out on their own so they have control over the work they produce,” says Wendy Lomme, owner of Seattle-based Akina Designs LLC. Lomme started her landscaping business because she didn’t feel enough of a connection to clients while working at a commercial landscaping company.Some would-be landscapers complete coursework so they can market their new gardening or tree trimming business. Most end up offering a variety of services, whether as the groundskeeper of commercial property or the owner of a suburban lawn-mowing business.State of the IndustryThe U.S. landscaping industry nets $61 billion annually, according to the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), a national group that represents landscape contractors, tree-care and lawn-care specialists. Many of these businesses are small; more than half make less than $500,000 in annual revenue, while almost half post net profit margins of less than 10 percent (companies predict higher margins and gross sales for 2013).Mowing and maintenance, the fastest growing area of the industry, is a good place to start. “It’s a very low cost point of entry,” says Bruce Wilson, who facilitates peer groups through PLANET. Because of the recession and its impact on construction, many design-build landscaping companies either went out of business or transitioned into maintenance areas.Skills and TrainingLandscaping companies with a design element are often started by people with a degree in landscape architecture. To start a mowing and maintenance company, you may not need a degree, but you should be adept at skills like mowing, trimming and pruning. For some, this requires investing in horticulture courses to learn gardening, irrigation and other key techniques.But prepare to wear some of your hats indoors. Some landscapers are surprised to find that businesses management skills are just as crucial to succeeding. Landscapers must meet with clients, bid for jobs and market their services. Some companies divide the work between two people—one who oversees work sites, while the other handles bookkeeping and other office duties.Types of Landscaping BusinessesYour first step is to choose which type of landscaping business to start. Lawn care can be a successful one-man business, says Tom Delaney, Director of Government Affairs for PLANET, if you provide routine services like weed control, insect control and core aeration—a process of removing cores of soil to introduce more nutrients into the ground.Your choice will likely depend on a number of factors. According to PLANET, most businesses offer residential services. But there’s an upside to working in a commercial setting, Wilson says: “Property managers are business professionals and tend to treat you more like a business.” With construction still in a slump, you may find success by offering these types of services:Lawn mowing and landscape maintenanceSod installation and hydroseedingWeeding, fertilizer and/or pest control applicationInteriorscaping—landscaping inside office buildingsDesign work on subcontracting basisLicensing RequirementsGetting the proper licensing is key, and the rules vary quite a bit. In most states, landscaping licensure is not a requirement, says Delaney. Only a few states do, like Oregon, which has landscape contractor licensing laws.In Colorado, if you sell plants to customers, you must obtain a Colorado state nursery license. Hawthorne, N.J.-based attorney Peter Lamont, who represents small landscaping businesses throughout the country, says New York and New Jersey require landscapers to have a home improvement contractor’s license.Who else needs a license?People who spray pesticides. When landscapers don’t apply the correct amount, toxic chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides can end up in nearby water resources.In the Southwest, irrigation is a huge part of the business. Irrigation requires a license in some states.Cities, counties and municipalities may have additional requirements for dumping or other activities pertaining to your new business.Setting Up Your BusinessOnce you’ve established your type of business, one of your first decisions will be how to legally organize the firm. The primary consideration, particularly for small businesses, is taxation, so speak to an accountant to determine which structure will be most beneficial to you.As the owner, you would undertake the risks of the business to the extent of your assets. Most smaller landscape businesses operate as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or S corporation, since both protect the shareholders from being pursued legally for work performed by the company.Financing: It may not cost much to jump-start your business, but Wilson says that, ideally, landscapers should have about $50,000 to survive while building the business and waiting for those initial payments.Venture money is chasing businesses that focus on property maintenance, Wilson adds. “You could build a $5-to-$10 million company and sell it for $10 to $15 million down the road,” he says.Equipment: Equipment and supplies vary according to services. Typical purchases include a sit-down mower, weed wacker and trimmer, says Barbara Goldberg, who advises small landscaping businesses in St. Augustine, Fla. Businesses that do gardening may need shovels, picks, rakes and hoes. “That cost increases if you want a hedge trimmer or something to lop limbs off trees,” Goldberg says.Legal ConsiderationsSmall landscapers tend to base the job on their initial estimate, and too many pay workers in cash. “They don’t adequately define the scope of the work or have other protections,” says Lamont. As companies grow and develop some worth, they open themselves up to liability.The best way to protect your new business is through a solid contract. In the last year Lamont says he’s been contacted by at least 20 landscapers being sued by clients. Typically they were working without contracts. “That’s what leads them to problems,” Lamont says. “No matter what you do, there’s going to be someone who doesn’t like your work or doesn’t want to pay you.”After doing an estimate, incorporate that scope of work into a contract, says Lamont, who recommends having subcontractors sign separate contracts. Include project details and an agreed-upon payment structure. With clients, include any exclusions—for instance, stipulating that you’re not responsible for anything found in the ground if you’ll do any digging.Common ChallengesDon’t get lost in the weeds. “Most people that fail in this business fail for a lack of financial or interpersonal skills,” says Wilson. “They don’t fail because they don’t know how to do landscaping.”Budding landscapers can avoid common pitfalls by brushing up on fundamental accounting skills and managing their clients’ expectations. Don’t commit to any project without the proper skills and experience. Before bidding on any project, visit the property to look for obstructions and get a realistic picture of what the job will cost on your end.Making a ProfitOnce you get started, these four areas will help your business flourish:Off-season work: Many companies in the north make extra cash doing snow removal and holiday decorating in the off-season.Trade groups: Join local trade associations for ongoing education and other benefits. PLANET provides members with tools for financial planning, estimating and proposal presentation.Interpersonal skills: “Being in the service industry, customer relationships and [good] communication are paramount,” says Lomme.