Hello I am new to the business

[Lawn Neophyte]

I'm seriously considering entering the lawn mowing profession. I enjoy outdoor work and working for myself.

I would really appreciate if someone can critique my "business plan":

1) I will purchase a zero turn mower, trimmer, and blower.

2) I plan on working on residential properties in my neck of the woods.

3) I still don't know how much to charge, but $25 per cut seems fair here in Palm Bay, FL.

4) I don't have a clue about licensing and such. Any help on advice would be appreciated.


Thanks. I would be more than willing to answer any questions.

[TNT LawnCare Inc.]

Get yourself a tax ID. #, & Insurance. Get the clients ,try to keep your route tight. Nothing wrong with getting a used ZTR. GOOD LUCK.

[Turfrific]

$25 is low balling unless your just going to mow it. $35 and up

[Grass Happens]

I think in FL 25 is probably pretty decent since they get a lot more cuttings in a season. Hell 25 still seems to be the price stuck in everybody's head here, and we get like 24 weeks of mowing.

[Turfrific]

well i can't see myself doing the edging and trim then use my blower for under $35. unless you have several lawns to mow in the same area.

[Lawn Neophyte]

Thanks for the responses guys.

The reason why I want to charge $25 per cut is because the competition charges less for more.

I know a guy who charges $18 per cut, which includes mowing, trimming, and blowing. If I were to charge 35 and up I might not get a lot of customers.

But who knows, it maight just work.

[Yater]

I charge $35 minimum. The only time I'll charge less is for those little side jobs when a neighbor of an account asks me to weedeat around the driveway because their weedeater is broken...or haul off a tree limb. I'll do little stuff like that for $10 sometimes. I can't remember EVER having anyone say $35 was too much.

[ed2hess]

Why buy a big ZTR unit if you are doing a few yards....why not a decent size WB that will be far less money. I assume the lawns are the standard 10K size like most big cities have. And the price seems okay for highly competitive areas.

[DaveinSWFL]

The average lot size here is 80x125 and $25 is the going rate for mow, weed eat, edge and blow. I also have seen guys that are doing them for $15. Gave a bid to a lady today that was paying $15 from her privious guy. Said he is no longer in business. Imagine that. I told her $25 and she said that she couldn't afford that my such so I wished her luck on her search. There are I beleive 67 counties in Florida. In my county we are ranked 64th lowest in terms of employment opportunities. I don't see things changing any time soon. Forclosures, budget cuts, lack of work is really killing folks down here.

[Tider6972]

Thanks for the responses guys.

The reason why I want to charge $25 per cut is because the competition charges less for more.

I know a guy who charges $18 per cut, which includes mowing, trimming, and blowing. If I were to charge 35 and up I might not get a lot of customers.

But who knows, it maight just work.

You can't make money at those prices; find something else to do. JMO

[N.H.BOY]

Get insurance buddy. If you dont now:nono: you better get some...good luck and work hard.

[freshprince94]

$25 is low balling unless your just going to mow it. $35 and up

In Florida, $25 a cut is decent wages. In the areas I cut, average price is $15-20 per cut (but we bill monthly). $10 is lowballing.

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

Thanks for the responses guys.

The reason why I want to charge $25 per cut is because the competition charges less for more.

I know a guy who charges $18 per cut, which includes mowing, trimming, and blowing. If I were to charge 35 and up I might not get a lot of customers.

But who knows, it maight just work.

You can not listen to people from other states they have no idea what kind of lawns are by you , or the price to do them ...:hammerhead:

[Tider6972]

I lived there (Cocoa Beach) for 11 years, there are all sizes of lawns there.

The only ones he can earn a living doing at price are side-by-side postage stamps, such as town house lawns of 600-800 sq. ft. where he can unload an do 5-6 in a block without reloading; he wouldn't need a ztr.

It isn't cheap to live there, and it isn't fun doing manual labor in 90-102 degrees and 90-99% humidity.
You can work in air conditioned comfort at Wally World or Home Depot and earn more net dollars.

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

I lived there (Cocoa Beach) for 11 years, there are all sizes of lawns there.

The only ones he can earn a living doing at price are side-by-side postage stamps, such as town house lawns of 600-800 sq. ft. where he can unload an do 5-6 in a block without reloading; he wouldn't need a ztr.

It isn't cheap to live there, and it isn't fun doing manual labor in 90-102 degrees and 90-99% humidity.
You can work in air conditioned comfort at Wally World or Home Depot and earn more net dollars.

why you move from the beach?

[bone1]

I think in FL 25 is probably pretty decent since they get a lot more cuttings in a season. Hell 25 still seems to be the price stuck in everybody's head here, and we get like 24 weeks of mowing.

man, that's no money at all!

[ed2hess]

man, that's no money at all!

Just FYI a lot of mid size companies do very well at that price point. As a matter of fact the justmowit look alikes are poping up ALL over and that is their price point.

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

just try to keep your overhead low and dont waste the money you do make , hold on to it for a rainy day.........

[mjlcare]

orange park. part of jacksonville florida and we charge 25-40, 30 average but 25 is a average price and when your billing 38(averagea) a year that pretty good money

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

orange park. part of jacksonville florida and we charge 25-40, 30 average but 25 is a average price and when your billing 38(averagea) a year that pretty good money

NO kinding this is my first week of mowing looking like 25 to 28 mows this year if lucky ..lost 3 in april last year started mowing 3 of april..*trucewhiteflag*

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

orange park. part of jacksonville florida and we charge 25-40, 30 average but 25 is a average price and when your billing 38(averagea) a year that pretty good money

NO kinding this is my first week of mowing looking like 25 to 28 mows this year if lucky ..lost 3 in april last year started mowing on the 3rd of april , monday i mow for the first time this yeay

[Pistol]

MJLCare:
How many lawns are you doing -just curious - not in the business, but thinking about it!

Pistol

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

MJLCare:
How many lawns are you doing -just curious - not in the business, but thinking about it!

Pistol

I do about 50 per week solo , the yards range from 15 min to 1 hour ..
:weightlifter:

[mjlcare]

i do 25-30 and they range from 25-65 the upper end is a small apartment complex like 4 condos takes me like 45-50 min to do and he was the guy that just wanted it done cheep, not good grass either, but im also a full time student in college so thats plenty for me, im hoping to pick up the pace in about a week when school gets out and i can start working more,

scuba diving, mowing, girlfriend life for the summer

[Lawn Neophyte]

Get insurance buddy. If you dont now:nono: you better get some...good luck and work hard.

What's the ins for? I don't have to worry about the equipment getting stolen because I have a shed with a lock on it. And if the mower breaks, I can pay someone to repair it.

[Grass Happens]

man, that's no money at all!

Yep. That's why I'm taking a sabbatical this year. I've seen 3x the cutters so far this year then I did last year. My friend who runs a mower shop has had ~10 contractors of various types (concrete, carpentry, etc) getting prices on mowers, that have never cut before. I really dont feel like fighting all those guys for quotes, and I'll be darned if I'm going to be out there on 90 degree days busting my hump for 20$. I lost one account (it was a small apt building) to a tenets kid for 12.50 a cut. I was going to raise his price to 40 to cover fuel. So I got me a nice cushy 8-430 job mowing for a property mgmt company. Get my bills paid, relax and go see my cubbies play some. :)