Add The Company Logo On The Estimate Form
Most business documents only require a monochrome company name or logo on the paper to save the money they are supposed to spend on the color palette. If you want to attract more customers, one trick is to add color to your business logo or name. Adding color gives an assumption that you are taking time to give out quality documents to your customers and not some half-baked and ordinary estimate form presentation. Place either the company logo or the company name on the uppermost part of the paper.
Know Your Operational Costs
Your lawn care business costs money to run, and everything you do, from sunup til sundown, drinks some of your revenue.
So, find your operational costs:
- Fuel
- Equipment Maintenance
- Cost of Labor
For example, if you offer lawn mowing services, you need to factor in the cost of materials and material transportation.
Add up all of these costs. Then, you’ll have a baseline dollar amount that must be made on every job to break even. By the way, you can easily find this information using Service Autopilot.
But heres the good news because you know you get to keep every dollar after this number. The key is to figure out what the perfect profit margin should be
Critical: Test Your Lawn Care Pricing
This is the lawn care pricing strategy for many lawn care business owners:
- They count their operational costs
- Then, they add 5% or 10%, depending on how they feel
Thats it.
Many of your competitors never test their prices, which is why it feels like the green industry constantly undercuts itself.
People are afraid to try anything… They’re afraid to talk to their clients, and nobody tracks data to figure out where they can make more money.
However, you can do better.
Make pricing part of your culture!
- Get regular pricing feedback from your clients
- Evaluate your prices on a set basis
- Keep the value you can give to your clients at the forefront of your mind
Do all of these things, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a richer, happier lawn care business owner.
Now, comes the next part… the hard part the part that makes so many lawn care business owners squirm in their seats
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Avoid Lawn Care Price Increases During Selling Season
The worst time to raise prices is when all of your competitors post ads and try to steal your clients.
Try to raise prices only near the end of or after your mowing season. As a good general rule of thumb, many lawn care owners increase their prices during the end of summer or beginning of fall.
The only exception here is for no-profit or low-profit clients. In which case, feel free to raise your lawn care prices on these zero or minimal profit clients whenever.l
Customize The Lawn Service Business Estimate Form
Select the lawn service estimate form and start customizing it. It would be best if you personalized all areas of the landscaping business estimate template. You must tame the estimate form template like how lawn care service givers tame the lawn. Make the template yours! Do not leave an area untouched. If the estimate form template does not scream your company name in the minds of the clients, then you have not fully tamed or customized the template well enough.
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Quick Videos On Lawn Care Pricing
Jonathan Pototschnik, Lawn Care Millionaire and co-founder of Service Autopilot, has recorded a quick lawn care pricing video to help lawn care business owners just like you.
In this short video, you’ll discover the basics of lawn care pricing:
- How to look at your lawn care services
- Why you cant copy your top competitors
- How to fix your lawn care pricing strategy
Now, without further ado, here’s how to create the best lawn care pricing strategy and maximize your profits…
Finally Keep Up With Market Changes
Every year, or even every quarter, look into how much other companies charge for similar services. Once you build your client base, you can also ask how they feel about your services. Youll want to know if they think your prices are fair and reasonable, and how much theyre willing to pay.
If a few customers decide to leave you, ask them why. Take note if its because your prices are too high. You may want to make a change. Alternatively, you can also offer a seasonal deal or package.
When it comes to how to price your lawn care, do what you can to serve your clients, offer them great quality, and stay profitable. And above all, remember prices can change. Keep up with the market and you’ll keep your business going strong.
*Monthly payment calculations do not include initial premium down payment and may vary by state, insurance provider, and nature of your business. Averages based on January – December 2020 data of 10% of our total policies sold.
Emily Thompson
I earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin at Madison . After realizing my first job might involve carrying a police scanner at 2 am in pursuit of newsworthy crimes, I decided I was better suited for freelance blogging and marketing writing. Since 2010, Ive owned my freelance writing business, EST Creative. When Im not penning, doodling ideas, or chatting with clients, youll find me hiking with my husband, baby boy, and 2 mischievous mutts.
