Name your price

[lee b]

I've been strictly commercial, until now. New residential customer has a large yard {6 acres of grass}, with 2 ponds, about 30 trees, and several large flower beds. They only want the grass mowed, nothing else, they do a nice job keeping everything else up. I think it'll take about 2 to 2.5 hours to mow. This could lead to some good referral work with the local upper-crust so I want to treat them right. So what would ya'll charge per cut, based on 2 cuts per month.

[Evan528]

Weekly- $240 per cut
ever 2 weeks- $350 per cut- its much harder on your equipment and you when the grass goes 2 weeks in between cuts! Youll have to double cut every time to get it lookin half decnt after 14 days of growth!

[skyphoto]

Now dont beat me up here but if this was a bid for me I would bid it @3.5 hrs to make sure I covered my time then charge 40.00 per hour That is 140.00.....aint even close to Evan, but if it the people only see me out in their yard for about 3 hrs and I try to charge them more they will not pay me because they had their septic line dug up a few weeks ago and the backhoe only cost them $50.00/Hr with an operator then they ask me what my cost are compared to his and I can not argue as I would not be in my markets scale to charge any more....

Dont beat me up!!!!!

Peace!
Oh ya and I bet I would have to charge less than that because if part of that time is spent with a trimmer they(the client) would never allow a guy in their yard with a weedeater to charge them $40.00/hr??????!@#?!@?#

People around here are just like this I swear! Im not kidding on this!

[Edited by skyphoto on 03-24-2001 at 11:32 PM]

[joshua]

i'm in agreement with sky under $200, the ponds and large beds have to take around a acre up so your down to about 5-5.5 if not more. you should be able to fly through the yard. i cut my aunts yard and it was 2.5 acres and it took me a hour to do it all. just to give you a idea. it was with a 52" and 48" 2 man crew.

[lee b]

Skyphoto, your market is real similar to mine, so I'm not gonna beat you up. The customer is offering $135.00 per cut, which is actually pretty good on residential in this area. This is for mowing, no weedeating or edging. Last LCO did it for $100.00 per cut. I was just wondering if anybody else's residential market was this cheap. This is the reason I've stayed with large commercial, but to expand in a small town I'm gonna have to do some of both. Pennsylvania must be a great place to be a LCO, you'd never get Evan528 price here.

[igm]

Skyphoto,

The thing about the backhoe is that he most likely also has a 4 hour minimum. So if he was only out there digging for an hour he still got his $200. Plus, was he doing any other work on the septic system that he was selling also? I think the thing is you charge what you have to charge to make what you need to, and if you get the job fine, if not, then no big deal. You can't really compare to other services they've hired out and try to put a relative value on them. But, I think I'm with Evan, I'd go more with the $240 range or at least $200 +.

Sam

[kutnkru]

If they are looking for top notch maintenance but are not really looking to spend top dollar, I would bid them at $35 an acre.

With the fact that you are just mow and blow this puts you ahead of the game because there is minimal to no string trimming.

Good Luck this season!
Kris

[lawrence stone]

I would never take a job like that w/o getting the fertilization contract also.

What will happen is either the homeowner or big green will come along and apply 2lbs of N/1Ksqft with 100% urea? You will die mowing all that growth.

[Edited by lawrence stone on 03-25-2001 at 10:57 AM]

[jimsmowin]

one man one mower = 35-40 per hour. in this part of pa we have 2 markets. depends on area. if their offering 135, take it.

[awm]

If all they want is mow I would charge what ever your hr.
rate is less 5 percent for volume work.I would mow this baby smooth as babies behind.Never can tell , you could end up doing many of their friends an family.Id bet you will end up doing a lot of other wk other than just mowing.

[lee b]

The $135.00 per cut is strictly for mowing, they DO NOT want me to edge, weed eat, blow, spray, pick-up trash, maintain beds, do anything but sit on a mower and mow. They have it cleaned up before I get there, they like to do the rest. They only want it mowed every two weeks which is common around here. They have agreed that anything other than mowing will be charged at $35.00 per hour.

[Fantasy Lawns]

location ....location .....location

down here per cut ...per acre is about $40-45 (basic service BASED on a per month yearly contract) .... but for just mowing ... NO other work I'd take the $135 per cut price in a heart beat ...I'd get (2) 60"'s on her and cut that with the quickness

BUT we have NO state income tax ....cost of living is 1/3 of that N of VA line ....a 3 bed 2 bath w garage is $85 K here while it's $150 K in VA

Up in GA I'd say for the most part your living cost is fairly cheaper than say in PA or NY ??

Also Evan has a very good point you might take it at the $135 per ....letting em' know there might be a few summer months when service MUST be weekly

Possible referral work has merit .....as people like this tend to OWN the local business ...or associate with those that do .....and already being in the commercial side is a plus

[curlawngreen]

How much will it cost you to mow 6 acres? 261360 sq. ft of grass.

[Fantasy Lawns]

that's all going to depend on amount of detail (edging -weed wacking - hedging etc)....& being in fla you know to survive you have to have monthly income with yearly contracts ..so there really are no "per" cut rates (I get the same $ in June as in Dec)

but to just Mow 6 acre of grass ....nothing else ...which I can cut with 2 (60") ztr is well under an hour ....$350-325 per month

[Edited by theleven on 03-25-2001 at 01:22 PM]

[AVRECON]

My price would be anywhere from $200-$250, whether I trimmed it or not, doesn't matter you are already there. I have found that these mow only deals end up becomming how much would you charge to do all of it after awhile. Then when they ask you to do all of it I'd bump the price up $50-$100 bucks.

[Edited by AVRECON on 03-25-2001 at 02:08 PM]

[Russ]

$45.00 per acre weekly,and double cut if necessary N/C. $70.00 per acre every other week and no double cuts. Quality work is remembered long after price is forgotten and its hard to raise your prices. Whatever you decide pick a price thats fair to your customer--and fair to you.

[skyphoto]

WOW,

I never thought that the price of living would be that diverse!!!

My bid would be HALF of some of you guys and I OFTEN get beat on bids that I bid this way.....

Im not saying anyone is wrong for their bid prices....just that I never thought that you could get so much for these services.
Peace!

[brandy]

If it is done on a monday or tuesday!!! If they want it done thursday or friday. Price would be atleast 280!!!!!

[lee b]

They don't care what day of the week it's mowed, as long as I give them time to clean-up before I start mowing. People must be alot more picky in other area's. Nobody I know of worries about what day of the week their grass gets mowed as long as it's done properly, and would never ever pay extra to have it done on a Thursday or Friday. They'd laugh you out of town if you tried to charge extra for mowing close to the weekend. Most people just don't want you working there on Sunday.