How to Price Grass Cutting

Many people hire someone to cut their grass because they are too busy to do it themselves.

Creating your own lawn-care business can be an effective way to earn extra money, whether you want to do it part-time or eventually own your own landscaping business. Determining the price to ask can have a lot to do with your success. If your prices are too low, it may not be worth your time or the cost of both running your mower and having the necessary transportation to get to the grass-cutting job. On the other hand, if your price is too high, you may not be able to attract or keep any customers if you have competition in your area.

Things You'll Need

• Lawnmower
• Small trailer or pickup truck

Instructions

1. Look at ads around the neighborhoods where you want to offer your services. Often, signs advertising lawnmowing services will list the prices they charge. If not, give the people who placed the ads a call; they don't have to know you aren't a potential customer. Adjust your prices so that they are comparable or even slightly higher than the competition. If the customer seems to balk at your estimate, tell them the service does include another feature, such as blowing the cut grass off the driveway and sidewalks adjacent to their lawn. If you don't have a blower, you can use a broom. Many people do not offer this service. However, it only will cost you approximately five extra minutes per lawn, yet it will make a great difference in a lawn's appearance. Many times a customer will be willing to pay a bit more to get this added feature.

2. Look neat, well-groomed and respectable when you go to an appointment to give potential customers an estimate. First impressions are vital in attracting new customers. Even though you will only be there to mow the lawn, people want to know that someone they allow on their property is respectable. Keep your vehicle clean and tidy, even if it is an older model. Maintain your equipment to ensure it will not break down while on the job, and clean it regularly. The appearance you present may make or break the deal---if a person is undecided about whether or not to hire you, a neat appearance may ensure she picks you instead of someone else.

3. Time how long it takes you to cut your own yard and larger yards. Know approximately how many square feet there are in each yard. This will help you ascertain how much to charge an individual when you contact him for the estimate, because you already know how long it will take you to cut the grass.

4. Visit the property in order to give the customer an estimate. You can either charge by the hour or square footage of the lawn. This will ensure that those who have larger lawns will pay more for the service. Don't take a homeowner's word for it over the phone, as your idea of a large lawn and hers may differ, especially if she doesn't know the square footage.

Tips & Warnings

• Make an offer the customer can't refuse. If you really need the job and the customer thinks the price is too high, be willing to negotiate. Have counteroffers ready, such as including weeding, fertilizing or edging to get the job.

• Schedule your clients who live close to each other back to back and on the same day. This will save you from wasting time and gas, which will affect how much of a profit you make. Schedule one neighborhood on Monday, another across town on Tuesday and so forth.

References

• Summer 101: 3 Ideas for Increasing Your Lawn Care Business Profit on Each of Your Customers
• Walden University: Tips on Starting a Lawn Care Business