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What Are The Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Lawn Mowing Service
Almost nothing is as gratifying as a well-maintained lawn. Fortunately, a lush and beautiful yard no longer requires endless hours of mowing and trimming by the entire family. The best lawn care professionals can help take care of your home, office, rental or commercial properties and they’re beneficial in many ways.
For one, lawn care professionals have their own lawn mowers and trimming equipment, so you don’t need to spend money on a mower of your own. Hiring a professional gives you back the space you would have used to store bulky lawn equipment in the garage or shed. You also won’t have to worry about keeping gas in the tank or a charge in the battery, or finding an extension cord long enough to let you weed-whack your entire yard.
They can also take care of your lawn beyond just a simple mow and trim with add-on services like laying down fertilizer or coming up with a mowing plan to keep your yard growing healthily year-round. Or, if your lawn has been neglected for awhile, they can revive it. No matter how poorly maintained your lawn has been in the past, the pros can bring a dried-up lawn back to life or tame an overgrown mess.
Lawn Care Price Calculator
Every landscaping company has its own way to calculate the cost they charge you. Some companies need more customers and are willing to charge a lower price. Others really dont need any new customers and will only take on an extra yard if they can make a lot of money on it. Also, some lawn mowers charge by the hour, but most will give you an estimate for the job which will be based on the size and difficulty level of the yard.
If you choose to mow your own yard instead of hiring a professional, you can estimate the time required to mow by using this calculator.
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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.
How You Can Keep Your Lawn Healthy Year
You may want to pay to keep your lawn healthy year-round, not just in the warmer months. Many professionals offer a spring and fall package. In the spring, your lawn is aerated and fertilized so that it grows back fast after winter. In the fall, special fertilizers are used to protect it through the winter months and help it recover quicker in the spring. Some professionals suggest continuing to mow your grass until it naturally stops growing, which could mean December in some climates.
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Amazing Stamped Concrete Patio Design Ideas
About Remodeling Expense
Remodeling Expenses provides homeowners with accurate cost information on home services and level the playing field for consumers and service professionals. We aim to have data on all US zip codes, so homeowners from all over the country can lookup accurate and up to date pricing information.
Select Your Project & Zipcode
What Others Are Saying
We were in the planning stages of our exterior remodeling project that included: New siding, windows, fencing, and a deck refacing.
RemodelingExpense had pretty darn accurate cost calculators that helped us budget our projects, all relevant to our zipcode and contractors near me. I felt good Knowing exactly how much I should pay without getting ripped off. Francesca, Charlotte, NC
Include Your Profit Margins
Your profit margin is what makes sure you earn money from each job and that you make enough to cover costs. If you forget to account for your profit margin, you risk:
- Undercutting yourself and paying out of pocket to finish a job
- Having to increase your pricing for the next job
- Not making enough to cover your expenses or to pay yourself
Including your profit margin in your estimate ensures that you are making a profit from each job.
Add it to the total cost of a service after your expenses, like overhead, labor, and materials.
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Annual Yard Work Prices
In general, the yearly cost ranges from $700 to $2,600. What youll pay changes based on where you live and the size of your property. For example, if you live in a temperate or cold climate, you probably dont need a pro to come by from November through March. This cuts down dramatically on the overall cost. If you live in a warm climate that needs frequent maintenance with no breaks throughout the year, youll pay more.
Lawn Mowing Cost Calculator
If you’re the kind of person that takes pride in having a beautiful, well-maintained lawn, this lawn mowing cost calculator is for you! Use it to save time on calculating the cost of getting it done by a professional.
But that’s not all – our calculator will also help you if you prefer to take care of your lawn yourself! Many of us do it for financial, health, and recreational reasons. Did you know that by mowing the lawn you burn about 250-300 calories per hour?
Read on to find out more about lawn mowing costs, learn how to easily estimate mowing time, and check out our tips on how to mow a lawn effectively. With the help of this mowing calculator, your yard is guaranteed to look great!
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Diy Vs Professional Lawn Care Costs
DIY lawn care is a simple way to cut costs over the long run, though its got significant up-front costs. A gas-powered push mower typically costs between $200 and $400. If you have a large property, youll probably need a riding mower. Those usually run from $800 to $2,000. Fertilizer varies from $20 to $150 or more. Fertilizer with rented equipment is cheaper, while an all-inclusive DIY kit is more expensive. Hedge trimmers run from $50 to $300.
