Get An Employer Identification Number
If your business is of the sole proprietorship variety, you wont need an employer identification number.
However, if youre planning on having employees work in your lawn business, youll need to get one to open a business account, apply for a business license, or to get a loan.
You can see what an application looks like here.
To get yours, apply at the IRS website.
Its totally free.
How To Save Money On Lawn Care Services
If you love the idea of professional lawn care but not the added household expense, think strategically about signing on for the long term with a lawn company. “Lawn mowing is a competitive business,” says one lawn care pro. As a result, many companies will negotiate discounts and deals based on frequency of visits.
If you are planning to become a regular customer, ask about package rates and bundling lawn mowing and trimming with other lawn care services such as landscaping and fertilization. Lawn care pros benefit by providing you with multiple services, your pocketbook benefits from the discounts, and your lawn benefits from the holistic care.
Making Adjustments To Limit Mistakes
As Ive mentioned before and will again youre going to make some mistakes, especially in the beginning. But there are ways to limit the number of mistakes you make and ways to learn from them so that you tighten down your bidding system.
Its one thing to screw up a bid or two, but its another to lose money on an ongoing and regular basis. The first and best way to figure out if this is happening is to do a day in review. When you get home after a long day of mowing, look back on that days activities and do some quick math.
For example let’s suppose that its 6pm and you just finished up a long 10 hour day.
Based on the man hour figure we came up with, you should’ve earned $520 for that day
But what if you didn’t?
Suppose you grossed only $480.
On the surface of it, you might say, oh well, close enough. But not acknowledging this factor and not figuring out where the leak is the #1 cause of the utter failure of many lawn care businesses.
As you review your day, you realize that you spent an hour and a half at Mr. Squinchmeyer’s house but in your bid, you quoted him $39, or about 45 minutes.
What’s more.. It turns out that you screwed the pooch here and way under bid this job. Sure, one job once per week isn’t going to kill you, but think of it this way
If you waste $40 once per week every week that comes out to over $2,000 that you’re simply pissing away!
Doesn’t seem so small now, does it?
And what if you have 3 or 4 Mr. Squinchmeyers?
Will he stick with you?
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Lawn Care Service Price Factors
What youll pay for lawn care services depends on several factors. Take these into consideration as youre planning and budgeting for the type of work youd like to get done:
- The size of your yard.
- Residential vs. commercial lawn care costs.
- Regional living expenses.
- The different types of work you need done.
- Whether you hire a large company vs. a smaller independent operation.
If you live in an expensive part of the country and have a large commercial area that needs significant lawn care, you will pay much more than if you hire a small independent company to help with assorted yardwork on a small residential property.
Lawn Service Cost Estimator By Brand
Many brands, like Lawn Doctor and TruGreen, do not publish prices online. This is because what youll pay can vary so significantly based on the condition of your lawn, its size and where you live. Heres a look at what youll pay with two different popular brands:
- TruComplete Lawn Plan: $780 per year.
- Scotts LawnService: $650 per year.
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How To Impress Potential Clients Without A Lot Of Cash
The tips for starting a lawn care business can be summarized simply: provide the services that customers want, and do what you do well, in a professional and courteous way using well-maintained equipment. You dont need a on of cash to make a good impression, but you do need to invest in tools that keep you organized and professional.
Using the Lawn Love app is one of the best ways to impress potential clients by keeping you organized and on time, while saving you overhead and marketing costs. Apps help you schedule work crews, generate professional contracts and invoices and even take online payments.
How Often Should I Mow My Lawn
This can sometimes depends on the time of year. Some clients prefer to have their lawn cut weekly during the spring and most like to try and save some money during the Summer and try to keep it at once every two weeks.
According to CustomLawn, Mowing actually helps make your grass grow thicker because the tip of each blade contains hormones that suppress horizontal growth. When you cut the lawn, you remove these tips allowing the grass to spread and grow thicker near the roots.
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Current Condition Of Lawn
For some lawn care services, the healthier you keep your lawn, the less you may need to pay.
For example, if youre not maintaining your lawn with the proper detaching, aeration, or watering regimen, then you may have to spend more money to fight off pests, disease, and heat stress. Or, if you havent had your lawn mowed in weeks, you may be charged a higher fee to cut the overgrown grass.
