What do you charge?

[wagne223]

^^ Those can be abused from the other side. I've read stories of people who have lost their cars over 'mechanic's liens' for minor work.

People used to be more honest and things were done with a grin and a cup of coffee.

Yes it can be abused, mostly because people dont know how the process works.

If the customer pays without getting the release of lien, then they risk having to pay twice.

I miss they days of handshake deals where both parties held up their end!

 

[Fuddy1952]

I would say $30 for a 1/2 hr.(Or less...includes travel time) mow...extra if you weed eat, cut shrubs, etc. sounds about right. If you know these people, then they tell other neighbors that's a plus.
You said "One thing that bugs me though is the liability issue."
Before cutting of course check things out, ask if there are any obstacles.
Their homeowners policy should cover anything, but you should be fine.
There's a fellow around here that cuts people's grass, weed eats, cuts shrubs, etc. and charges $15/hour...but he uses the homeowners equipment. All he owns is a hat and gloves!

 

[Steppenwolfe]

See, that's me. If I decide to buy one, I'd have it for my own use and all those costs would be on me no matter what. If I can get $50 a mow, that's $50 I wouldn't have had other wise whether it goes to the machine payment, fuel or the beer kitty.

But aside from the liability issue, I also have to keep in mind the 'legally required' reporting options for such 'income'. We all do that, right? (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!) So what if I run over the bed of freshly planted Petunias and the friendly neighbor lady decides to call the Tax Man? Yes, I have considerable stock in a Tin Foil Hat company.

Don't fool around with the IRS. They will know more than you think.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I would say $30 for a 1/2 hr.(Or less...includes travel time) mow...extra if you weed eat, cut shrubs, etc. sounds about right. If you know these people, then they tell other neighbors that's a plus.
You said "One thing that bugs me though is the liability issue."
Before cutting of course check things out, ask if there are any obstacles.
Their homeowners policy should cover anything, but you should be fine.
There's a fellow around here that cuts people's grass, weed eats, cuts shrubs, etc. and charges $15/hour...but he uses the homeowners equipment. All he owns is a hat and gloves!

I made our lawn care guy sign a liability waiver and it had to be notarized. If he cut's a foot off on my property, it's his problem not mine. His equipment... his liability.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Everyone keeps talking about liability but as someone that has been mowing grass since I could reach the handle, I don't recall ever tearing anything up. How about you folks? People who do this every day might have some input.

On some houses that I do maintence on the renter hit a natural gas line right below the meter with her mower. No fire but heck of a leak.
Seen several issues of mowers hitting sprinkler heads, $50 or more each for the repair around here easy. Perhaps handled personally. When the mowers hit one of the control boxes and chewed up some of the wires, valves, solenoids it was in the $500 repair range.
Catching the mower in fences is another issue. Especially chain link. Several hundred dollars easy.
Hitting and scratching the paint or that darn vinyl siding on the siding of homes adds up darn fast. Usually going to have to at least paint or replace that wall, not just the scratch. 4 digit range easy on the repair cost.
Rocks or other debris hitting windows several hundred dollars at best. Can quickly go up, a LOT. Personally had a rock go into a drive in theater sign out by the road when I was young. Mowed that place almost all summer for free before I got even with the repair bill.
Rocks and other debris impacting automobiles can easily be in the 4 digit range.
Just a few quick ones that came to mind easy.
Keep in mind even if the repair is something you could do or know someone who could do the repair, it is likely your not going to get the chance to fix it.

 

[joefromga]

Who the **** is mowing so close that they scrape aiding, rip out chain link fence, and run into irrigation valvw boxes? You're supposed to walk the lot first, do a check, then discuss with the customer as well as be a professional.

I got rid of guys foe simply using the bottom of the weed string trimmer as a grinder on the concrete and sanding off the cap. People who are in business should be responsible and driving a mower so closely to something that you scrape it is irresponsible.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Your profile does not show where you are located but here are a few links.
I was doing the same thing a few days ago trying to figure out the difference from a 5' to 6' cutter and speed rates for next spring.

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

This one is for ag tasks the full gambit. May not apply but it is a good start for maybe others looking into shredding for profit.
There also a few other states that have a similar study from their AG schools, so maybe you state has one that will be more accurate for you area.

http://counties.agrilife.org/gregg/files/2011/04/16custom.pdf

 

[Redlands Okie]

Who the **** is mowing so close that they scrape aiding, rip out chain link fence, and run into irrigation valvw boxes? You're supposed to walk the lot first, do a check, then discuss with the customer as well as be a professional.

I got rid of guys foe simply using the bottom of the weed string trimmer as a grinder on the concrete and sanding off the cap. People who are in business should be responsible and driving a mower so closely to something that you scrape it is irresponsible.

