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Residential mowing prices

20K views 73 replies 36 participants last post by  CraigPLC 
#1 ·
Been doing this for 5 years now and been cutting residential yards on average for $30 (Standard Platt yard). Just curious where others are in pricing and how you figure it? Am I too cheap or right where I need to be? Thanks
 
#5 ·
I gave a quote on Monday for two yards that are side by side (a daughter and mother). I figured this would take me two hours due to the bigger size of the yard, the amount of edging (corner lot), and amount of trimming around flower beds. Normally I would have quoted $120 for both yards together, but since it is in my subdivision and two yards next to each other I quoted $105 for the pair.

The person they used before me hacked the yard up pretty badly... uneven grass all over the yard... you can follow the uneven grass trails and see exactly the pattern they cut through the whole yard. They edged with a weedeater and left very uneven lines. They scalped the yard in multiple places... it just looked bad. The lady asked if $105 was the best I could do, and I explained to her that I already discounted the price due to the convenience for me and that I couldn't go any lower. She said that worked for her and I got the account.

She told me that the company she had before the hackers did her yard for $45 and her mother's for $40, but they left the business for whatever reason. I gave her the ole "I'm sure if you call around you will find someone cheaper than us, but we will treat your yard as if it were our own and you will be satisfied with our work".

Worked like a charm.... and we will follow through.
 
#6 ·
Pricing in my area is all over the place. I might only get $25 for a super easy to do 1/2 acre and then get $45 to do a standard 1/4 acre job. I've found that a one size fits all approach to pricing just won't work where I'm at. I do feel each customer out and then try to get my best price.
 
#7 ·
Average yard size is between 3000 and 15000 sq.ft (.25 acre lots). It seems like its really spotty, some areas can get 40 some complain at 30.
35 is 12k and lower is lowest I go I wont unload for anything less unless its right next to a job I have

I know one guy is doing lawns under 20 His work shows it he might only trims 2 times a month and when he does trim its to the dirt
Mows with a high dollar mower at that a Ferris 3100 and this year just bought a New HD hustler seen this yesterday might trade the Ferris in

People charge below the market kills it for others
 
#11 ·
I only have 10 accounts and the lowest I get is 40 out of all of them. I said my minimum is 35 but that seems low to me now. On average most of my yards take me about an hour or an hour and a half to do solo. I am kinda in the same boat Mono is too. I need the extra sash but I am not gonna low ball for the business.[/QUOTE

I once said nothing less than 35 until I was asked to edge a driveway and curb 5 minute job from parking to pull off 20 bucks. Now I see I can make more of a profit percentage if I use My mind and not My Butt.

If I was not so lazy I'd just walk from one customer to her house BUT I am Super lazy
 
#13 ·
Prices are VERY regional. Quote a 10K lawn here for anything more than $25 and you will get laughed all the way back to your truck. We start a new 2 acre lawn we just picked up tomorrow. We are charging $60. It is a few houses down from where we already cut 7 others. Those 7 are all .5 to 1 acre and we charge them $30 to $45 (different sizes and degrees of difficulty). The reason our prices here are so low is because we are right between Baltimore and washington DC and this area is absolutely inundated with trucks full of illegals working daylight to dark for $10 or less an hour. They make there money by doing lawns in high volume. There are so many commercial crews here you could literally have a new crew cut your lawn every day of the week for an entire year maybe more. I can not travel down any road without passing at least one crew and most times 2 or 3 crews in a matter of 2 or 3 miles. So you have to figure out what the going rate in YOUR area is and base your pricing off of that.
 
#14 ·
Prices are VERY regional. Quote a 10K lawn here for anything more than $25 and you will get laughed all the way back to your truck. We start a new 2 acre lawn we just picked up tomorrow. We are charging $60.00. So you have to figure out what the going rate in YOUR area is and base your pricing off of that.
Lol at doing 2 acres for $60.00. This is horrible advice. It is a good idea to know competitive rates but you base price on your,operating costs & goals.
 
