Mowing Rates

[poster]

I have just begun to offer lawn cutting as a service but I am not sure how to charge for this service. What are the rates primarily in the central Virginia area?

[pagefault]

You might do better to have a few friends call the local operators and get quotes on their properties. That way you can see exactly what a $50 job looks like or whatever.

[wally world III]

here's a rate that works real well............

< 1/4 acres ~~~~~~~~~ $25
1/2 acre ~~~~~~~~ $35
1 acre ~~~~~~~~ $45
1 1/2 acre ~~~~~~~~ $ 55
2 acre ~~~~~~~ $ 65
2 1/2 acre ~~~~~~~~ $ 75
3 acre ~~~~~~~~~~ $ 85
3 1/2 acre ~~~~~~~ $105
4 acre~~~~~~~~~~ $125

i'm using Gravely pm 260z 60" cut period......

mulch triple & double ground, red, brown, black cost $ 22/ yd
express blower $ 19/ yd installed
i always use express blower......... ~~~ Sell $65 / yd ~~~ $95 /yd

dethatching ~~~~~~~~ $ 20 / k ~~ $ 25/ k

core aeration ~ 5k == $85, 10k == $ 150, then, $12/k after

bed edging ~~~ $1.00 / sqft, new edging $ 1.35 == $ 1.65 / sqft

[A+ Lawncare]

here's a rate that works real well............

< 1/4 acres ~~~~~~~~~ $25
1/2 acre ~~~~~~~~ $35
1 acre ~~~~~~~~ $45
1 1/2 acre ~~~~~~~~ $ 55
2 acre ~~~~~~~ $ 65
2 1/2 acre ~~~~~~~~ $ 75
3 acre ~~~~~~~~~~ $ 85
3 1/2 acre ~~~~~~~ $105
4 acre~~~~~~~~~~ $125

i'm using Gravely pm 260z 60" cut period......

mulch triple & double ground, red, brown, black cost $ 22/ yd
express blower $ 19/ yd installed
i always use express blower......... ~~~ Sell $65 / yd ~~~ $95 /yd

dethatching ~~~~~~~~ $ 20 / k ~~ $ 25/ k

core aeration ~ 5k == $85, 10k == $ 150, then, $12/k after

bed edging ~~~ $1.00 / sqft, new edging $ 1.35 == $ 1.65 / sqft


those prices past 1/2 acre are LOW!! i could not compete with that...... :dizzy:

[A+ Lawncare]

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY (Including mow, trim, and blow)


1/8 acre: $20
1/4 acre: $25
3/8 acre: $30
1/2 acre: $35
5/8 acre: $40
3/4 acre: $45
7/8 acre: $50
1 acre: $55
Over 1 acre: $55 per acre + $20 for each additional acre.
Example: 3 acre lawn would cost $95.

These are only estimated rates. Your quote may be higher or lower depending on the amount of obstacles and time involved.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY (Including mow, trim, and blow)

1/8 acre: $30
1/4 acre: $35
3/8 acre: $40
1/2 acre: $45
5/8 acre: $50
3/4 acre: $55
7/8 acre: $60
1 acre: $65
Over 1 acre: $65 per acre + $20 for each additional acre
Example:3 acre lawn would cost $105.

These are only estimated rates. Your quote may be higher or lower depending on the amount of obstacles and time involved.

Size Chart-

1/8 acre= 5,445 square feet
¼ acre= 10,890 square feet
3/8 acre= 16,335 square feet
½ acre= 21,780 square feet
5/8 acre= 27,225 square feet
¾ acre= 32,670 square feet
7/8 acre= 38,115 square feet
1 acre= 43,560 square feet
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good luck my friend :)

[wally world III]

A + Lawn Care

sweetie pie,
unless you have 60" cut, 27 hp mower... your right, your also screwed.......

with these prices, wave of the future.......... look at brickman's

95% of my lawns, i don't even trim them, or blow sidewalks, driveways
its all done by my mower......................

note! depreciation section 179 write it ALL off...........

[A+ Lawncare]

i use (pop's & mine, but i own half of it) a 61'' bobcat ztr 31hp at times so i know a few things about those ztr.... whats your point?

what or who is brickman's and what does it have to do with anything?

if you don't weedeat, then thats less time, time=money so maybe your on top of things..... saying most jobs include an average of 10mins trim jobs.... but you gotta average in your blowing, i couldn't leave a job w/o blowing it.... if the job is not an A+ then i don't want to sign my name to it.....


write what off?

[hockeygoalie]

I kind of agree the rates seem low. I dont try to be the lowest around. I try to sell the whole service. I tell the customer, I want your lawn to be the best in the neiborhood. I get my additional customers when they see how good my lawns look. A higher end customer wants trimming, fertilizer, lime, aeration, overseed, and doesnt mind paying for it. I think you should decide if you are going for quality vs. quantity. I make a good living on full service. I felt that I will always have someone trying to under bid me, no matter what I charge. So, I felt I can keep customers by offering a "hand holding" full service care. My customers call me for everything from car repair to fence repair. I refer them to my friends in various fields and they return the favor to me. These customers pay $50-100 per acre.

