How Much Should I Charge Per Hour For Lawn Mowing

Why Do Lawn Mowing Costs Rise When The Grass Is Long

Even the best lawn mower wont slash its way through grass effectively when its too long. If the person you hire attempts to do this, a couple of things could happen:

• Theyll damage the blades on their mower

• If they do damage the blades on their mower, they may not be able to complete the job

• Youll experience uneven results, which nobody wants

To prepare long grass for a mower, the professional who comes to your home will need to engage in a little slashing. In other words, theyll use different tools to chop the grass down to a cuttable size.

How Much Do Other Lawnmowers Charge For Lawn Mowing

To answer this question, we talked to 200+ mowing providers who registered with GreenSocks. We asked them how they worked out what to charge for lawn mowing in their own mowing businesses .

Some have a minimum charge. Some do not. Some have a call out fee for lawn mowing quotes. Some do not. Some guessed every price. Some had worked out their own system for determining price. Here is a summary from our research of some common factors that influence lawn mowing charges:

Lawn size the bigger the yard, the more time required to mow it and therefore the higher the lawn mowing charge

Grass height tall and/or unruly grass might need whipper snippering first, or, need be mowed two or three times to ensure a neat and tidy finish

Grass density the mower will glide through some grass types but get stuck on other grass types

Clippings option mowing pros who mow with the catcher and collect the clippings usually charge a higher lawnmowing cost than when no clippings need to be collected

Removal of green waste + tip fees if clippings need removal because the customer doesnt want them in the wheelie bin or compost, extra fees tend to apply because of tip fees and the time needed to do the tip run

Lawn mowing equipment and clippings collection can affect how much to charge for lawn mowing

Edging work footpaths, stepping stones, trees, swimming pool, garden features and/or multiple lawn sections can create extra edging work that adds time and money to a lawn mowing quote

How Much Does Instant Lawn Cost

And if you are wondering what maintenance-free instant lawn costs, low to mid-priced synthetic grass can cost anywhere from $50 to $75 per square metre , while better quality lawn will be more like $75 to $100 per square metre . Regular turf or lawn, sold in rolls, costs significantly less, anywhere from $25 to $35 per square metre, but you do have more maintenance costs with real lawn.

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Calculate Your Hourly Labor Rate

How much are you going to charge per person, per hour for the average job? This number should be based on things like the going rate in your area, how much money you want to earn per hour, and how much youre paying your employees.

If youre just starting off, look at the work and estimate the time it will take you to complete the job. Then consider how much you want to make per hour.

Pricing by the hour makes sense because lot size isnt always an accurate pricing metric. For example, garden homes might take you half an hour to complete, even if they are the same size as a quarter-acre lot, which could take you 45 minutes to complete.

Jason Creel explains that your hourly rate is important, but you shouldnt communicate it to your clients.

He explains:

Lets just say that your hourly rate is $60 per hour. Now, youre not going to speak to the customer and say, hey, I charge $60 an hour, so Im going to time myself when I cut your grass, and then multiply that by 60. Youll quickly learn how to estimate and then multiply that in your mind.

Pro tip: if youre just starting out and not sure about how long a lawn will take, keep track of the time it takes you to complete the job using time tracking software or a stopwatch. From there, find the average of your labor hours over time before figuring out exactly what speed you work at.

Prefer watching a video? Jason Creel talks about pricing out lawn care services below:

Remember That Lawn Care Is An Investment

Your home is one of the biggest purchases youll ever make, so youll want to protect that investment by ensuring your lawn is healthy and well-manicured.

Find your lawn care pro today, and we hope you enjoy your beautiful new yard for many years to come.

When you’re ready, get free estimates on HomeGuide from trusted lawn care pros:

Daniel W.

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So How Much Should I Charge For Lawn Mowing

As you can see, so many different variables go into establishing a cost. Its important to do whats best for you, but having some structure is a good idea. Perhaps create a scoring system for each factor that affects your cost. This way, you can match up a score with an appropriate figure when quoting a client.

There’s some helpful information in the forum of the Independent Lawn Mowing Contractors of Australia, where you can gain hands on advice from other professionals on what to charge specifically. The below video from Lawn Care Life goes into the different factors that go into pricing your lawn mowing services.

