Figuring out what to charge for mowing lawns is a common worry for folks just starting out. You want to be fair to your customers but also make sure you’re getting paid enough for your time and effort. It can feel a bit tricky when you first begin.
But don’t worry! We’ll walk through this step-by-step to make it super simple. Soon you’ll feel confident knowing how to determine what to charge for lawn mowing.
Key Takeaways
- Learn to calculate your hourly rate by tracking your time.
- Understand how property size affects pricing.
- Factor in extra services like trimming and blowing.
- Consider your operating costs to ensure profitability.
- Research what other local lawn care providers charge.
- Adjust prices based on your experience and demand.
What To Charge For Lawn Mowing
When you start offering lawn mowing services, one of the first big questions is how much to ask for. You don’t want to charge too little and not make any money, and you don’t want to charge too much and scare customers away. It’s all about finding that sweet spot.
This guide will help you figure out the best price for your work. We will cover everything from how long a job takes to what your expenses are.
Your Time Is Valuable
The most important thing to remember is that your time is worth money. To figure out how much to charge, you first need to know how long it actually takes you to mow a lawn. This isn’t just the time spent cutting the grass.
It includes getting your equipment ready, driving to the job, doing the mowing, trimming edges, blowing clippings, and cleaning up. It also includes the time it takes to pack up your gear and drive back.
Try this: for a few of your first jobs, time yourself from the moment you leave your house until you get back. Keep a notebook or use your phone to write down the start and end times. Also, note the size of the lawn and any special features like hills or many flower beds.
This will give you a realistic idea of how much time each type of job takes.
Calculate Your Hourly Rate
Once you know how long jobs take, you can figure out your hourly rate. A good starting point is to think about what you would want to earn per hour if you were working for someone else. Consider your local cost of living and what skilled labor typically earns.
For example, if you aim to make $20 per hour, and a typical lawn takes you 1.5 hours from start to finish, you might think about charging $30 for that lawn.
However, you also need to think about your business expenses. These are costs that you have to pay to keep your business running. We’ll talk more about these soon.
So, your hourly rate needs to be high enough to cover these costs and still leave you with a profit.
Consider Your Equipment And Expenses
Running a lawn mowing business means you have costs. You need to buy a good mower, trimmers, blowers, gas, oil, and safety gear. You also have to pay for maintenance and repairs on your equipment.
If you use a truck or trailer, there are fuel and insurance costs too.
Let’s look at some common expenses:
- Equipment Purchase and Depreciation: The cost of your mower, trimmer, blower, etc. These items wear out and need to be replaced over time.
- Fuel and Oil: You’ll be buying a lot of gas for your equipment.
- Maintenance and Repairs: Blades need sharpening, engines need tune-ups, and things break sometimes.
- Insurance: General liability insurance is important to protect you if something goes wrong.
- Vehicle Costs: If you use a car or truck for your business, include fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
- Supplies: Things like trimmer line, safety glasses, and gloves.
You need to add a portion of these costs to your hourly rate. A common way to do this is to calculate your total monthly expenses and divide that by the number of billable hours you expect to work in a month. For instance, if your monthly expenses are $400 and you plan to work 80 billable hours, you’d add $5 per hour ($400 / 80 hours) to your desired wage.
Yard Size Matters A Lot
The size of the lawn is the biggest factor in how long a job takes. Larger yards naturally take more time and effort. You can price based on square footage or by breaking down pricing into different lawn sizes.
Here’s a simple way to categorize yard sizes:
- Small Yard: Typically under 5,000 sq ft. Might take 20-40 minutes.
- Medium Yard: Between 5,000 and 10,000 sq ft. Might take 40-60 minutes.
- Large Yard: Over 10,000 sq ft. Can take an hour or more.
You can develop a pricing chart based on these sizes. For example:
| Yard Size | Estimated Time | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 20-40 minutes | $30 – $50 |
| Medium | 40-60 minutes | $50 – $75 |
| Large | 60+ minutes | $75 – $100+ |
Remember to adjust these prices based on your calculated hourly rate and expenses. If your hourly rate with expenses is $30, a 1-hour job would be at least $60 to break even and make a profit. These are just examples; your prices might be higher or lower depending on your area.
Extra Services Add Value (And Revenue)
Most lawns need more than just mowing. Think about the other tasks you can offer, and make sure to charge extra for them. This is how you can increase your earnings per job and provide better service.
Common extra services include:
- Edging: Creating clean lines along sidewalks, driveways, and garden beds.
- Trimming: Using a string trimmer to cut grass in areas the mower can’t reach, like around trees or fences.
- Blowing: Clearing clippings from driveways, walkways, and patios.
- Weed Whacking: Clearing overgrown areas.
- Leaf Raking and Removal: Especially important in the fall.
