MulchSpot / Arborist business tools

What does it cost
to win a tree job?

A cheap enquiry is only the beginning. Compare lead fees, advertising, quoting time and success rates to see the cost of each job you actually win.

View comparison ↓Compare disposal costs

1. Compare the same opportunity

Illustrative examples, not competitor prices or promised results. Use your own records and one consistent monthly period. All figures are AUD; use the same GST basis throughout.

Average won job value ($)Cost to perform an average won job ($)

Quoting cost assumptions

Combined quoting labour cost / hour ($)Vehicle running cost / km ($)

Labour is the cost of everyone involved, including your own time—not your charge-out rate. Vehicle rate includes fuel, tyres, servicing and distance-related wear; exclude labour. Job performance costs cover doing the work and exclude lead fees, commissions and quoting costs counted below.

2. How you get the enquiries

Use the enquiries and spend for each source over the same period. Start with equal success rates if you do not have evidence of a difference. The initial examples use equivalent lead costs; they do not assume MulchSpot is cheaper.

MulchSpot

Enquiries received / monthAverage price per purchased lead ($)Enquiries that become paid jobs (%)

Fees, travel & quoting

Monthly subscription / management fees ($)Commission on won job value (%)Contacting & preparing quotes / enquiry (min)Enquiries needing a site visit (%)Return travel + on-site time / visit (min)Return distance / site visit (km)

$40 is an editable example. Check the actual listing price. A purchased lead is a quote opportunity, not a guaranteed job.

Another lead platform

Enquiries received / monthAverage price per purchased lead ($)Enquiries that become paid jobs (%)

Fees, travel & quoting

Enter your actual package costs. If leads are included in a subscription, enter the subscription and only additional per-lead charges.

Google / Facebook ads

Enquiries received / monthAd spend to generate these enquiries ($)Enquiries that become paid jobs (%)

Fees, travel & quoting

Include the spend needed for this enquiry count, including spend on unsuccessful clicks. Put agency fees under monthly fees.

Include all enquiries you paid to generate, including those that went nowhere. Quoting effort is counted for unsuccessful enquiries too. Do not count site-visit time again in contacting and preparing quotes.

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Illustrative example

Estimated cost per job won

Includes acquisition, quoting labour, site-visit vehicle costs and commissions.

MulchSpot

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remaining per won job after the costs entered

Another lead platform

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remaining per won job after the costs entered

Google / Facebook ads

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remaining per won job after the costs entered

Remaining contribution is not take-home profit. It excludes any overheads, tax or costs you have not entered. Expected job counts may be fractional; they represent an average, not guaranteed bookings.

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The monthly breakdown

Your monthly enquiries, spending and results for each source.
Measure	MulchSpot	Other platform	Ads

Make a fair comparison

How is cost per job won calculated?

Expected jobs = enquiries × conversion rate. Monthly acquisition cost is lead price × enquiries, or advertising spend, plus monthly fees. Add quoting labour, site-visit vehicle costs and commission on won job revenue, then divide by expected jobs. With no expected wins, cost per job is undefined; any monthly spend is still shown.

What if I get fewer enquiries from one source?

Enter each channel’s actual enquiry count and spend for the same period. Cost per job helps compare different volumes, while the monthly breakdown shows scale. Keep job type and average value comparable. More enquiries are not necessarily better if they convert poorly. This tool does not forecast demand or promise enquiry volumes.

What should I count as a win?

Use paid jobs from the same group of enquiries, allowing time for customers to decide. Do not mix this month’s enquiries with wins from a different period. Use comparable job sizes and types; a source of larger jobs may justify a higher acquisition cost.

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Also calculate the real cost of a tip run →

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