Mowing Fees

[scgoins]

I am new to the business. I plan on starting services in the spring 2003. I am in the process of developing a fee structure. I have broken an acre of yard into eighths and have priced by the square foot. The square feet of each yard will be rounded up to the nearest bracket. For example, a yard measures 23,132 sq.ft. The yard will be billed in the 5/8 acre bracket.

Could I please have some constructive critisism on the following fees.

1/8 Acre or 5445 sq.ft. @ $0.0045/sq.ft.= $24.50
1/4 Acre or 10,890 sq.ft. @ $0.003/sq.ft.= $32.67
3/8 Acre or 16,335 sq.ft. @ $0.0025/sq.ft.= $40.84
1/2 Acre or 21,780 sq.ft. @ $0.0022/sq.ft.= $47.92
5/8 Acre or 27,225 sq.ft. @ $0.0020/sq.ft.= $54.45
3/4 Acre or 32,670 sq.ft. @ $0.0019/sq.ft.= $62.07
7/8 Acre or 38,115 sq.ft. @ $0.00185/sq.ft.= $70.51
1.0 Acre or 43,560 sq.ft. @ $0.0018/sq.ft.= $78.41
1.1 Acre and up @ $0.0017/sq.ft.

The services for the above fees will include mowing, trimming, and blowing.

Scott G.

[qualitylandscaping]

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www.geocities.com/qualitylandscaping2001/guide.html

Those are my rates... They may give you an idea.. Your's sound alright

[Phil Nilsson]

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I would factor in a "degree of difficulty" for excessive trim obstacles, sloped lawns, number of shrub beds (within) lawn areas.

[smack]

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Scott,
Do you add on any other charges? ie: triming, edging or mower drop off charge.
Thanks,
Todd

[srlawnservice]

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Are you figuring the entire lot size or just the grass that is mowed?

RL

[scgoins]

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The estimates are based on the square footage of grass, not the entire property. I would consider a drop-off fee of $5.00. For numerous obstacles to mow and trim around, I would consider an additional fee. I am unsure on how to price the obstacles and stay consistant with the fees I charge on other properties I maintain. Would I be better charging by the minute or by the obstacle?

[GrassMaster]

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Hello Everybody:

The Main Problem with Pricing here is, the Price is going to be different in different areas.

Ok, South Georgia, in Albany a $35 yard there, will be Close to $45 Dollars in Columbus Georgia, 80 Miles North of Albany, OK that same Yard will be $50 to $55 in Atlanta, Georgia & Atlanta is about 90 Miles North of Columbus. Ok...

We are still in the Same State, Now if I was Cutting at Cape Cod I would be Getting a Lot More. I've Heard they get about $1.25 to $1.50 a Minute. Well I'm not paying no Lawn Guy by the Minute or by the Hour to Cut Grass. I might pay him by the hour to trim Bushes or Hedges but No other way? No Sir!

OK, scogins:
First! You are off to a Good Start but there is to many other Factures.

Here in Columbus, Gerorgia a 10,000 sq.ft. to 12,000 sq.ft. Lawn is going for about $45 now that's to Mow, Trim Grass with Trimmer, Edge & Blow the Average lawn that size.

Ok, Now an average Lawn that's around 20,000 sq.ft. is going for about $55 to $65 for the same service.

You are Close, But there is other Factors Involved here!

Ok, It Appears you are Measuring you lawns with a Measuring Wheel & that's Very Good!

Now, Take a few more minutes Measure the Linear Footage of the Trimming & Edging. Have one price for Trimming so many feet & another price for trimming & edging Both. Because...

We Know that you don't edge everything you trim, but in most cases you trim everything you edge? Right?

Ok it takes you say 2 minutes to Trim a 100 Linear Feet, It takes you 4 minutes to Edge 100 Linear feet.

Ok Don't Forget the Blowing off of all Hard Surfaces. This Needs to be Figured Too!

