How Can I Find Out If A Landscaper Or Lawn Care Professional Is Considered An Essential Covid
To consult national guidelines on essential COVID-19 service providers and see whether a lawn care professional qualifies, visit a page on CISAs website called Identifying Critical Infrastructure During COVID-19. This website contains 16 categories of critical infrastructure sectors that you can search through. However, not all jurisdictions follow CISAs definitions of critical infrastructure so you should also check your city or states government website.
Extraneous Factors Affecting Start
When you begin a lawn care service company, its great to look over the equipment list and understand those initial and ongoing expenses. But where do you intend to store your equipment?
A small start-up lawn service may be able to use a small garage to store the equipment. Perhaps you have a garage at home that you intend to use for your machines until your business gets off its feet and can afford to rent a commercial unit.
If you are planning on renting a commercial property from the beginning, the start-up costs could be extremely high comparatively. It would be especially true if you need to renovate the property to make it initially viable for your business model.
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Dont Forget To Price Special Services And Materials Differently
Special services like mowing, mulching, and weed control and fertilization application should be priced accordingly, rather than lumped into one cost.
Jason explains that these are actually very different services because they require different types of labor.
Weed control and fertilization, for example, is typically a one-person operation, so your labor is cut downand that one person can actually generate a lot more revenue than one person can mowing, he explains.
But there are expenses in the weed control: the actual fertilizer, weed control product, labor, and drive timeall those things are factors.
The main thing Im concerned with is how big the actual yard is, and the actual amount of turf that Im going to be applying the fertilizer or herbicide to. The bigger the yard, the more of the product Im using. Thats my biggest expense, Jason explains.
So, Im pricing strictly based on the square footage. I need to get an accurate measurement of the square footage of the lawn so that I know how to price it. Then I use a pricing chart that shows square footage from 2,000 square feet all the way up to 30,000 square feet.
I can then look at my pricing chart and give them a price quickly. So as the square footage goes up, the price per square foot actually goes down.
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What Is Overseeding
Overseeding is the process of spreading grass seed on an existing turf to grow a fuller and deeper lawn without laying a brand new grass.
What does overseeding cost?
Overseeding costs can range from $950 $1500, the average price is around $400.
Is it worth it?
Overseeding is a great method to revive existing grass without wasting a lot of time and money on other expensive, and time-consuming lawn treatment methods. Overseeding new grass into an existing turf creates a more disease and drought-resistant lawn.
How Lawn Love Works
Lawn Love customers can manage all of their lawn care or snow removal services online. Simply schedule a service with the push of a button and well send over a local professional. We partner with vetted, independent lawn care contractors who have years of experience caring for everything that grows outside the home.
All payment, scheduling, and service reviews are completed from within the Lawn Love platform. If any issues occur with your service, Lawn Loves dedicated customer support team is here to assist you. We also offer a total satisfaction guarantee.
Two days after your service has been completed, well process your payment. We accept all major credit cards.
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How Much Is Lawn Care Professional Liability/errors And Omissions Insurance
Professional liability insurance, which you may have heard referred to as errors and omissions insurance, is an additional layer of coverage for your business.
Essentially, lawn care professional liability insurance protects you in the case of covered claims that are specific to your profession, and the work youve done. For example, as a lawn care professional, it could be that you cut down a customers beloved oak tree, when they had intended to cut down a pine. Perhaps your mower died halfway through a job, leaving the customer with a half-cut lawn for a big event.
Most of the time, professional liability claims are smaller than general liability claims, as they mainly cover redoing something that you didnt do properly, and avoid potentially expensive issues such as bodily injuries to people around you.
Its a bit tricky differentiating your professional liability policy from your general liability insurance policy, as there is, in fact, some overlap sometimes. To help simplify, we include professional liability insurance as part of your package when you purchase either a Next Insurance Pro or Pro Plus plan. Theres no extra lawn care insurance cost for this coverage. That way, if you have to make a claim, you dont need to worry about whether its general or professional liability you just know that you have solid lawn care insurance coverage behind you.
Is It Cheaper To Take Care Of Your Lawn
With the initial costs of $1750, mowing an average of 30 times per year will cost the homeowner $36 per cut, which can save the homeowner a lot of money. The cost is $1675/30 = $365. According to a national survey of lawn vendors conducted by GreenPal, mowing costs are about $45 per half acre on average.