#15 ·
Prices are VERY regional. Quote a 10K lawn here for anything more than $25 and you will get laughed all the way back to your truck. We start a new 2 acre lawn we just picked up tomorrow. We are charging $60. It is a few houses down from where we already cut 7 others. Those 7 are all .5 to 1 acre and we charge them $30 to $45 (different sizes and degrees of difficulty). The reason our prices here are so low is because we are right between Baltimore and washington DC and this area is absolutely inundated with trucks full of illegals working daylight to dark for $10 or less an hour. They make there money by doing lawns in high volume. There are so many commercial crews here you could literally have a new crew cut your lawn every day of the week for an entire year maybe more. I can not travel down any road without passing at least one crew and most times 2 or 3 crews in a matter of 2 or 3 miles. So you have to figure out what the going rate in YOUR area is and base your pricing off of that.
At that price and set of circumstances, I would go to school to become an border patrol agent in your area. It seems like you would have your work cut out for you. Before someone that doesn't know responds, they have Border patrol agents all over Baton Rouge.

Lol at doing 2 acres for $60.00. This is horrible advice. It is a good idea to know competitive rates but you base price on your,operating costs & goals.
Bingo.
 
#16 ·
Lol at doing 2 acres for $60.00. This is horrible advice. It is a good idea to know competitive rates but you base price on your,operating costs & goals.
Right terrible advice after being in business full time for 30 years. Yup it clearly does not work. If we priced lawns like some of you claim we should then we would be out of business in no time flat. I would bet money if the new customer wanted they could get somebody to do it for $45. They would get another crew that would show up with 4 guys. 2 or 3 on 60" zero turns and 1 or two trimming and blowing off. They would cut the 2 acre lawn and be done in 20 minutes flat for $45. Like I said the crews here make there money in volume. Make a little less on each lawn but work daylight to dark and knock out 40 lawns a day.

Like I said you have to price for your area. Come here with those high prices and you would never get any work.
 
#17 ·
1.89 acres according to the tax assessments I just looked at . He told me today the previous guy had been doing it for 15 years and had been having a lot of life issues in the last year (brother dieing right now and he is going to have to pay for the funeral etc etc) and he did not want to drop him when he is down but his wife has had enough. It was DEEP today. Absolutely full of crabgrass and he told me it has not been cut in a little over 3 weeks. I cut it at 4 3/4 and took my time. Took me 1hr and 10 minutes. Another 1 to 2 cuts and I will have it down to a normal height and will be able to blast through it in 35 to 40 minutes. He said his neighbor will probably have us start on her lawn soon.

 
#18 ·
Prostreet, your area is a hard one. That county is being flooded with illegals. Its hard to compete with them when there are 10 adults living in one house with 10 incomes.

Prices are pretty interesting to compare, its kinda neat to see where everyone is at. 12,000 sq ft lots for me are at $35.
 
#20 ·
Prostreet, your area is a hard one. That county is being flooded with illegals. Its hard to compete with them when there are 10 adults living in one house with 10 incomes.

Prices are pretty interesting to compare, its kinda neat to see where everyone is at. 12,000 sq ft lots for me are at $35.
Finally somebody here that knows how our situation is here. I know guys here think we are crazy when I mention the prices we charge but every time we decide to stick to our guns and try to get a little higher price we NEVER get the job. These ultra low prices are not reflected in these guys work either. They do a darn fine job for such cheap prices. I mean they roll up in quad cab F-550 stake body with 20' enclosed and 4 or 5 jump out and knock lawns out silly fast. You very rarely ever see a white guy doing lawn care around here.

Where are you located? All of our work is in montgomery county.
 
#21 ·
I don't just mow and go so I am sure it will effect my price but my minimum price of my current accounts is $ 50.00 at 12000 square feet . With most of my lawns being about $ 80.00-105.00 a week and averaging 3/4-1 acre.
Where do you live because I want to move to where I can get $80 for 3/4 acre and $100 for 1 acre. I would be rolling in the money.
 
#22 ·
1.89 acres according to the tax assessments I just looked at . He told me today the previous guy had been doing it for 15 years and had been having a lot of life issues in the last year (brother dieing right now and he is going to have to pay for the funeral etc etc) and he did not want to drop him when he is down but his wife has had enough. It was DEEP today. Absolutely full of crabgrass and he told me it has not been cut in a little over 3 weeks. I cut it at 4 3/4 and took my time. Took me 1hr and 10 minutes. Another 1 to 2 cuts and I will have it down to a normal height and will be able to blast through it in 35 to 40 minutes. He said his neighbor will probably have us start on her lawn soon.

Holy crap. I just picked up a $40 weekly cut with a grass area that would completely fit in that driveway.

It's not just "regional" either. It varies within "cities" as well.
That $40 job I just mentioned would be a $20 job just a few blocks away.
 
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