OK, With all these figures, do this, figure yourself 3 different degrees of Difficulty? In all Phases of the operation. Say Average Growth, Medium Growth & Jurassic Park. LOL

Now go one more Step & Time it, this is most Important, because the time will tell all!

Why? Well You might Wake up on April Fools Day & Say hey I want to get paid $42.00 an hour labor for Lawn Service!

Ok, it takes you This ( ) Long to Cut a 12,000 sq.ft. Lawn, 300 ft of edging & 1,800 sq.ft. of Blowing off Hard Surfaces!

40 minutes to Push Mow W/21"
15 Minutes to Trim & Edge
5 Minutes to Blow

OK, You just got Yo $42. Ok You bidded the Lawn at that & You got it. Do you see what I mean. Ok, Now you go to another Lawn Same Measurements & Those Kids has Toys Everywhere. Well you decided to add another 10% for the Toy Fee? See what I mean.

Now this is not going to Happen, But if the lawn was 10 times that in Mowing, Edging, Trimming & Blowing off Surfaces & You had to bid it with same equipment. You Know it's going to take you 10 Hours, But you are Not traveling job to job or Loading or Unloading Equipment so You Might bid it at $400 dollars.

Now The Next April Fools Day you Decide you want $45 an hour for your Services!

The Most Important thing is Know Exactly how long it's going to take you with What Equipment you are using, The Bigger the Equipment, Less Time & You can Charge Less Money. This is Where you leave the others in the Dust. This is what Will get you those Bids, Yes You must Start Somewhere & You getting a Real Good Start Now.

Ok, You Know those Figures & Times to Perfection. Even When Blowing a Large Parking Lot with a Roll around Blower & Mowing with a 60" ZTR.

Ok, That Place is 100,00 sq.ft. of Grass, 2,500 Linear feet of Trimming & Edging & 10,000 sq.ft. of Parking lot to be blown?

You already know how long it takes you to do that & You Know what you want an hour. That bid should Easily be done from Start to Finish in less than half an hour?

BTW: That's Including handing the Person in charge of Grounds Maintenance the Proposal or Bid?

You can Write it out by Filling in the Blanks on the Spot Like only 8% of your Competition does, You can put them off a day or longer Preparing the Bid like about 90% of your Compettion does or...

You could go to Your Truck, Dude You got a Dell (Wow) & Print it out with your Laptop & Printer on Your Company Stationary with your Logo on Your Letterhead Like only you do & You are the 2% in a Very Professional Way.

You Told them you were a Professional Lawn Service & I bet about 3 to 5 minutes after you hand them the Bid they Figure it out T00! []

When I hand that Person the Bid, I would say would You like for me to Have One of My Commercial Crews to Start Tommorrow? Yes, doing it with a Big Old Smile on Your Face!

If No Answer in about 3 seconds, Say Would You like to Think about it & I call You Later today, I would really like to get your Property on My Tuesdays Schedule?

If No Answer in about 5 seconds, Say Do you have any Questions about Our Services?

Get the Picture, You Know how long it Takes, You Know What You Want an Hour, You Most Definately Got your Act Together, So What are You waiting for?

[srlawnservice]

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North Carolinian, I like it. I'm originally from SC one mile inside the border off of I85.

Anyway, I cut in the DC area now. Since you are doing only sq ft of lawn, our prices are roughly the same. My formula for basic acre comes out to 68, with 1/2 acre around 45. But keep in mind, mine are for TOTAL lot size. I have minimum trimming and edging figured in as well, plus a 5 dollar "mobilization fee". (got that term from someone else on this website).

Of course, 1/2 acre is the largest I do, and most of mine are 15K and below. Again, that is TOTAL lot size. If you are solo, use your formula for a year. If you are making 30-60/hr with 21 inch mower, I would say you are doing ok. If you upgrade, keep the same formula, because hey, the equipment cost more per minute to operate.

You may get knocked a little around here for formulas and I don't understand why. You'll see numerous posts here comparing lawn service to other professions. All businesses use formulas to establish an average, show me one that doesn't. Statistics are statistically accurate, I don't care what anybody says. Good luck.

