3 acre lawn question

[jt5019]

Ive been mowing lawns for quite a few years but most of my accounts have been no bigger than 1.5 acres. Today i was approached by a lady who liked my work.. bottom line is she just bought a house with a 3 acre lawn and wants a estimate for me to cut it. Several flower beds to be mulched at a later date.

I know it varies but what would you charge to mow,trim,blow a 3 acre lawn on a weekly basis ?..... Ill be using a scag 48 tiger cub zrt for the time being.

The lawn is mostly flat, very little if any hills. There is some trees and flower beds to go around but not too many. There is also a small area around a pool that needs to be cut (should be able to fit a 48 mower no problem.)

Right now the lawn is kind of a mess because its in between owners, the house looks like it may have been empty for sometime.

Any help would be appreciated

[mattfromNY]

We do $50/ hour, figure how long it will take, and give a price. It works for us, but take into consideration your own expenses and travel time, etc... With our equipment, and two guys, no moving toys or picnic tables, no big hills, no excessive trimming, running two mowers (one 61" ZTR, and a 36" walk behind), we have a couple of 2 and 3 acre lawns, and usually get $100/ cut. just my 6 cents.

[topsites]

3 acres goes for as low as $105.00 to as high as $150.00, depending where you are, the middle ground would be 130-135.

With a 48" it will take right around 3 hours to get it all done, 2 hours and 15 minutes in top gear once over just to cut, figure another 30 minutes or so weed-eating, and 15'ish blowing down, you'll want to earn no less than $45 / hour since you're there the whole time, so 3 x 45 = $135.00

That's figuring you'll only be weed-eating around the house, driveway and beds, and every once in a moon you'll have to take the grand tour along the entire property but as a rule...

The 48" isn't truly cut out for it, all I have are 48's and they do drag after an acre, but I'd still work 3-4 hours for 135 in a heartbeat because you'll find you can't earn that much more driving between 35-dollar yards in that time. Takes 30 minutes to do a smaller one, then 15 minutes driving and load / unload, you can finish 2 in 1.5 hours, so 4 in 3 hours tops, 4 x 35 = $140... Roughly the same thing.

The best way to tackle these megalots with a small mower (lol) is to divide it into sections and do them one 1/2 acre square at a time or so... It still takes forever but I find it mentally easier when I divide it up into bits and pieces, at least I feel like I took on something I can swallow, if one piece at a time. My largest is 1.5 acres, I do that one in 3-4 sections.

Time-wise, you can double-cut some parts without going way over, but the way out stuff you gotta single cut or you'll be there all day.

Anyway, good luck.

[jt5019]

The lot doesn't seem like it would be that hard its mostly flat. The driveway goes down the middle of it so it can be broken up into sections easily. Whoever lived at the house before didn't take much care of the landscaping(at least thats what it looks like) the grass isn't in the best condition. Flower beds are trashed,bushes overgrown.

I did think about the double cutting issue.. with all the rain we have been getting that lawn would be a nightmare.

I was estimating in the range of 120 so 130 isn't too far off.Im pretty busy as it is so im not gonna go low just to get another account especially when its that big.

[jpsquared]

i got a 4 acre lawn at the start of the season. I was useing a 52 fastrac took me 5 hrs made me mad so went out and bought a 66 super z only takes me 2.5 now with both running i charge 130 i would go any less then that for your job the guy is tight with his money and i dont want to lose the job or i would raise him to 160

[jt5019]

I left the estimate today I went with 145.00 per cut but the first one will be more because the grass is overgrown. will see what happens, she doesn't have much time to shop around the grass is pretty long. The house still looks empty inside i dont even think they moved in yet

[carcrz]

3 acres goes for as low as $105.00 to as high as $150.00, depending where you are, the middle ground would be 130-135.

That's where I'd be at. I go about 40 - 50 an acre. Maybe more if there's a lot of trimming.

[bln]

Charge about 125 for the lawn and get the landscaping job. Charge her 20% more then normal to recoupe your losses on the lawn.

[jt5019]

I handed in the estimate at 145.00 per cut (theres a decent amount of trimming) I still havnt heard from her and when i drove past the house today a mexican looking guy was there trimming the hedges with all his tools in the back of a small hatchback car. I wont feel bad if i dont get it, i know i gave her a fair price. Im not willing to do a job that big for pocket change.