How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn
The frequency of mowing your lawn depends on the weather in your area, the season, and your personal preference. During the prime growing season, you will most likely want to mow your yard weekly, though you may stretch that to ten days if you live in a hot area with lots of sun and prefer longer grass to protect the roots from the heat. Preseason and the end of the growing season see slower growth, so bi-weekly mowing will likely be sufficient.
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Tree Pruning Or Trimming
Dont neglect the trees on your property. Its essential that you have them pruned every winter so that you wont end up with any dying branches.
This is a safety issue, and it will also encourage green growth when the spring arrives.
Beyond this, trees that are limbed-up and pruned allow more light to get to your lawn, which will improve the health and thickness of your lawn. It also just makes your property look better.
On average, homeowners with trees on their properties spend between about $292 and $638 to have tree branches pruned and to get their trees limbed up.
Beyond this number from my lawn care pricing chart, the exact price youll pay depends on the number of trees they have and the size of the trees.
Monthly Lawn Service Cost
You can expect to pay an average of $200 to $250 a month for monthly lawn care on a 3,000 to 5,000 sq.ft. area if you contract for a monthly service. A monthly contract allows you to get lower rates than you would for a one-time service. Keep in mind that monthly service plans are only for weekly or biweekly mows and services. Most companies do not offer plans with three-week or monthly mows.
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Weekly Lawn Care Cost
Weekly grass maintenance averages from $65 to $125 per week, depending on the size of your lawn and maintenance items involved. Your maintenance company may choose to bill you for the services performed on a specific week or include all of the seasonal items and break it out to a weekly contract price. Most often, contracts include leaf removal, mowing, fertilizing, and aeration.
Yard Cleanup In Spring And Fall
Ever spring youll have downed branches and debris in your lawn and garden beds to pick up and remove.
In the fall youll want to prune back perennials and rake out garden beds to make them neat and tidy.
Homeowners generally pay between $100 and $250 for yard cleanup in the spring and fall, and its a great investment in making your home neat and tidy so you can focus on enjoying your lawn all year.
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Lawn Care Pricing: How Much To Charge For Your Services
Lawn care pricing strategies determine the survival of your business. Coincidentally, lawn care pricing to be the #1 thing many lawn care business owners don’t get right.
When you properly price your services, you can grow your business faster while ensuring the success of your business.
This lawn care pricing guide gives you:
- A FREE pricing calculator to fix your prices in under 10 minutes
- A complete guide to pricing your services to increase sales and improve reputation
- The best pricing strategies to maximize your profits with simple lawn care pricing strategies
After reading this article, youll know exactly how to properly price your lawn care services to kickstart your business profits and growth.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Professional Lawn Mowing Service For Your Customers
Both customers and businesses need to know why anyone would hire a professional lawn mowing service when itâs a job that homeowners can do themselves.
Lawn mowing is hard work, takes a lot of time, and the equipment can be expensive. If someone works a busy schedule or doesnât have the equipment, a professional like you can keep their yard as green as a leprechaun. Plus, if a person lives in a part of the country with an inconsistent climate, managing the seasonal needs of a lawn is something that should be left to the professionals.
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How You’ll Pay For Lawn Care Services
Most companies charge for lawn care services by application or by season . You can either pre-pay for all of your visits ahead of time with a discount, or you can pay for each visit as you go. Not every company gives the same discount for pre-paying, so be sure to explore this option.
Some customers may want an easy pay option where payments are automatically deducted from a bank account or credit card after a visit is completed. This optional payment method is becoming more popular in the industry. This auto-pay method does not always have a discount associated with it.
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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Lawn Replacement Or Restoration Costs
Sod costs between $120 and $400 per pallet. Youll pay between $2,500 and $6,620 to fully replace or restore an average-sized lawn thats about one-fifth of an acre.
To seed a lawn costs between $410 and $1,510. It takes between one and two years for a seeded lawn to fully grow in. During this time, its susceptible to pests and damage. Sod is a much quicker way to get the look and feel you want.
How Does Lawn Condition Impact How Much To Charge For Lawn Mowing
The relative quality of the lawn itself will naturally affect costing given the time and effort required. Here are a few variables to take into consideration.
- Size of the lawn. A tiny front lawn is obviously going to cost a lot less than a sprawling back yard due to the smaller amount of energy required. Many lawn mowing companies scale their prices based on size as a result.