Mowing It Yourself Vs Hiring Someone

It is possible to mow 1 acre with a push mower. With a push mower, you could expect it to take, 2+ hours of labor. If you have a riding lawnmower, you could get it done in a little over one hour. That is if you are not doing any of the extras. With the extras, you could expect it to take twice as long for each.

If you have the time, and the temperament, doing it yourself may not be that big of a deal. However, if it is a commercial property, or you just dont have the time, hiring someone would be the best option. Commercial properties, take a little more skill than just mowing down the grass.

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Is It Ever Illegal To Mow Lawns For Money If Im A Kid

Short answer, no, its not illegal, but you need to make sure youre paying your taxes if you need to. According to the IRS, lawn mowing counts as a kind of self-employment, and you are required to pay income tax. Not only this, but you also need to pay self-employment tax if your earnings are $400 or more. Its also important to keep in mind that some cities or counties have different rules about mowing lawns for money, although this is quite rare. Its always a good idea to look it up on your state governments website.

What About Small Lawns

An important thing to take away from this article is to never work for free. Small lawns dont have to pay the extra charges that those with more acreage do, but you should never drop your minimum price for paying customers. If you want to mow your friends or familys lawn for a discount, you might be able to get away with it, fine, but only if you know youre going to have enough money to pay for your overhead costs.

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Calculate Your Rate When You Have Employees

Employees can speed up your operation tenfold. But, theres an art to pricing out their labor.

Jason explains that when including labor in your price, you should consider how much effort is required per person.

When I say $60 per hour, Im talking about the rate per person. So if you have a two-man crew, youre looking at $120 per hour. If you have a three-man crew, $180 per hour. If Ive got a two-man crew and were cutting grass and it took us 30 minutes to cut, thats a $60 lawn. Although it took half the time to mow this lawn, it required two times the effort for labor for Jasons team.

Or, you can take Edwards approach:

We bid per hour. I like to walk the site, get the job requirements, and decide how long and how much labor it will take. For example, a job might take an hour and a half with three people. So Ill bill three people on the site at $45 an hour, $45 per employee, so that $135 for labor alone.

Notice that this price doesnt include overhead, equipment, and materials costs yet.

What Influences Lawn Mowing Cost

You probably know that prices vary from company to company. However, they generally stay within a relatively stable range. Aside from the obvious that we covered in the mowing calculator, factors that affect lawn mowing cost include the following:

• What’s included in the mowing service? Is it just mowing, or does the company offer all-inclusive packages, with weed-eating, edging, and disposing of the grass clippings? Do they also provide another service, for example, lawn ferilization?
• Has the lawn been mowed regularly? If it’s a new lawn that has never been mowed, or it has been neglected for some time, mowing will probably take longer and will require more labor than a regular lawns, and therefore may potentially cost more.
• Do you want to hire the company for regular mowing? Unfortunately, mowing does not last forever. You might want to consider setting up a regular mowing service with your provider. In most companies, the more frequent the mowing, the less it costs. For example, the same company can charge $50 for a one-time mowing service, but their price would drop to $45 for the same lawn if it was mowed by them twice a month, and to $40 if it was done on a weekly basis.
• How far from the company’s headquarters do you live? If it takes a while for them to drive to you, the lawn care company might want to charge more due to transportation costs such as gas.

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Can I Cut Wet Grass

Once they are upright its probably safe to mow. Wet grass tends to cut less cleanly, resulting in larger clippings. These wet clippings like to clump together and block up the mowers deck. Ideally, you should wait until the grass is dry enough so that you can walk through the lawn and not have wet shoes.

Should I Hire A Registered Agent

The Bottom Line. For many small businesses, hiring a registered agent service just doesnt make sense. They have a regular storefront, keep normal business hours, only operate in their home state, and they arent concerned about their privacy. If thats you, you should do fine without a registered agent.

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Independent Lawn Mowing Contractors Of Australia

One place that new lawnmowing professionals can be seen asking online, How much do I charge for lawn mowing?, is on the lawn mowing forums on Independent Lawn Mowing Contractors of Australia. There are lots of conversations there and lots of mowing professionals offering their tips. Most of the forum entries are quite dated but the conversations could still prove invaluable.