[MMLawn]

what or who is brickman's and what does it have to do with anything?


Kid you REALLY don't have a clue about the Lawn Business do you? BRICKMAN is one of if not THE LARGEST LCO Company in the entire USA.


I am not being mean here to you, but you really also need to learn how to USE this Site. Instead of posting 12 questions a day and over a 100 post in your short couple of weeks on here all of which also have been answered many times before use the Search Feature instead. The first month I was on here I did nothing be SEARCH.....try it the next time you have a question and you will be amazed at the wealth of knowledge you can gain.

[pagefault]

Actually, I did not join until I wanted to post something. Maybe A+ did the same thing.

As for your claim that you kept your mouth shut for the first month. BS! You joined June 14, posted on June 15 and hit 100 posts in under a month.

[A+ Lawncare]

Pagefault is rite about me waiting.... i could not get my email to work with this site for awhile and waited to create an new email address so i could have an username on this site.... during that period of time i keep my eyes open soaking up the knowledge for about an month and a half.....

[A+ Lawncare]

MMLAWN..... you've been on this site for 10months now with about 1,550 posts.... divide 1,550/10= 155 posts a month or 5posts a day.... thats alot of heavy posting, how much do you read a day w/that high total....

[J&R]

The problem with wally and a+ is the first acre price is some what good BUT charge the same price per acre don't lowball the second or the 10 acre.

[A+ Lawncare]

The problem with wally and a+ is the first acre price is some what good BUT charge the same price per acre don't lowball the second or the 10 acre.


so J&R i guess your saying don't give some1 a break on an 10 acre lot?

who can afford to have their 10acres mowed weekly at $550? thats about $6k for a 10week cut.... some ppl even mow for 25weeks so thats $14k, were talking residential.... mrs. smith & mr. jones can't afford $14k to just have their lawn mowed :dizzy:

[J&R]

so J&R i guess your saying don't give some1 a break on an 10 acre lot?

who can afford to have their 10acres mowed weekly at $550? thats about $6k for a 10week cut.... some ppl even mow for 25weeks so thats $14k, were talking residential.... mrs. smith & mr. jones can't afford $14k to just have their lawn mowed :dizzy: Do you get a break if you buy more than 1 gallon of gas do you get a break if you buy more than 1 mower at a time. because you will need to buy more mowers cutting more acres but you won't be getting a much money.

[Lnd Svyr]

If someone cannot afford to have ten acres mowed then they should only mow what they can afford. J&R is correct--one CANNOT buy a Cadillac for the price of a Neon! Also, if these people can afford ten acres, can they not afford a cut?

[Texas Mowem]

As for your claim that you kept your mouth shut for the first month. BS! You joined June 14, posted on June 15 and hit 100 posts in under a month.

Burn !......................... :dizzy:

[cutiegotherown]

so J&R i guess your saying don't give some1 a break on an 10 acre lot?

who can afford to have their 10acres mowed weekly at $550? thats about $6k for a 10week cut.... some ppl even mow for 25weeks so thats $14k, were talking residential.... mrs. smith & mr. jones can't afford $14k to just have their lawn mowed :dizzy:

I don't think he was saying don't give any break...but dropping from $55 or $65 per acre down to $20 is a bit much of a "break" I'm not a pro or anything but I might give a 10% discount or something like that. You're still looking at $40 minimum per acre after the first acre.

Then again...charge what you think is enough money. Money isn't everything I guess. What's going to happen though is you're going to need that time you're spending cutting 10 acres to do other jobs and you're going to realize how much money you're missing out on and wish you chargedd more. You won't ever be rich doing that but do what satifies you.

[William J. L.]

You guys are cheap. With the price of gas, we can't afford to go below $35. Where I used to work the acre price was $65...but this new company I'm with charges $80 which, I think, is a little on the high side.

[whiteclifflawn]

I will not even stop at a yard for less than $30, I don't care what. I try to get $40-$50 per hr, I grow a little slower that my competitors, but I keep everybody that I get. because I can afford to make it look great. I am now after 7 years very full, and have all the work I want.

[Tn Lawn Man]

those prices past 1/2 acre are LOW!! i could not compete with that...... :dizzy:

Me either...very low!!!

[Tn Lawn Man]

I will not even stop at a yard for less than $30, I don't care what. I try to get $40-$50 per hr, I grow a little slower that my competitors, but I keep everybody that I get. because I can afford to make it look great. I am now after 7 years very full, and have all the work I want.

This is the same for me. My min. is $30 PERIOD!!!!!

My prices are NOT the cheapest around by a long shot. However, when I go to a yard I feel good about taking the time to do it right.

