Finances

How Much to Charge for a Lawn Care Job

5 min read

Money can make things difficult for a business in multiple ways. If a business doesn't make enough money, it can't function. However, when it comes to case-by-case payments for jobs, it can be awkward to discuss and figure out a price with the customer.

Whether you work on lawns for fun or as your profession, figuring out how to quote jobs will help you to succeed and create a fair price. Finding the right balance between a fair price and one worth your time can be difficult.

Keep these points in mind so you can figure out how much you should charge for your lawn care services.

Keep Costs in Mind

First, you need to consider how much it will cost you to do a job. For example, you need to consider the cost of gas, supplies, and tools. You want to make sure that the job is worth your time, so you need to cover the costs in the amount that you charge. This will ensure that you make a profit.

If you set a price but don't consider the costs for the tools and products that you need to buy, you could end up in a situation where you either don't make money or you lose money. You can't afford this, even if you do lawn care as a hobby, so make sure that the price you charge covers these costs.

Spend some time thinking it out and figure out what costs you have to cover for providing lawn care services. Considering all the costs ahead of time will help you make an informed decision when it comes to setting a price. This will also help you during other parts of the process since you’ll know what you need to set as your minimum rate.

Even if you're new, make sure that you don't sell yourself short. Set a fair price.

Consider Your Experience

Every lawn care worker will have different levels of experience, so you need to consider this when you set a price, since higher levels of experience can lead to higher quality jobs. If you can complete high quality work that stands out from your competition, then you can set higher prices.

Consider your years of experience; the more experience you have, the higher you can set your prices. However, even if you're new, make sure that you don't sell yourself short. Set a fair price that lets you make an amount that makes sense for the work that you do.

After you cut out the costs for lawn care, make sure that you make at least minimum wage. If you find that you're making below minimum wage after you consider the amount of work you performed, then you have set too low of a price. Find a good balance that gets you money while being fair based on your level of quality.

Decide Between Estimates and Flat Rates

You can either charge your clients through an estimate or you can set a flat rate. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

For estimates, you can let clients know how much you think it will cost, but they may think that's too much and decline your service. However, this allows you to be more flexible with your pricing and you can negotiate it with your clients.

If you set a flat rate, customers know exactly what you expect money wise. Most people will set a flat rate based on the square footage of lawn or based on the number of hours they worked. However, a flat rate could cause you to lose money if you're not careful with your pricing and some people may get upset with an hourly rate.

No matter what you set as your rate, you need to know how to quote lawn care jobs and to negotiate. Set a quote for the job, but consider setting it higher than you would want to charge. This way, when the client negotiates the price, you can lower it without much issue. This also allows your clients to feel like they got a deal.

Look at Your Competitors

Spend some time looking at your competitors in your area to see the rates that they charge. Do they charge more than you? Do they charge less than you? How much experience do they have? As you find out the answers to these questions, you can determine a reasonable price for lawn care services in your area.

You don't want to lose money with too little of a charge, but you also don't want to lose customers by charging more than your competitors. As you find that right balance, you'll gain customers and make money.

Conclusion

Many lawn care workers can struggle with setting the right price at first, but you will figure it out as you gain more experience. Get a feel for your costs, your expected profits and your clients so that you can figure out a good price for your job. After all, you want to make money while making clients happy so that they come back to you with more jobs!

Keep in mind that these points will vary based on your circumstances and your experience in the field. Make sure that you never sell yourself short but don't get greedy so that you lose customers to people that have lower prices. Find that balance and you'll succeed at your lawn care job.