My neighbor has decided to remove all the old sod (grass), bring in a new 4 inch layer of topsoil, install new in-ground sprinklers, and reseed the lawn. He seems to think that he'll be able to save money by hauling loads of topsoil from the store himself in his pickup truck, rather than paying for delivery, but I don't think he's right.
Is he redoing the whole yard or just the front? He's redoing the whole yard. How big is the yard? I'm not sure, but you can probably estimate it using the overhead picture. Try measuring the picture and using the scale shown in the corner. How much topsoil does he need? I'm not sure, you'll have to figure that out. Remember he's putting a new 4 inch layer down over all the area currently covered by grass in the overhead picture above. What kind of pickup truck does he drive? A 2003 Ford F-150 XL. How much can the pickup carry? The truck bed is 80 inches long, 69 inches wide, and 20 inches tall and can carry up to 3,400lbs. How much is the delivery charge? $30 per truckload on top of the soil cost. Each truckload can deliver up to 18 cubic yards. How much does the topsoil cost? $18 per cubic yard (sold in 1/4 yard increments). How much does the topsoil weigh? Approximately 1700 lbs per cubic yard. How far is the soil store? It is 9 miles away. It takes about 20 minutes to drive there. What gas mileage does the pickup truck get? It averages 17 miles to the gallon. What is the current gas cost? Assume it's $2.49/gallon. How does he value his time? He's willing to give up his time (free) if he can save money on the project. Using this information, figure out whether my neighbor will save money by picking up the soil himself.