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Well, you guys have done a pretty good job of explaining the state of lawn care 2013.
Prices are flat, costs are through the roof, and the market is oversaturated.
I can't imagine being 23 and thinking, "Hey, I'll start a lawn biz!"
The streets are full people hauling lawn equipment with vehicles of all types. SUV's, caddies, push mowers in the trunk, hell, we even have an old guy who uses his JD lawn tractor to pull a tiny trailer around.
Good luck, everyone.
Sounds like around here. LOL

I pass 30 to 40 per day easy. Anyone considering this business now is crazy.

Dave.
 
I'm curious as to what services you offer. Are you just a mow, blow and go?

Dave...
We don't do app's. Not licensed for that. We don't do hardscapes like patios and walls. We do everything else. Our own customers tend to get others to do landscape work because others do it cheaper. We charge 60 a yard installed and that includes everything like bed edges and trimming bushs etc etc. But nooooooo we charge to much for that stuff so even loyal customer's go elsewhere for landscaping work.
 
You sir have a huge set of balls. I would never have even thought of taking that machine on that slope. Walk behind only....and probably backwords.

Your a lucky man.

Dave...
Oh... I wasn't trying to mow that part of the slope... LOL! No I was on an area that is about a 18° and I got too close to the edge of that 60°
 
Standard lots around here are 80 x 125 or roughly 10,000-sq-ft. Open lawn (no fence, swing sets, trampolines, etc.), and no dog poop or kids toys, yeah, I'll do it for $30. If dog or toys, I charge $35, and if it has a fence I will charge $40. Have a small 36" gate, and it could go up again. I have some customers I charge as much as $65 for their 10,000-sq-ft lot. I even have 1, just 1, that I charge $95 because its a lake front, its one continuous slope going into steeper slopes, and I have almost killed myself cutting it.




Grass was a little wet, and once it started sliding, I couldn't muscle it or power it to safety so I had to jump off and I slid on my ass down the 30-feet 60°+ slope, with my eyeballs popping out of my head and my heart going a 100-mph.
Man I wouldn't attempt to even get close to that with anything but a trimmer and a 21
 
I love people on this site trying tell others in a whole entirely different market how to run their business... Pricing for residential is easy, learn your market, know your overhead, add what you want to make in profit. Don't sit here and try to tell someone that they're lowballing or pricing wrong when you aren't in their market, don't know their over head and know nothing about their business.

ProStreet - If my wife made that amount, and could cover the bills... I'd make enough money to buy toys, and do fun stuff. Just my .02.
 
the absolute LOWEST we go is 20$ but that is ONLY for townhouses that take maybe 5 minutes for one person to cut trim and blow. Everything else is atleast 40$
 
Standard lots around here are 80 x 125 or roughly 10,000-sq-ft. Open lawn (no fence, swing sets, trampolines, etc.), and no dog poop or kids toys, yeah, I'll do it for $30. If dog or toys, I charge $35, and if it has a fence I will charge $40. Have a small 36" gate, and it could go up again. I have some customers I charge as much as $65 for their 10,000-sq-ft lot. I even have 1, just 1, that I charge $95 because its a lake front, its one continuous slope going into steeper slopes, and I have almost killed myself cutting it.

Grass was a little wet, and once it started sliding, I couldn't muscle it or power it to safety so I had to jump off and I slid on my ass down the 30-feet 60°+ slope, with my eyeballs popping out of my head and my heart going a 100-mph.
First mistake pointing it down hill You should back it down
I would mow it with my 60'' DC
I would back down and drive up cut both ways
Once you point it down hill all the weight transfer to the front tires
Looks like you want some different tires something with more open tread
 
NZD, start at $20 for a 15 min lawn {15 min at the most} I like to and do earn $50 per hour from when I leave home until when I return. I go from $20 to $25 to $30 but then I will jump to $40 and then $50. Bigger jobs than that are usually more than a regular lawn mow and priced accordingly.
 
When I started in this biz in 2006/7 I threw out the $35 min charge. That flat out did not fly here...most of the time.

Let's put it this way...if your prices have to drop to meet market pressure you flat out have to have market density to float the boat.

Square foot flat rate prices is something I refuse to dabble with. Many smaller lawns are obstacle courses and burn up much time zigging and zagging and extra trimming.
 
I haven't read every post in this thread, but I'm going to throw this out there. Where I'm at, every 3rd car has a mower behind it. But not every 3rd car knows how to use a mower properly to satisfy a customer. I've picked up 2 accounts in the 4 months I've done this part time due to the previous "LCO" not living up to their expectations. I run a solo operation and work full time at a rental company. I have a 12 accounts, a few just being mow and go and a couple I do here and there for people. I price every job individual to where it's profitable to me, satisfies the customer and ables me to spend the time to do a good job. I don't price per square foot, I don't price per tree. I price per time and adjust accordingly.

I could be way off but at this time it's profitable and I'm going with it.
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When I first started 6 years ago my minimum price was $25. Now the minimum is $35 and those are lawns that take about 15 minutes. When I first started I had no idea what it cost an hour for me to operate, but now I have been able to figure out it cost $40 per hour to pay one employee and all my other expense so prices have had to increase. I am not the highest or lowest in my area but I am doing this for a living so I need to charge more than the guy doing it part time. I really don't think it matters what you charge as long as you are happy with the amount of money you are making and giving a quality product.
 
First mistake pointing it down hill You should back it down
I would mow it with my 60'' DC
I would back down and drive up cut both ways
Once you point it down hill all the weight transfer to the front tires
Looks like you want some different tires something with more open tread
I was not, nor would I point my mower downward near a slope like that. No I just made a side pass, turned mower up hill when it popped a wheelie, the left rear tire slipped just enough that the mower still in a wheelie pivoted towards the left and when wheelie came down I was sideways, (as if I did a zero turn-but I didn't), but my front end was pointing downwards. THAT US WHERE I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED! But I panicked, I pulled back on the right hydro, pushed forward on the left to pop it up! But just went froward and slipped even further down the slope, and the more I tired to muscle it up the more it slid down. Finally I ripped the parking brake all the way up to try and stop it which is where you see the blades disengaged and the mower just slid down the slope. (The picture shows the blades were engaged then stopped) that is also the point were I jumped off.
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