RL

[scgoins]

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Thank you all for the good advice. I plan on purchasing a ZTR mower with a 48" or 52" deck and a 21" wb. I would like to have the capability to maintain a variety of property sizes.

Admin, does pricing trimming at $0.035/linear foot sound reasonable? Maybe edging at $0.5/linear foot? Being new to the business I do not have a good feel the time it would take to do certain properties. However, I do want to be in the ballpark with my fees so I do not have to make a big adjustment in my second year and face the risk of losing customers.

Thank you.

Scott G.

[srlawnservice]

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G-Man has a good point, however, more expensive equipment means more overhead. Just as you can price yourself out of a job with smaller equip, bigger equip can prevent you from getting a job. Got to figure out what niche you want. Hard to equip yourself for everything. However, G-man is cutting in NC and can probably give you better advice on your area. Up here, 45 dollars/acre....no way.

My advice to you if you are solo:
1. Small equip
2. Small props
3. Densely populated areas.

For my setup, townhomes are a gold mine. Anything after 1/2 acre and try to price myself out of the job. Too much time.

Works for me
RL

[srlawnservice]

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G-man,

I use the local county website to determine total lotsize, no wheels needed. Walk the property and count sidewalk blocks and multiply by 8. (only 4 if only edging one side) Figure obstacles at 1 dollar/4 obstacles.

Eyeballing it is fine if only one person, but what if more than one person does estimates? I have one partner, formulas ensure consistency. Granted, you round off to dollars or five dollars or whatever you determine works. What gets someone to walk off my prop for say, a painting job, is "oh, that will be 300" I say how about 250 and they say O.K. Why should there be any negotiating? Formulas are statistically accurate, if you don't believe that, have you ever been in an airplane? Look at quantity to price ratio of various items in the grocery store? (you'll be shocked at what you pay per gallon for some items versus gas)

my 2 cents
RL

[Maddog]

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Gary, I live right down the road from you here in Goldsboro NC. I have to agree with you about the pricing. The market here will not support some of the higher prices that you might get in other areas. As a matter of fact you are probably able to get more in the Durham area than I could due to the economy of the area.

RL, is see where you are coming from also if more than one is calculating the estimates. You do have to have some type of standardization in the estimations.

For me I am not that big,yet! I only do 40 to 50 lawns on a regular basis. I do most of the work by myself and have a partimer work with me. I usually do the estimates myself so they are pretty standardized. I walk of the lawns and calculate in the flower beds, trees, ditches etc. I also have to calculate in the distance. If the potential customer is a ways away I will calculate in extra for the travel time and gas.

[srlawnservice]

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G-Man,

Completely agree with you. That's the bad thing about typing in these sites, I tend to only tell the point I'm trying to make and not the whole story.

On townhomes, I give estimates over the phone based on two simple questions: 1. Is it interior or exterior? 2. Do you have a fence? I'll get knocked around here for that but I'm like you, estimating is time you're not getting paid for. And the sq footage on a town home doesn't meet my formulas minimum.

On singles, when I'm called for an estimate, I already have their address and before going over, I pull up the property on the county website for total lot sq footage. That gives me a basic "bare minimum" price. Walking around, I can count a few things here and there and quickly come up with a price. I think we're on the same sheet here, you are figuring how long it is going to take you by eye-balling it. I feel more comfortable with the mathematics, quickly converted to time, which is converted to 1 dollar/minute. But also like you, if I pull up and think this is just like so and so's yard, I don't bother counting much, just walk for a minute or two for show.

I would recommend to scgoins, try it both ways and compare. If they are close you are skillful at eyeballing and shouldn't screw yourself or the customer. If they are way off, look at which method you are most accurate with. The bottom line is time is money. The funny thing about this is the most fair and accurate way to do this is cut the lawn, and multiply by your hourly figure. Unfortunately, if most people knew our hourly figure they would blast us out of their yard!
Best of luck,
RL