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How Much It Costs To Start A Lawn Service: Startup Equipment List
May 29, 2020 by
If you are looking to break into the landscaping industry, you may wonder how much it costs to start a lawn care business. Lawn services are interesting outdoor work and can be quite profitable when appropriately managed.
The equipment required for a lawn service company varies depending on the extent of the services provided. Due to this variance, it can be challenging to know what to expect for equipment start-up costs.
For this reason, I decided to give a list of start-up equipment and their associated costs to share with you. Well start with a small scale start-up, and Ill include some notes on growth and scaling up along the way for you.
Cost Of Winterizing Your Lawn
Depending on where you live, you may need to winterize your lawn for the harsh winter weather. Winterizing your lawn will ensure the lawn your worked so hard to keep healthy and beautiful does not die from the first snow, and can also prevent dead spots or the unappealing brown spots that we all see too often at the beginning of spring.
The average cost for winterizing a lawn is about $400, but the price can vary drastically depending on where you live and the size of your lawn. If you have a lawn care provider you can ask them about their winterizing process and what your lawn would need, or you can find a lawn care professional today to take on the job.
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How Much It Costs To Mow Your Own Lawn
At the very least, your lawn needs to be mowed. If you choose to do it yourself, youll need a lawnmower, which can range in price from less than $100 for a steel-blade push mower to $500 to $1,000 for a gas-powered push mower or rider. You can also get a basic smart lawn mower like the Robomow for $699, which uses GPS to mow the lawn by itselfwhich sounds dreamy, although youll have to set up perimeters and it might not do so well on tricky landscapes containing rocks or depressions.
If you choose a gas model, youll also need to shell out for fuel. According to the University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Services, each year a family with one-third of an acre of lawn will use an average of 5 gallons of gas for mowing and trimming. With gas currently sitting at about $2.25, thats about $11.25 per year on average.
You Will Have More Time To Do Something Else
What else could you be doing?
Think about it, if you spend roughly 3.5 years mowing the lawn, thats time you could be spending with family, hiking, parasailing, etc.
That number of years equates to over 29,952 hours it takes the average person over 10,000 hours to master a skill or trade.
That is nearly three trades that can be mastered instead of mowing the lawn!
Who wouldnt want to be able to play Beethovens Symphony #5 on piano? Additionally, how much money is your time worth?
Taking an average salary of $50k, that equates to a hefty $175k. What extra could you do with that money?
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Sod Or Grassy Area Costs
There are several approaches you can take when it comes to your grassy areas. The simplest approach is to work on some grass maintenance. This might mean that you hire a yard service and get regular fertilizing started.
If you want a bigger overhaul, it might mean removing your current grass areas and changing them up. You have a few options if this is your approach:
- Spray grass seed
- Artificial turf
Lets take a closer look at the cost of the two most popular options.
Installing new sod gives your yard the immediate look of an established lawn. Sod costs between 14 and 60 cents per square foot. Once installed, you need to maintain it, including mowing, water, and fertilization. The average costs to maintain a 500 square foot yard with sod are $840 per year.
A new trend in landscaping is to install artificial turf in grassy areas. Many homeowners are seeing the short and long-term benefits of artificial turf.
It requires zero maintenance once its installed. It lasts for 25 to 30 years without the yearly upkeep of real grass. While you save on the yearly maintenance costs, it does cost more on the front end to install than sod.
Artificial turf costs run between $5 to $20 per square foot. While this price tag is heftier, after installation, you will have zero maintenance costs for the life of the turf.
How Much Does Lawn Care Insurance Cost For General Liability Coverage
General liability lawn care insurance cost for our customers is generally between $350-$450 annually, or $29-$37.50 per month.
The cost of general liability insurance for lawn care providers will vary, based on your specific work and which policy you choose. Even so, its worth thinking of insurance policy as an investment, because it can save you from any number of costs that could be very expensive.
These expenses could include everything from third-party injuries on your worksite, to property damage at a customers home, and even accusations of slander. In addition to covering replacement costs for something like a broken window, your lawn care liability insurance policy could also pay for legal expenses in case youre sued, medical fees for an injured party, and more. In other words, the cost of lawn care general liability insurance is very reasonable when compared to the potential savings it offers, and the ability it gives you to focus on your business.
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Lawn Care Products Utilized
Like any other product you might purchase, there are varying levels of quality. The types of lawn care products a company utilizes are directly reflected in the price you pay for lawn care services. That means when a company uses a higher quality product, youll likely pay a little more for their services.