- Height of the grass. Tall grass requires more energy than shorter grass to tame, and may also require a whipper snipper beforehand. Other lawns require multiple efforts with a lawnmower which takes additional time.
- Density of the grass. Tough, durable grass may require multiple efforts with a lawn mower. A dense area of grass also means increased clippings to collect, and therefore more time is required.
- Lawn terrain. Terrain needs to be considered, as a flat lawn without obstacles is much easier to mow than a steep lawn broken into segments. Any additional effort required will need to be charged for appropriately.
- Obstacles on the lawn. Additional variables that add to the difficulty of lawn mowing include obstacles such as trees or garden features that make mowing less simple. Anything that adds extra time and attention will need to be factored into the price.
Pssst: to find customers local to you who are looking for lawn mowing services.
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What Kind Of Services Should I Offer
Most lawn care businesses have approximately 25 customers they see each week and offers services like these:
- Adding mulch
And of course, these old standbys:
- Mowing
- Fertilizing
- Fertilizer application
As you can see, theres plenty of landscaping services you can offer. Just remember to always provide an superior customer service experience for everyone you do business with.
How Much Does Sod Installation Cost
The cost to install natural grass sod is quite a bit less than artificial grass. It costs between to $1 to $2 a square foot, or $2,000 to $4,000 for 2,000 square feet, If you decide to go with a pro for installation. If you are interested in learning more, click Turf Installations costs and read our blog post.
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Sod Or Turf Installation
For obvious reasons, turf installation is an expensive process. Whether you are installing sod, or artifical turf, its a labor-intensive process which requires expensive materials to complete.
You should expect to pay as much as $4,800 for this to be done professionally.
Before the company gives you a quote for a flat rate, it will need to visit your property to determine its size.
Some companies can do the estimate remotely via satellite images.
Next Decide What Additional Services Youll Offer
Lawn care professionals do much more than mow lawns. Depending on the time of year, you might also:
- Do a spring or fall yard cleanup.
- Test soil levels.
- Weed flower beds.
- Trim shrubs.
You should offer each of these services at a different price, based on time and effort. Similar to lawn mowing, it helps to investigate how much other lawn care companies in your area charge. Then, make a price list based on:
- How long youve been in business.
- Where you do business .
- If you work with commercial or residential clients.
- The size of the property.
- How much you need to earn to generate a profit.
- Whether or not you have business insurance
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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.
Diy Lawn Care Vs Hiring True Lawn Care Service
Buying and maintaining all your equipment is costly. On the other hand, hiring our professional team will free you up to complete other home projects or fun outside activities.
Our goal is to provide you a clean worry-free yard where you will be able to enjoy yourself with your family and friends. Its time for you to put that mower away and let TLC take care of your lawns. Our expert team of landscapers and lawn mowing crews we have the best lawn mowing services without compromising and great quality. We understand the landscape services required in your yard and how to better-fit the services. You can try out our services and then we can address individual concerns as we progress. Our services are priced competitively in the market place.
We are your local lawn mowing service providers ready to be at your doorstep. Schedule a free consultation for all your lawn care needs with us today. For more info on our mowing service
For tips on how to do your own lawn care check out The Yard Pro
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See If You Need To Be Licensed
Each state has its own criteria for whether you need to obtain a license for your lawn business.
To make it more complicated, you might need local licenses as well. So, you might have to take a trip to city hall and contact your states Secretary of States office to get the licenses you need.
Occupational License
Some municipalities require businesses to also get an occupational license, which is usually based on how much revenue you generate in a given year.
For example, in Fairfax County, Virginia, if you make more than $10,000 youll have to pay a flat fee of thirty bucks for your occupational license. If you earn anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000, the amount you pay goes up to fifty dollars.
You can search the Small Business Administrations website to determine the requirements in your state.
Fertilizer Applicator Certification
If youre fertilizing your clients lawns, you might need a fertilizer applicator certification.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets the guidelines for herbicide and pesticide applicators. However, every state sets its own regulations. Some states require that you complete one or all these things to get a lawn care applicator certification:
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a performance-based exam
- Using other standards approved by the EPA
You can find out what the policies are for your state by checking out its Department of Agricultural Resources website.