IndMowing.com.au Lawn Mowing Forums

How Long Does It Take To Push Mow 1 Acre

With a typical 21 push mower it takes about 2 hours to mow an acre of lawn. A riding mower with a 36 cutting deck will give you the same result in an hour. Riding lawn mower with a 48 cutting width will help you mow an acre of lawn in about 45 minutes.

Consequently, how long does it take to push mow?

Average Lawn Mowing Time

Similarly, how long does it take to mow 4 acres? To mow an acre of lawn with a 21″ mower deck at 3 mph, it will take approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes. At this rate you will only be able to mow about 4 acres in about an 8 hour day.

Similarly, it is asked, how long does it take to push mow half an acre?

It could take anywhere from 30minutes or 3 hours to do a half acre. It depends on your landscaping. Lots of little trees I would push mow up to an acre.

How much should I charge per acre to mow?

No Property Is Too Big, or Too Small!

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Diy Lawn Care Vs Professional Service

An attractive and well-manicured lawn provides space for families to spend quality time together in pleasant surroundings, and it also contributes to the overall value of the property. Healthy lawns and other green areas have been known to improve the oxygen supply of the immediate environment and provide a peaceful and calm refuge from city life, and commercial activities.Achieving a healthy and attractive lawn requires a lot of dedication and resources. Lawns can rapidly deteriorate if left unattended for a relatively short period. Property owners have a choice of doing the yard work by themselves or hiring the services of a lawn professional. Although factors like limited time and budget are key considerations when it comes to hiring a lawn care professional, it is important that homeowners carefully evaluate the pros and cons of both before making a decision.

Pros of DIY lawn care.

Cons of DIY lawn care

Pros of hiring a lawn service

The Size Of The Business

Solopreneurs may charge less than those running a large business. Thats because the following costs dont mount up as much:

• Business insurance

• Advertising

• Employee uniforms

Hiring someone who works alone doesnt mean youll get less for your money. However, they may not have backup resources. For example, employees to cover them if theyre sick. Or, additional machines if theirs breaks.

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Type Of Yard And Landscape

The structure of your yard can also change the average cost of lawn service. A flat, wide-open yard with few obstacles can be mowed and cared for quickly. A yard with hills, trees, flower beds, structures and fence lines or other obstacles takes more time and care. It can’t all be mowed with a fast-riding mower. A lawn care professional will typically consider all of these things when giving you a quote.

How Do I Keep My Grass Short Without Mowing

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What About Big Commercial Properties

Properties like schools and industrial lots take a lot more time and effort to mow. I would advise that you keep your price ranges the same and allow the formulas above to help you earn more money from doing more work. Remember, just because a company has more finances than a household doesnt mean that theyre any more willing to spend their money, and they can always take their business elsewhere if they think youre charging too much. I would also advise you to not mow commercial properties if youre just one person unless you have a riding mower, but even then you might want to wait until you have more workers so you can get the job done without spending all your energy.

Knowledge Is Power When It Comes To Lawn Care

I hope that this lawn care pricing chart has given you a good idea about what the average cost of different lawn care services will be.

As I said in the beginning of this article its important to remember that where you live, what your property is like, and how big your lawn is will all play a role in the cost of hiring a lawn care or landscaping company in your area.

If the price of managed lawn care is more than you would like to pay, I encourage you to take control of your lawn and do it yourself. Theres a real feeling of satisfaction that comes with mowing and caring for your own property, and I have a lot of helpful articles on this site to help you get started. Please have a look around!

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Diy Lawn Care Vs Professional Lawn Care Services

DIY lawn maintenance is a relatively cheap household expense. Aside from the initial cost to purchase a lawn mower, the only other expenses include buying gas and fine tuning the equipment, which costs around $20 if you do it yourself, or $50 to $75 if you take it to a repair shop.

Now, what I like to factor in which for many is the largest cost, that is the cost of your own time. What do you value an hour of your own time at? If your lawn takes you 2-3 hours to complete each week, that is 8-12 hours each month you could be dedicating to lawn maintenance.