income??

[bryanjw82]

Hi i am new to this site but i have been in the lawn business for about 2 solid years. I have been doing all the work myself and i was wondering what should i be bringing in a year? I do approx. 50-60 lawns a week, at monthy prices from 50-70$. I live in Central FL, Thanks [:p]

[Kidsweet]

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Keeping good books will tell you what you make

[rkbrown]

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What you should be making depends on a lot of things. You need to know your costs and cover them. Then, you need to make enough to live on while reinvesting in the business for new equipment, advertising, expansion, etc. In addition to monthly living needs, you should also putting something aside for savings. Not knowing your area (size of lawns) and equipment it is hard to say, but for my area (Houston suburbs) your prices sound low. My minimum is $25 per cut.

[Scaper-S2k]

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What you should be bringing in a year would be simply multiplying the # of lawns by the amount you charge each month. But are you asking how much profit should you be holding down? How many times are you cutting these lawns for $60 per month? Or is that per cut?

[bryanjw82]

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I guess what im asking is that what should i be making before any expenses or anything. I just wondering if im doing ok for where im at now, im 19 going on 20 in Oct. and i am doing everything myself. 60-70$ a month is the year round price i charge. depending how much the lawns need done i do them between every other week to every 5 days. Thanks

[i dream of weedie]

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are u saying u charge sixty dollars per month and how often u visit the property in that month is at > your discretion < ? ,we need to know how u charge your customers. And i am curoius becasue i am trying to learn more too. It sounds like you have a good business. [^]

[Scaper-S2k]

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We mow for abut 9 months out of the year here...more like 8. Cuts usually come in at around 26 per year. 50 residentials would bring in around $50k per year. Commercial would be about $85k per year. Just mowing, nothing else.

Charge PER CUT and bill monthly for each one. OR...figure the average number of cuts for your area, multiple that by how much per cut. Then divide by 12 months and bill that amount per month.

Example: Say in your area you mow about 42 times per year at $30 per cut (just a wild guess). You either charge per cut and bill that per month or.....42 times $30 is $1260. Divide $1260 by 12 months (or 10) and you get $105 per month (or $126). Bill for that amount each month.


Any other way and you are going to lose the game before you start out. You can't mow some months 4 times and others 2, yet bill only for 2 cuts every month.

[bryanjw82]

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I didn't mean to make it sound like i mow whenever i want to, i meant like during the summer here it can be cut at least once a week, and during the winter which isn't much of a winter gets cut at about twice a month. I just keep the same set price for each month so that when winter comes around im not feeling a loss in pay. I take advantage of not having to work as much in the winter and making the same as all year and spend the extra time doing things like pressure washing driveways, sidewalks, and homes. Or just doing diff. things like helping someone haul something somewhere since i have a truck and trailer to do it. And make extra cash that way. So on average in the summer i making around 12.50 a cut if they are billed 50$ a month, but when winter comes around i making about 25$ for that same yard on average per cut since its cut twice. It takes me about 25 min. to do each one entirely. I want to up my prices and start up in new neighborhoods with my new prices and see if i can get a better result. At least im hoping for a good result next year, im working on my expanding now. Thanks

Oh ya another thing, since im doing everything on my own, i was wondering what should i limit my self to in the amount of lawns i want? i have at least 45-55 good acounts now that are set. I know i can maintain around 80-90 myself a week, Do u think i would be pushing myself to hard? I dont know if i would be, but when im done working everyday i ready to go and cut more lawns. Thanks

[sprout]

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I live and work in c/fla also. You are working twice as hard for half the money.Here's my layout.
22 years in business
35 accounts/2 commercial's the rest res.
4 day week
31-33 hrs
$1200 a week
You should be at $80-$100 per month minimum, go up from there.
If you were to do 80-90 accounts a week, you should make $8500-$10,000 per month. Don't sell yourself short.

[Scaper-S2k]

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Bryan, I am by no means trying to be a jerk here, but I haven't heard of guys cutting for $12.50 in about 15 years. Even if that was averaged or what ever. I think you would have a tough time making a decent living with those figures. You need to set up a minimum price per cut, regardless of size. And I think it has to be quite a bit more than what you are charging now.

Keep those questions coming if you need help.

[bryanjw82]

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Ive been thinking about it alot, and i believe you guys are right. I guess ive always thought that lawn service shouldn't be as high priced as it is but everyone else is making good on alot higher prices than me. Im going to set my-self straight for next year and raise my prices. I appreciate all of you guy's help, ill be back with more questions as i move on up. Again, thank you [8)]