Like technician experience, products can have a big impact on results. Simply put, higher quality products are going to work better. A lawn care company that costs less might be making up for charging less by using lower quality products.
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Choosing A Service Provider For Your Lawn
Regular lawn mowing activities prevents overgrowth from taking over a property, it keeps lawns tidy and improves their appearance. However, lawn mowing can be a time-consuming process, and most homeowners simply do not have the time to do so, or would rather spend their free afternoons with family. Hiring the services of a lawn mowing company is a widespread practice among property owners. It is recommended that homeowners choose a lawn mowing business providing other lawn care services to reduce the extra costs of hiring another company.
Property owners are encouraged to ascertain their precise needs before approaching a lawn maintenance provider. This is to prevent any ambiguity or misunderstandings during, or after negotiations. A homeowner who simply wants a one-time mowing job might not be too particular about the mowing services expertise, and can request the lowest possible estimate should he wish to do so. However, those desiring a long term relationship can demand references for reviewing. Homeowners usually have a lot of time and money invested in their lawns, and it is best to entrust it to an individual who will nourish and improve its health.
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Cost Of Weeding Your Lawn
Wedding your lawn is also very important maintenance. Removing unwanted and unsightly weeds is a sure way to improve the appearance of your lawn. If you have a regular lawn care professional who does your weekly mowing and trimming, you can ask them to get rid of the weeds on their next visit. There are a couple ways to go about weeding your lawn. You can pull them regularly or you can kill them with chemicals designed for the job for a more permanent solution.
The average cost of weeding is about $12 and $40 per hour, depending on which method you choose and how many weeds you have. Using weed killer is usually the more expensive route and cost closer to the $25 – $40 per hour mark since you are paying for labor and the chemicals.
Many weed killers are environmentally safe and pet friendly, but some are not. Be sure to consult a lawn care professional before making decisions on which path to take.
Level Of Experience & Training
Paying technicians who perform the lawn care services is obviously a big factor in lawn care cost and its also a big differentiator.
Because a lot of lawn care companies employ technicians that dont have a ton of experience, they also underpay them. If you find a low-priced service, it may be that their employees are underpaid. Unfortunately, that can lead to workers who arent very committed. They may even cut corners on the job. Oftentimes, companies like this have a revolving door of employees.
Lawn care services that invest in quality staff and keep employees ultimately benefits the customer. At Master Lawn, we have technicians who have up to 25 years of experience.
We also ensure that all of our technicians are licensed applicatorsnot just some like most companies. Some companies have one individual that is licensed and then just registers other technicians underneath them. Thats not good enough for Master Lawn.
That level of experience costs more but it also directly benefits the customer. For example, techs who are well-trained and highly experienced are much more likely to recognize a disease and immediately know what to treat it with. The customer reaps the benefit with better results.
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Scotts Lawn Service Cost Factors
There are a few things that can affect Scotts lawn service quotes. These are the factors that can determine how much you will spend on their service.
- Size of Lawn The bigger your lawn, the higher the cost of the service. Wider areas will need more grass seeds and will require more products such as weed control and fertilizer. This is the biggest factor.
- Type of Grass Different kinds of grass come with different prices. Bermuda for example is always widely available which makes it cheaper than Elite Bluegrass. Different strains will need different climate conditions.
Other Costs To Consider
Lawn care service isnt the only thing Scotts can provide. There are other services the company has to offer. These services will add to the above quote.
- Scheduled Service Scotts provides scheduled maintenance that will be specific to every season. If you choose this service, your lawn will be in tip top shape all year round.
- Equipment there are many types of equipment that you may purchase for keeping your lawn healthy. Products such as seeders can be used to evenly distribute grass seeds. Other items such as aeration devices will help the seeds go deep under the soil.
- Lawn Maintenance Trimming and edging the grass of your lawn is equally as important as fertilizing it. You can hire pros to do these services for an added fee.
- Tree and Hedge Care If you choose to have your trees and hedges trimmed and fertilized, Scotts has a service for this.
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How Much Does Lawn Care Cost
The local marketplace certainly plays some role in setting cost ranges. For an average-sized residential lawn, you could expect to pay anywhere from $300-$1,000 a year. Thats quite a broad range. But in order to truly understand how cost for lawn care is calculated, we must take a deeper look at some of the factors that directly contribute to it. Of the variety of factors that affect lawn care prices, here are three of the biggest:
