HIGHLIGHTS OF SURVEY99 FINDINGS

  PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS

1. Residences:

Nearly all Owners of their residences (hereafter "Owners") owned single family residences. Those who rent or lease their residences (hereafter "Renters") were mixed between those living in single family residences, Condominiums, and apartments.

2. Zip Codes:

There were nearly as many different zip codes (38) as there were Participants (53). The Zip Code spread primarily centered in and around Los Angeles, California.

3. Gender:

Often, males and females were interviewed together. The final "gender" choice was left up to each couple.

44% Male.

56% Female.

4. Age: (Optional question)

56% of Participants who cared to share that information were 18 to 45 years of age.

44% were over 45 years of age.

5. Household Income: (Optional question):

Of Participants who cared to share that information:

43% have annual incomes of under $51,000.

57% have annual incomes of $51,000 or over.

RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

1. Who is Home When Landscape Maintenance Occurs:

53% of all Participants are always or usually home when landscape maintenance is performed at their residence.

26% are sometimes home. 21% are never or almost never home.

2. Who Hires Landscape Workers:

46% of all Participants (or someone living in their residence) contract out the yard work themselves. The rest do not.

36% of all Participants have a homeowner's association or a landlord who takes care of all or a portion of Participant's property. The rest do not.

The question: "Do you do your own landscape maintenance" was not asked, but that fact was volunteered by many Participants.

3. Financial Negotiations:

Only five Participants have ever been asked for a pay raise. Four agreed to the request. One negotiated a mutually acceptable amount. None fired their workers or hired someone new.

Only one Participant regularly offers a pay raise, and that increase is given annually.

86% of Participants stated they would be willing to discuss a pay adjustment with workers if workers were willing to use a method other than blowers for leaf and debris gathering. This did not necessarily infer the need for a pay increase.

Several Participants volunteered they would want such a discussion to include specific differences in the time it takes to gather leaves and debris on their property, if any.

Two Participants volunteered they would discuss changes in landscape design, if necessary to keep the pay the same.

4. Frequency:

The majority of landscape maintenance by hired workers occurs once a week where Participants are Owners.

Only two Renters answered this question. One said twice a week, the other said four times a year.

5. Duration of Time for Regular Maintenance Per Work Session:

82% of all Renters report that regular landscape maintenance takes over 30 minutes. 70% report it takes 45 minutes to up to 2 hours per visit.

80% of all Owners report that regular landscape maintenance takes more than 30 minutes. 61% report it takes 45 minutes to more than 60 minutes.

12% of all Participants reported that regular weekly landscape maintenance takes less than 30 minutes.

46% reported between 30 and 60 minutes.

42% reported over 60 minutes.(#9/34)

6. Size of Work Crew:

84% of work crews of Participants who have had blowers used on their property in the previous 12 months consist of two to four workers. Often, these workers have specific assigned jobs. Therefore, the same leaf blower operator is exposed to risks related to blowers on every job.

36% of the time there are two workers, 44% of the time there are three workers, and 4% of the time there are four or more workers in the crew. Only 16% of the crews consisted of one worker.