There have been times in the past where I priced myself lower and I regretted it immensely. Every time I went to that property I always felt like I cheated myself. I felt like I had to rush to make up for the cheap bid.

It was at that point that I decided that I would price myself correctly even if it meant not growing my business as fast as I wanted.

For the most part my customers are good. They pay on time, most ask for upgrades (fert., seeding etc...) and they are HAPPY with the service they receive.

As for the price sheets listed above I cannot adhere to it as strictly as some.

Here is mine, roughly:
1K - 3/8 acre = $30-$35
1/2 acre = $35-$45
1 acre = $55 (a discount is given for multiple acres...but not much of one)

This is all predicated on the $60 an hour rule. If any of these lawns takes longer to due than a dollar a minute then the price goes.



My rule is: "I'll mow it, but you are going to pay me what it is worth"

I provide excellent service and I get paid accordingly.

[William J. L.]

Have all the work that you want? Wow must be nice

[Staffordnurseries]

I have been watching this site for a while as a develop a business plan for when my manufacturing job finally goes to Mexico. (My plant used to employ 4200 people, now less than 500) Based on the rates described above I should expect to turn $60 an hr. for mowing. Compare this margin to setting up a backhoe business. Going rate for backhoe and operator is about $80 per hr. in this area, and from what I can tell from the Internet nationwide

Price of backhoe= 20,000 Chinese made 32,000 kubota 75,000 plus for a case or a cat

price of zero turn= 12,000 to 14,000 for top of the line diesel kubota

Price of transporting backhoe = dump truck and ten ton trailer = $75000

price of pickup and landscape trailer top of the line = $45000

Special license required in NY for dump truck even if under CDL weights

No special license required for pick up and trailer under 10,000 lbs

Price of labor for each additional production unit, full burden ( comp,taxes,insurance etc) zero turn $20 Backhoe $30

Insurance for excavation (hidden wires,etc) triple.

Available market zero turn=every lawn in the US or 40 million acres
Available market backhoe=new construction.

Even using new prices this business wins hands down. By all means keep your margins high if this is what the market will accept. I have been pricing area landscapers and the rates are true. I watch the bankruptcy listings in the paper and never see a landscape firm going under.

Am I missing something here? With the baby boomers getting old even the most die hard do- it -yourselfer will be a potential customer.

I truly think this is a green business, both the product and the earning potential display green. I like the low capital requirements and potential growth. Unless somebody points me otherwise I will be joining your ranks for these reasons

Comments?

[Pinehilllandscaping]

You guys are cheap. With the price of gas, we can't afford to go below $35. Where I used to work the acre price was $65...but this new company I'm with charges $80 which, I think, is a little on the high side.

I know I will probably get some naysayers since this my first year in the business, but I won't drop the gate for less than $50 in my area. Funny thing is, people here have no problem paying the price. I have a 1/2 acre lawn I do that I charge $70 for and the guy told me he would have no problem paying more. I have one to do this week that I quoted at $125 since it is very overgrown and the front half of the yard is on a steep incline again the guy has no problem with the price. His exact words were "thats a fair price". Another example, in my area there is a guy that is always out and he charges a min of $72.50 a cut for anything 1/2 acre or smaller.

Gas aint getting any cheaper and people that sit in traffic for an average of 2 1/2 to 3 hours a day will pay.

[T Edwards]

This is our 3rd year in business and I've got to tell you, if we had used those pricing tables we would be out of business. Our minimum residential call is $49 and fuel isn't getting any cheaper. You have got to do a lot of $25 yards to replace one $350 piece of equipment (trimmer, edger, blower). Our fixed expenses for insurance and cell phones is $300/month.
Good luck to anyone starting out that doesn't have a business background. You'll learn it soon enough, just like we all did.

[TScapes]

I agree with T Edwards. That seems to be the problem with our industry, in my opinion. There are too many people with no business sense getting into the "Lawn Business", because.... Heck, I can go cut some lawns and make all kinds of money. That is the simple man's motto... anyone can do it. Well... I have got news for you; not anyone can do it and be profittable and stay in business for more that 7 years. Based on some of the pricings I see here, it appears that a lot of people do not have a true grip on what it costs to be in business.
For me personally, I don't do residential nowadays. I used to, but I just don't do the "mow and go" anymore. When I make a stop on a property, I am getting paid for my time, my employee's time, my truck, my trailer, my equipment, my taxes, my insurance..... see where I am going with this? I make damn sure that I am paid well for my services. And I assure you that if I can get a job at $100 per hour or the same exact job for $45 per hour, I will take the $100 any day of the week. I understand that every market determines its own pricing, and that is rightfully so (I have been in several markets, both large and small). But the basic principal still applies, you have to make money if you want to stay in business. You have to know your total costs, your break even points, and determine what percentage profit you want to make. This all forms your pricing schedule.