New Owner Questions

[magicmike]

This is be my first season. I am going to start out with no employees just myself. I am wondering what I should charge as my hourly rate. I will be using a 21 inch honda hrc mower. A hourly rate for Mowing, edging, trimming, flower beds, and blowing. What did you charge when you first started? I am in long island NY.

[Pietro]

You need to make a good days pay. Also, unless you plan on being the worker forever, make sure your hourly wage will cover your costs, as well as paying a worker to do it and still having profit. Long term customers like prices to stay close to what they were at when you started.

[wegomow]

I don't charge by the hour but by the job. I would recommend not telling the clients you work for an hourly rate. It freaks them out to think a "lawn guy" can make that much an hour. My rate turns out to be between $45 to $60 per hour when I estimate correctly. I have under bid as well as over bid jobs and I am still learning to perfect the bidding process. I am also solo.

[Landrus2]

Originally Posted by magicmike

This is be my first season. I am going to start out with no employees just myself. I am wondering what I should charge as my hourly rate. I will be using a 21 inch honda hrc mower. A hourly rate for Mowing, edging, trimming, flower beds, and blowing. What did you charge when you first started? I am in long island NY.

Hey there from longisland. OK that is going to depend on your experience.
You can't go up to your customers and tell them I'm gonna charge you $50 an hour to mow your lawn. You try to do 2/3 lawns in one hour and say they pay $100 a month that is $25 per cut so 2/ is $50. 3/ is $75

[racin240]

well im just starting out to and im planning on 75 dollars n hour for trimmeing blowing and mowing

[inzane]

good luck with that? I maybee lucky to get 35 to 45 an hour for mowing. is that the avg rate in your area for mowing? if so, i need to move! lol

Originally Posted by racin240

well im just starting out to and im planning on 75 dollars n hour for trimmeing blowing and mowing

[racin240]

i meant 75 an hour for spring and fall clean ups moweing i am doing on square footage no less than 25

[nozzy]

I try to make a dollar a minute mow/edge/blow and keep driving to a minimum. $300 a day working by yourself is a very attainable goal. NEVER mention anything about an hourly rate to a customer. If they ask, just say, "I work by the job not by the hour, that way there are never any surprises when I'm done." If they pressure you to give an hourly rate just tell them that if that is the sort of thing they are looking for they can probably find some neighborhood kid with zero overhead who can work that way. Almost everyone drops it before it gets to that point though...

[nozzy]

Also, I have found that almost anyone that tries haggle with you about your prices will end up being someone you don't want to work for anyway. Never base your bid on what you think they can pay. Just confidently give them your price and if they freak out, wish them luck and be on your way. There are lots of things worse than not getting the job.