how to charge for residential mowing?

[cntryboymc]

what is the best way to charge for a lawn?i usually just guess at how long it will take me.are there other factors i should look at?this is the upstate ny area near syracuse.any help would be appreciated.

[tiedeman]

I feel that the first factor that you need to look at is how much you need per hour to cover overhead and profit. After you have figured out an hourly price then you can do many different types of formulas for a residential price

[2 man crew]

1. Steep hills

2. Excessive trimming

3. Irrigation

4. Chem lawn customer

5. Fence with small gate

6. Cleanliness of the property during estimate

7. Proximity to existing, core accounts

8. condition of existing turf

[mtdman]

Experience. After a while you just know, and know what to look for. Get as close to your target hourly rate as possible, and exceeding that rate is just fine.

[Runner]

It's easy...What kind of CAR do they drive?

No, seriously, all the above factors are great considerations, but the main thing is, as was mentioned above,...know YOUR costs, ALL your costs. - Not just the gas burning in the mower while your on the job...