How to Price Lawn Mowing and a Season Contract

Time the whole stop, then price it at your hourly rate. Add a share of the drive. That is your price per cut.

Many crews price by what the shop down the road charges. But their costs are not your costs. Their crew, mower and route are not yours.

A stop is more than the mow. It is the mow, the trim, the edge and the blow. Count all 4.

For a flat yard of about a quarter acre, with a wide zero-turn mower, that is often:

• Mowing: 10 to 15 minutes.
• Trimming and edging: 10 to 15 minutes.
• Blowing off the drive and walks: 5 minutes.
• Unloading and loading: 5 minutes.

So one person spends 30 to 40 minutes on site. A push mower, hills or lots of beds will add more. Time a few of your own yards to get real numbers.

Here is one way the numbers can add up. Every figure is an example. Use your own rate, your own route and your own times.

• Time on site: 40 minutes for one person.
• Drive: 10 minutes, if the next stop is close by.
• Your rate: say $75 an hour. That has to cover pay, fuel, the mower, the truck and insurance.
• The math: 50 minutes at $75 an hour is about $63.

So this yard is about $60 to $65 a cut in this example. Many yards this size go for $45 to $85 a cut, so the number is in the range. If yours comes out far lower, check that your rate covers your costs.

Set a smallest price you will mow for, too. A tiny yard still costs you the stop, the drive and the unload.

A season deal is a set number of cuts for one total. The customer pays it in equal parts each month. You get steady pay, and they get a bill that never jumps.

Here is how to build it:

• Count the cuts. Weekly mowing runs about 26 to 32 cuts, based on where you are and how long your grass grows.
• Multiply the cuts by your price. 30 cuts at $60 is $1,800.
• Split it into months. Over 8 months, that is $225 each month. Over 12, it is $150.

Some shops take a little off the total for a season deal, often 5 to 10 percent. That is your choice, not a rule. Steady work is worth a little to you, but only if your price still covers your costs.

Say what happens in a dry spell. If you skip a week when the grass does not grow, does the price stay the same? Write it down. Some shops keep the payment the same and swap a skipped cut for other work, like trimming shrubs.

Check for these when you walk the yard. Each one adds time, so each one is fair to price.

• Tall grass: the first cut of spring, or a yard that has gone weeks, can take twice as long.
• Slopes and ditches: a hill you have to mow by hand is slow work.
• Beds and trees: each one adds trimming time.
• Gates and dogs: a narrow gate can mean a smaller mower and more time.
• Bagging: if the customer wants the clippings hauled off, that is time and dump costs.
• Leaves: fall leaf cleanup is its own job, not part of a cut.

Some extras need a license. In most states, you need a state license to spray weed killer or bug control for pay. Some states also license putting down fertilizer. Check with your state before you add them to a deal.

Give the customer 2 or 3 real choices, each with its own total. For example:

• Weekly: 30 cuts, with the price per cut, the season total and the monthly payment.
• Every other week: 15 cuts, priced the same way. Each cut takes longer, so the per-cut price is higher.
• Weekly plus cleanups: 30 cuts, plus a spring and a fall cleanup.

Then say what the deal covers. Mow, trim, edge and blow, once a week, from the first cut to the last.

Then say what is not included. For example: leaf cleanup, weed control, hedge trimming, storm cleanup, and sprinkler repair. Each one can be its own job on its own quote.

Keep your price per cut, your cleanups and your extras in your price book. Then the next yard takes a few minutes to quote, and it comes out the same every time.