The Grass Doctor

how do I charge for lawn care service.?

How much should i charge per acre of yard i have to mow. Should it be 50 dollars an acre ( depending on how rough the terrain is) I'm just looking for some far priceing scales. I am wanting to start my own lawn care service. I have the equipment but i'm unsure on how i should Bill clients. I figured i would offer: Weeding. Weed eating Planting Mowing. Debry removal mulching Hedge trimming Landscaping landsacpe design I have my associate degree in drafting and design. for the landsacpe design i would charge .35 cent a square foot. Depending on size of project.

Public Comments

1. i managed a landscaping company and for front yard was 100.00 and front and back 250.00 we did very well. i would not charge by the foot or acre you will go out of business quick when your too busy measuring and not getting the weeds out fo the roses bushes. get some good leather gloves. and you haul all debris at not extra charge, trust me you will make good money and get a small business license.
2. Lawn care pricing is tricky. Really depends on where you're working. For instance, you may have a customer in a really good part of town who is willing to pay a hundred dollars for a mow and trim, and another customer less than a mile away in a not so good part of town who will only pay twenty bucks for a mow. You have to know your customer base. My recommendation is to take this approach: "We offer a lot of different levels of lawn care, sir. What amount do you usually budget for your lawn care services every two weeks?" Let the customer price themselves. (After you ask your question, be quiet while the customer talks himself to a price.) From the price the customer sounds comfortable with, you can judge how much work you'll be able to do. For instance, if he says, "I usually pay twenty dollars," you can say, "Twenty is great. That'll cover a great mowing job. Did you want to add trimming around the walks for an extra ten?" You'll grow into your price schedule over the course of a couple of seasons. Good luck! - Stuart
3. When I started contracting, I called up other contractors with my specialty and told them I was just starting out and needed info. They told me how much they charge and even gave me advice on how to do certain jobs. They were very helpful.
4. I would charge by the hour, probably $25. If you make a flyer, be sure to spell "debris" correctly.
5. Check with other companies an get pricing. A couple of young high school students list the same things you offer for about 1/2 what the going local rate. (they have no house payments/car payments) They are building a huge clientele and when they get out of school with the service they give, they will be able to up their prices accordingly to local standards. We all are appreciating their hard work and are tipped generously.
6. First of all if the yard is a acre only charge anywhere from 50-60 per acre according where you live.