Lawn care looks simple to price until you are halfway through a summer of mowing big yards for small money. The key is to price by time on site, keep your stops close together, and sell more than just mowing. Here is how most lawn care businesses do it.
Typical mowing prices
- Small lot (under 1/4 acre): about $35 to $55 per cut
- Medium lot (1/4 to 1/2 acre): about $50 to $80 per cut
- Large lot (1/2 to 1 acre): about $75 to $130 per cut
- Over an acre: often priced per acre or by the hour
These usually include mowing, string trimming and blowing off hard surfaces. Edging may be included or charged as a small extra. Rates vary a lot by region, so check what local companies quote before you set yours.
Set a minimum charge
Even a tiny yard costs you loading, unloading and driving. Most lawn businesses set a minimum per visit, often $35 to $45, no matter how small the lawn. Without one, a route full of small yards can keep you busy without paying the bills.
Per cut or monthly plans?
Per cut pricing is easy to understand and works for new businesses. Monthly plans spread the season into equal payments, which customers like for budgeting and you like for steady cash flow. A common setup is weekly mowing during peak growth and biweekly in slower months, billed as one monthly price.
Weekly service usually costs the customer a little less per cut than biweekly, because the grass is shorter and the job goes faster. Biweekly yards can take noticeably longer, so price them a bit higher per visit.
Add-ons that make the route profitable
- Spring and fall cleanups
- Leaf removal
- Mulching and bed edging
- Hedge and shrub trimming
- Aeration and overseeding
- Gutter cleaning
- Snow removal in winter, where it makes sense
Cleanups and aeration are often priced by the job and can earn far more per hour than mowing. Offering them to your existing mowing customers is the easiest sale you will make all year.
Route density matters more than price
Ten yards on two streets beat ten yards spread across town. Every minute of driving is unpaid. Focus your flyers and door hangers on a few neighborhoods, and consider a small discount for neighbors who sign up together. Many lawn businesses also add a fuel or travel charge for customers outside their core area.
How to quote without driving out
Satellite views from Google Maps or a lot-measuring tool let you estimate the lawn area from your phone. Pair that with a quote form that asks for the address, lot size, gates, slopes and frequency, and you can send most quotes the same day without a visit.
Want the quote form and website done for you?
Our lawn care starter kit comes with a service area map, weekly and biweekly plans, quote requests with lot size, and a winter add-on page for snow or cleanup work. It gets built once 25 people vote for it, and voters get 20% off at launch. Vote for the lawn care kit, or read how to start a lawn care business.
Prices here are rough US ranges to help you plan. They vary a lot by area, so check local rates before you set yours.
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