Labor (you or employee): $20–$30/hr
Gas + equipment wear: $5–$10 per lawn
Travel time between jobs
Maintenance (blades, oil, repairs)
👉 A typical 30-minute lawn might cost you ~$15–$25 to service.
So your minimum charge should realistically be $40–$50 just to stay profitable.
2. Use Tiered Flat Pricing (NOT hourly)
Customers hate hourly. You want simple, predictable pricing.
Example Structure:
Small yard (under ¼ acre): $40–$50
Medium yard (¼–½ acre): $50–$70
Large yard (½–1 acre): $70–$100+
Adjust based on:
Grass height
Obstacles (trees, fences)
Terrain (slopes = more time)
3. Charge for Condition (Most people miss this)
You should NOT charge the same for:
Weekly maintained lawn
vs
Overgrown jungle
Add-ons:
Overgrown fee: +$20–$50
First-time cleanup: +$50–$150
Bagging clippings: +$10–$20
This protects your time and equipment.
4. Push Recurring Contracts (This is where money stabilizes)
One-time cuts are inconsistent. Weekly/biweekly is where you build real income.
Offer:
Weekly: Slight discount (ex: $45 instead of $50)
Biweekly: Standard rate
Monthly: Higher (more work each visit)
👉 Goal: Lock in predictable routes
5. Route Density = Profit
Driving kills your margins.
You want:
Multiple houses in the same neighborhood
Back-to-back jobs with minimal travel
👉 Example: 5 lawns in one street at $50 each = $250 in ~2–3 hours
That’s how you scale.
6. Upsells (This is how you increase ticket size)
Basic mowing alone is low-margin. Add:
Edging: +$10–$20
Weed eating: often included, but price accordingly
Leaf removal: $75–$200 seasonal
Mulching: $100–$500+
Hedge trimming: $50–$150
7. Simple Pricing Formula
Price = (Time × Target Hourly Rate) + Difficulty + Travel Adjustment
If your target is $60/hour:
30-minute job → $30 base → charge $45–$55
1-hour job → charge $60–$80+
8. Positioning Strategy
You have two paths:
Budget Volume Model
Lower prices
High volume
Tight routes
