couple of questions

[greenstreakross]

where im from the minimum rate for any yard is 35 dollars. i have some idea of what to charge bigger yards but not 100 percent sure. do you go off of square footage? or just look at it and say a price. if anyone could give a little advice id appreciate it. ive workd lawncare for 4 years and my old boss doesnt seem to want and give me any advice on the business aspect.

[MowHouston]

I've heard of some people saying they measure the squar footage of the yard and by using a predetermined formula of how many sq ft per min they mow, that is how they charge. But that seems time consuming.

The way I do it it is estimate how long I think it will take by servicing the lawn in my head. You have to what your rate is. Usually its $1/min.

I even take a legal pad along and doodle out the layout of the lawn, scribble in hedges and flowerbeds and write down how long I think it will take me to do them, add up all the hours and I've got my estimate.

Only problem with this method is that I spent all last year perfecting it, overpriced some yards, underpriced myself on others, but learned from it and do well by it now. :)

[LB1234]

I have to ask.

I'm curious as to why 35 is the minimum. Who sets it? What happens if you break it, are you fined? Do you belong to an association or does your state require licensing?

[john3253]

I also just estimate how much time it will take and then price according to that.

I am a solo operator and like to make around 60 per hr. for mow and blows. Although, most of my resedential accounts take on average 30 min my price is usually around $40 which allows me time to get to my next account and stay within the $60 per hr. range.

[MOTES]

I also just estimate how much time it will take and then price according to that.

I am a solo operator and like to make around 60 per hr. for mow and blows. Although, most of my resedential accounts take on average 30 min my price is usually around $40 which allows me time to get to my next account and stay within the $60 per hr. range.

That is excatly right. I do the same. :clapping:

[LawnMastersTx]

For bigger yards I go off past experience. I know how much i need to make on the yard to stay in my price range, which is at least $225 a month for acre +. After that I see if they need shrub work or bed work done, if so then it all really depends on how much. Plus I might add on a "Pre-Madana" charge, if i know the customer is going to be a pain, that charge can be 10 to 20%. But I am picky on who I choose to mow. I stick with 20 yards a year plus my irrigation. My longest customer is going on 13 seasons this year.

[bigw]

I have to ask.

I'm curious as to why 35 is the minimum. Who sets it? What happens if you break it, are you fined? Do you belong to an association or does your state require licensing?

YOU my friend would be considerd a LOW BALLER if you broke it!:laugh:

[JDow]

Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page, but when you guys say "mow and blow", that does include trimming and edging right?

[john3253]

Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page, but when you guys say "mow and blow", that does include trimming and edging right?


Yes It does

[greenstreakross]

I have to ask.

I'm curious as to why 35 is the minimum. Who sets it? What happens if you break it, are you fined? Do you belong to an association or does your state require licensing?

thats just what everyone is charging minimum per yard. i workd for a guy for 4 years and he usually underbid everyone. i learned a lot of what not to do from him. how do you price yards?

[LB1234]

how do you price yards?

I have a business plan and within it is a financial plan. This financial plan has what my fixed and operational costs are. Therefore, I know what I need to charge to make the profit that I want.

IMHO, terms such as "what the market will bear", "going rate", "minimum price", etc are highly overated. I look at it like this...if it costs me 100 dollars to provide service "A" but the going rate is 90 dollars why would I charge under what it costs me to provide the service? It makes absolutely no sense. Take a look at a "minimum" charge. Who sets it? Or if it is set, how is it determined and/or calculated? I don't care what anyone says EVERYONES costs to operate THEIR business is different. Some have lower costs some have higher costs.

If I can charge 30 for a lawn service and make the profit that I want to make then why should I have to charge 35???as you are stating. With that said, this is where you can actual use the term 'going rate' to your advantage. If the going rate is 35 then I could make that much more profit on each of my provided lawn services in that particular market.

I learned the hard way when I first started this business eight years ago. How did I price my lawn accounts? By saying, alright the guys next door are charging 40 dollars so thats what I should charge. My business wasn't making any money. I never had a business plan, never had a budget, heck I had no clue what I was doing. I have now been charging the rates I need to be charging. Some of them are lower than what others are charging and some are higher. But the rates I charge make busines sense.