If you run a mowing business, you are free to charge whatever lawn mowing prices you like. After all, isn’t that one of the reasons you became your own boss in the first place?

But, if you want to make sure that your mowing business doesn’t go out of business, it might be a good idea to understand what influences how other mowing professionals charge for lawn mowing.

Disclaimer: As always, the findings shared in this article are for general information and do not constitute advice. You are responsible for making your own decisions about what lawnmowing prices to charge your customers.

GreenSocks lawn mowing prices

GreenSocks uses an instant, online pricing system based on a set hourly rate. So, if you’re interested in picking up extra mowing jobs through GreenSocks, you can check out our (fixed) lawn mow pricing here, read our Lawn Mowing Providers FAQ here and sign up to get some extra mowing jobs here.

How much do other lawnmowers charge for lawn mowing?

To answer this question, we talked to 200+ mowing providers who registered with GreenSocks. We asked them how they worked out what to charge for lawn mowing in their own mowing businesses (when they are not using the GreenSocks fixed pricing system).

Some have a minimum charge. Some do not. Some have a call out fee for lawn mowing quotes. Some do not. Some guessed every price. Some had worked out their own system for determining price. Here is a summary from our research of some common factors that influence lawn mowing charges:

Lawn size – the bigger the yard, the more time (and blood, sweat and tears) required to mow it and therefore the higher the lawn mowing charge

Grass height – tall and/or unruly grass might need whipper snippering first, or, need be mowed two or three times to ensure a neat and tidy finish

Grass density – the mower will glide through some grass types but get stuck on other grass types (which means more time, clippings and usually a higher price to charge for lawn mowing)

Clippings option – mowing pros who mow with the catcher and collect the clippings (and then constantly empty them) usually charge a higher lawnmowing cost than when no clippings need to be collected

Removal of green waste + tip fees – if clippings need removal because the customer doesn’t want them in the wheelie bin or compost, extra fees tend to apply because of tip fees and the time needed to do the tip run

 

Lawn obstacles – for example, palm fronds to pluck from the lawn prior to mowing, trees or garden features to mow around, trampolines or animal cages to move – they all take time and extra care, that can add to the price

Edging work – footpaths, stepping stones, trees, swimming pool, garden features and/or multiple lawn sections can create extra edging work that adds time and money to a lawn mowing quote

Whipper snipper Vs edger – the customer charge can be higher when an edging tool is used in addition to a whipper snipper, because each different tool and process takes longer labour time

Access and terrain – a flat yard with no obstructions is easier and quicker to mow than a sloped yard with multiple sections – accessible only by steep stairs

Ride on mower Vs push mower – ride on mowing prices are typically higher per hour than push mowers because ride on lawnmowers cost more to purchase and replace

Weeding, weed spraying, pruning, hedging, soil aeration and fertilisation services – additional lawn services such as this were another reason for higher lawn maintenance prices

Urgency – to squeeze urgent mowing jobs into an already-busy mowing schedule, many mowers add an urgent fee into a lawn mowing quote (whether they tell their customers or not) to compensate for the trouble

Repeat jobs or one-off jobs – most mowing guys said they preferred repeat work rather than one-off mowing work, so it did not seem uncommon for many of them to price one-off jobs at a higher hourly rate

End-of-lease, clean-up jobs – these jobs seemed to be the least favourite of most mowing providers we spoke to, because the work tends to be harder and more intense (namely, seriously overgrown lawns with lots of clean up work with a messy lawn to mow, plus possible hedging, weeding and/or pruning)

 

 

Vehicle and petrol costs – lawn mowing businesses need to recover their vehicle and petrol costs and will always try to factor these costs into how much to charge for lawn mowing

Locality excess – some mowing guys command an excess for specific localities, due to the time it takes them to get to/from certain locations, as well as how far the tip is (for waste removal after completion of the mowing job)

House size – some mowing businesses charge higher lawnmowing fees to customers who live in more expensive houses (sad, but true!) – which is another reason why GreenSocks’ customers like our set pricing

Lawnmowing franchise costs – mowing pros who paid to join mowing franchises (there are many in the market, but some of the bigger names include Jim’s Mowing, VIP Home Services, Express Lawn Mowing, Fox Mowing and Andrew’s Affordable Mowing) often added a little extra onto every mowing job they undertook, in order to recoup their original lawnmowing franchise outlay

Painting the lawn – lawn maintenance pros who also paint lawns with their lawn mowing service will charge more than just a standard lawn mowing service

Equipment and accessories – it costs money to buy and replace quality lawnmowing equipment (eg. lawn mowing trailers, whipper snippers, edgers, slashers, weed sprayers, hedgers, brushcutters, chainsaws, mulchers, cutting saws and so on)

Market demand – mowers in highly competitive areas said they usually charged less than mowers who enjoyed minimal mowing competition in their chosen location

Lawnmowing insurance – lawn mowing professionals who pay for lawnmowing insurance often add a little extra to mowing prices so their insurance premiums are covered

Professional sports fields – higher charges tended to apply when high end mowing equipment (such as that used on professional sports fields and golf courses) applied

Lawn striping services – customer lawns which get lawn striping done usually attract higher lawn mowing prices

 

Other administrative and business running costs – these costs add to lawn mowing prices and include administrative fees, accounting and tax fees, staff wages and/or other business back-end admin costs

GST, where applicable  – mowing provider said that if they are registered for GST (Goods and Services Tax), they need to add GST onto their price for lawn mowing services, then later send the GST to the tax department

Pensioner and/or concession discount – some mowing guys give discounts for pensioners and/or other concession card holders

Public holiday and/or weekend surcharge – some lawn mowing companies apply a surcharge for garden maintenance services public holidays and/or weekends

Winter prices – some lawn mowing businesses offered cheap lawn mowing in the quieter winter season when they are more in need of mowing jobs and not as easily able to pick and choose their work

Summer prices – some popular mowing providers said they doubled or even tripled if customers were desperate for mowing help in summer when their mowing calendars were already full

Cost of living expenses – mowing providers with higher costs of living (eg. family, school fees, debts) sometimes reported that they charged higher prices to allow for their own personal cost of living expenses

 

Independent Lawn Mowing Contractors of Australia

One place that new lawnmowing professionals can be seen asking online, “How much do I charge for lawn mowing?”, is on the lawn mowing forums on Independent Lawn Mowing Contractors of Australia. There are lots of conversations there and lots of mowing professionals offering their tips. Most of the forum entries are quite dated but the conversations could still prove invaluable.

 

Lawn Care Millionaire: How To Price Lawn Care Services

Another resource for deciding what to charge for lawn care services is the YouTube channel of America’s Andrew Pototschnik, the self-branded “Lawn Care Millionaire”. Here’s just one of his educational videos on lawn care pricing:

 

 

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