While a pro costs more over time, you get quality work and expertise that keeps your lawn healthy and beautiful.
How To Estimate Property Sizes
Figuring out how the size of the property is essential for an accurate estimate. While you may be tempted to guesstimate square footage, its best not to. A miscalculation could result in you getting underpaid and end up setting unrealistic client expectations down the line.
Ed Ramsden offers his advice for accurately measuring a property:
You can buy software to calculate square footage of the property. Most of the time, these options just use Google Maps satellite data to give you the information.
If youre using Jobber, you can actually get the property size right inside your client profile page to help you estimate more accurately.
When youre in a client profile page in the CRM and have put their address into their profile, simply click on the map icon, and Jobber will open the property in a new tab.
Make sure that the map view is in satellite mode, drop pins around the property to draw a box, and Google will automatically tell you the square footage of the property without even being there!
It can measure the distance around the perimeter too.
Knowing the size of the lawn also allows you to determine how much material, such as fertilizer or weed killer youll need to cover the area too, so its not just about mowing area.
As with equipment, most fertilizer manufacturers will provide you with use estimates that you can reference to figure out how much product youll need for the area youre servicing.
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Lawn Mowing Service Pricing And Installation Cost Checklist
- Expect the Lawn Mowing Service prices to fluctuate between various companies each and every company have different operation expenses and over-head.
- Try to get prices in late Fall, early winter you should expect aggressive pricing discounts by waiting for a contractors down season.
- Try to budget and additional 7-15% more on top of what our calculator gives out for Lawn Mowing Service costs.
- Visit every supply house that sell your particular brand of Lawn Fertilization Service tools and try to negotiate a better price with each supplier I save on average 20%.
- Lawn Mowing Service isnt an easy task to perform and can leave you with a sore back. You might find it more cost effective to hire a landscaping company to perform the work for you. Landscaping companies will most always get better prices on Lawn Mowing Service saving your back and additional costs of Lawn Mowing Service, so shop around, ask your neighbors if they can recommend someone.
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.
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Using A Lawn Care Estimate To Make A Quote
An estimate usually is a verbal agreement that gives your client a general idea of the cost to service their property. Estimates dont generally include taxes or additional fees, and instead, just cover the basic costs of the requested services.
Quotes, on the other hand, are much more detailed. They should include job specifics, exact prices, taxes, fees, discounts, and any additional costs. Most of the time, the price given in a quote should be the same or very close to the invoice the client receives at the end of a job.
An estimate should be given to a client shortly after a walkthrough.
A quote can be given after an estimate has been accepted and approved by a client.
Once youve sent an estimate to a client and theyve given you the go-ahead, you need to put together a quote. At this point, the customers contact information should be in your CRM so you can email or text a quote to them that includes the following:
- Your company name and logo to emphasize your brand and professionalism.
- Your companys contact information so the client can get in touch when theyre ready.
- A detailed list of each product or service you will provide with their associated costs to show the client what theyll be paying for. Jobbers quoting software lets you offer customers different packages to market the quality of your work, and sell more expensive services.
An example of a lawn care quote in Jobbers client hub, where all customer quotes are held.
Why Higher Prices Will Get You More Clients
If you follow our blog, you will hear this again and again: Premium is the best strategy for most lawn care business owners.
Seek to be the highest-quality service in your area. After all, premium services will bring in premium clients, which means premium profits.
Dont be the cheapest guy on the block. Be the most valuable.
Years ago, a tech company decided to enter the laptop market.
Their competitors clashed over more memory, more power, lower prices.
Inch by inch, they fought a battle nobody could win.
So, this tech company went the opposite direction and didnt focus on low prices or low production costs.
They went all out and made sleek, user-friendly laptops. Their laptops looked like they came from the future, and it was exactly what people wanted.
Today, you know this company as Apple, and their premium pricing strategy was a huge success. Most recently, Apple reported an impressive 42.5% in gross margin.
You too can be the Apple of lawn care or landscaping in your area. You can live out The Pareto Principle in your market to increase your profits.
Bottom Line: Make yourself unique. Differentiate yourself from the competition. People should see the quality in everything you do your performance, your customer service, and your lawn care prices.
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