- Fertilizing: Applying lawn food.
- Aeration: Loosening compacted soil.
For these services, you can either charge a flat fee per service or add them to the hourly rate. For example, you might charge an extra $15-$25 for edging and blowing a medium-sized yard. Trimming might be included in your base mowing price for most yards, but if it’s a very difficult or time-consuming trim, you might charge more.
Factor In Terrain And Obstacles
Some yards are much harder to mow than others. A flat, open yard is easy. But a yard with steep hills, lots of trees, flower beds, or complex shapes will take more time and care.
Consider these challenges:
- Slopes and Hills: Mowing on inclines is slower and can be more dangerous. You may need to charge more for these.
- Tight Spaces and Obstacles: Maneuvering around many trees, garden beds, or play equipment takes extra time.
- Irregular Shapes: Yards with many corners and edges require more trimming.
- Tall or Thick Grass: If grass is very long or thick, it takes more passes and wears out your equipment faster. You might need to charge a higher “overgrown” rate.
When you are estimating a price, always do a quick walk-around of the property if possible. Point out any challenging areas to the customer so they understand why the price might be a bit higher.
Research Your Local Market
It’s smart to know what other lawn mowing services in your area are charging. This helps you set competitive prices. You can do this by:
- Driving around and looking for lawn care company signs.
- Searching online for “lawn mowing services near me” and checking their websites.
- Asking neighbors or friends what they pay.
- Calling a few competitors for quotes on a similar-sized yard.
Don’t just copy their prices. Use this information to guide your own pricing strategy. If you offer better service or more reliable appointments, you might be able to charge a little more.
If you are just starting and want to build a customer base, you might start slightly lower.
Offer Different Service Packages
To make pricing easier for customers and for you, consider offering a few service packages. This can simplify the decision-making process.
Here are some ideas for packages:
- Basic Mow: Includes mowing the lawn and blowing off hard surfaces.
- Standard Care: Includes mowing, trimming, edging, and blowing.
- Premium Lawn Service: Includes all standard services plus seasonal clean-ups or specialized treatments.
Clearly list what is included in each package and the price. This transparency builds trust. You can also offer discounts for customers who sign up for weekly or bi-weekly service plans.
When To Increase Your Prices
As you gain experience, your efficiency will improve, and you’ll likely find yourself working faster. You’ll also have more demand for your services. These are good signs that it might be time to raise your prices.
Look for these indicators:
- You are consistently booked solid for weeks in advance.
- You are turning down new customers because you don’t have time.
- Your costs have gone up (e.g., gas prices increase significantly).
- You have invested in better, more efficient equipment.
- You have gained more experience and can do jobs faster and better.
When you do raise prices, give your existing customers advance notice, usually a month or two. Explain why prices are changing, perhaps due to rising costs or added services. Most loyal customers will understand if you have been providing good service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How much should I charge per hour for lawn mowing if I’m new?
Answer: As a beginner, aim for an hourly rate that covers your expenses and allows for a small profit. Start by estimating your costs for gas, maintenance, and equipment. Then, add a reasonable wage for yourself.
A range of $25 to $50 per hour is common, but this varies greatly by location and what competitors charge.
Question: What if a customer’s lawn is really overgrown?
Answer: If a lawn is significantly overgrown, it will take much longer to cut and can dull your mower blades faster. You should charge an extra “overgrown” fee. This could be a flat rate on top of your regular price or a higher hourly rate for that specific job.
Question: Should I charge more for mowing on hills?
Answer: Yes, mowing on hills or steep slopes is more difficult and potentially dangerous. It also takes more time and effort to maintain control of the equipment. You should charge an additional fee for properties with significant hills to compensate for the extra challenge and time.
Question: How do I calculate the square footage of a yard if I don’t have a measuring wheel?
Answer: You can estimate yard size using online tools like Google Earth or by using common measurements. For simple rectangular yards, multiply the length by the width. For more complex shapes, break them down into smaller, measurable sections (like rectangles and triangles) and add the areas together.
Many smartphone apps can also help measure areas.
Question: Is it better to charge a flat rate or by the hour for lawn mowing?
Answer: Charging a flat rate per job is often preferred by customers because they know the exact cost upfront. For this to work, you need to accurately estimate the time and effort involved. Charging by the hour is better when you are just starting and still learning how long jobs take, or for unpredictable jobs like overgrown lawns.
Many businesses use a hybrid approach, giving flat rates for standard services but charging hourly for complex tasks.
Final Thoughts
Setting your lawn mowing prices is a key part of running a successful business. By carefully considering your time, costs, yard characteristics, and local market, you can establish fair and profitable rates. Keep track of your expenses, time spent on jobs, and what customers are willing to pay.
Adjust your prices as you grow and gain more experience. You’ve got this!