Scenario for you....

[Joel B.]

You arrive at a property that normally takes you an hour to mow, trim and blow. The grass has not grown as much as in the summer but still needs cutting and there are leaves on the grass. You mulch the yard but don't spend any more time mulching than mowing, trimming is not needed and when you're done blow off the paved areas, total time: 1 hour.

Do you:

Charge the same as mowing?

Charge more because it is "leaf clean-up" (even though you didn't spend any more time there)?

Charge a mowing fee plus an additional leaf clean-up fee?


Some might say there is more equipment (mulching kit) involved, but there was no trimming so a trimmer wasn't needed thus evening out the equipment cost.

Keep in mind that if you charge the same as a mowing each time, you are screwing yourself out of a leaf clean-up at the end of the season but how do you justify charging more if you spend the same amount of time and equipment cost there?

Thanks for any opinions,

Joel B.

 

[Metro Lawn]

You charge for a mowing. You didn't clean up anything, just mulch cut. We either cut, or cut and collect.

 

[daveintoledo]

You charge for a mowing. You didn't clean up anything, just mulch cut. We either cut, or cut and collect.

when i collect the leaves, its a clean up....

 

[Az Gardener]

I sell time, it dose'nt matter what I do. My equipment cost are included in my hourly rate. You are right, what's the difference in trimmer costs-vs-mulching costs? Charge the same. Let the Karma be your guide

 

[olderthandirt]

when i collect the leaves, its a clean up....

Ditto^ ..........................

 

[bobbygedd]

you charge a mowing fee, and a cleanup fee. you did mow the grass+ you did clean the leaves. the means in which you cleaned them in unimportant, wether u mulched them, bagged them, or ate them, you provided a leaf service + a grass mowing service.

 

[rodfather]

If you would like to retain this customer for next year, a mowing charge only is in order...nothing more for what you did.

 

[QualityLawnCare4u]

This time of the year a lot of my yards fall into this catagory and I do not charge extra for it. Heck, Im lucky to get anyone to pay extra for bagging or leaf cleanup (posted recently how this did not work in my area).

 

[tiedeman]

I would charge the mowing fee, and also a very small fall clean up fee.

The reason being is: you said that it normally takes you an hour to mow, trim, blow, etc. And it took you an hour this time, yet you did not trim. Let's say the leaves were not there, and you did not trim and it took you 45 mins to do the job instead of the usual hour, would you charge the same mowing fee...you bet you would.

What about if you put a larger mower on the property and it takes you less time, should you charge less...no. So getting back to my answer, you should charge for the service that was provided, which was mowing and a fall clean up

 

[rodfather]

What about if you put a larger mower on the property and it takes you less time, should you charge less...no. So getting back to my answer, you should charge for the service that was provided, which was mowing and a fall clean up

We sell our time Troy, nothing more...X dollars for aerating, X dollars for mowing, X dollars for plowing, etc. Sorry my friend, I strongly disagree with you here.

If I show up with a larger mower, will I charge less? Of course not...I paid more for this bigger mower. Correct?