The world is full of careless people. It’s annoying but it does help me earn a living.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Joefromga said what I thought. 1) you approach neighbors offering your mowing service. 2) business cards are cheap! Have some printed up. Politely say you're a hard worker who wants to make extra money.
3) if they're interested...walk the area...ask questions (sprinklers? rocks? pipes, etc.).
4) give a price! $xx for mowing, +$xx if you get grass up +$xx weed trim.
If you're responsible, do nice job they'll tell their neighbors.
I just now cut our front yard...just over an acre. I cut along a wire fence I installed a few months ago. Mower deck lightly touched the posts. Then I swept with an Agrifab tow behind brush. It looks like a green carpet. It was an easy 1.5 hour. I cut so close to trees I pulled the few weeds by hand.
You could make extra money with mulch around trees which makes cutting even easier. Any hard working dependable person out there will have plenty of work.
Do the math...$40x4 a week that's an extra $8,000/year you wouldn't have otherwise.

 

[4570Man]

More like half that much since you can’t mow year round but cutting 8 yards a week isn’t hard either

 

[BoylermanCT]

Having to mow every 10 days or so, my neighbors could not afford $250-$300/mo.

Here in CT we have been mowing every 5 days all season. Wettest and most humid summer on record! We have had 400% more rain in August than normal this year.

My neighbor runs a landscape business and he charges $1 a minute.

 

[4570Man]

The grass is still growing like crazy here. I’ve got 1 week cuts that look like 2 week cuts in peak season.

 

[EddieWalker]

When I was first getting my name out there doing remodeling jobs, I was working pretty cheap, and trying to do any and all jobs that I could. This included mowing lawns and bush hogging fields. No matter what I charged, I always felt that I was losing money doing the mowing. It just takes up so much time getting ready, hauling stuff there, unloading, then when done, hauling it all back home again.

One of the things that I don't like about working in town is all the different lawn mowing crews out there. Usually there are three of them. One on the riding mower, one doing weed eating, and one doing the blower, or the walking mower, or just picking up stuff. All three never stop moving. I've never seen them spend more then half a hour at a house. The really good ones will pull up and do three or four houses all from where they parked and be out of there in an hour!!! From what I'm told, $30 is about average to have the lawn mowed, trimmed and cleaned up. I've never been able to figure out the math. How do they make a living, buy the equipment and gas from that and make it all worthwhile?

For my business, I focus on being the guy that solves all my clients problems, who they trust having at their home, and they are so happy to pay me to do what they want, that they tell their friends about me when they are looking to hire somebody to work on their homes. Facebook has been a huge part of this. From what I understand, I charge double then what most of my competition charges. As of today, I'm booked up to the end of the year. If you do it better, make your clients appreciate all that you do for them that nobody else does, and do more for them then they expect, you can charge more and work your way to that point where you are not looking for jobs, they are coming to you asking you to work for them. Just realize that you have to get your foot in the door, and it takes time to build up a reputation and clientele. Then one day you will get that client who knows everyone, and is so happy with what you do, they tell their fiends, and they hire you just because of that recommendation without even asking what you charge. Then the trick is to not blow it and to keep doing everything possible to make you clients happy that they hired you!!!

 

[Fuddy1952]

"The really good ones will pull up and do three or four houses all from where they parked and be out of there in an hour!!! From what I'm told, $30 is about average to have the lawn mowed, trimmed and cleaned up. I've never been able to figure out the math. How do they make a living, buy the equipment and gas from that and make it all worthwhile?"

Three workers. 3-4 houses@$30 each,so $90-$120 an hour. That's $30/hr./person (less fuel,etc). Still probably $20-$25/hr.
Most customers pay cash probably, so $800/week tax free isn't bad.
I really can't see how the guy I found for Mom does all that mowing for $55, except he has full time job, he does a few mowing jobs like that for cash, so an extra $10,000/year tax free isn't bad.

 

[Diggin It]

But of course, we all know there is no 'tax free' income. If one gets caught, the penalties could be far higher than the tax on should have paid.

Now, with that disclaimer out of the way, I don't imagine too many people really get caught unless they make somebody mad enough to report them.

 

[PILOON]

Different industry but, A-holes exist everywhere.

I have had Politians pull those stunts, like hand me a $10K check for a for a job that was quoted in writing at $12K and tell me to go ahead and sue for the balance reminding me who they are and that they are attorneys...?

Once after 3 month of chasing for payement I finally seized assets and then even with agreements between our lawyers they still screwed me for 20%. Even lawyers words are not to be trusted. (and that was on quoted and signed contracts) I'll add that we had met all terms of contract.

Another time/event I actually seized same asset 3 times and always ended up on short end of the stick and not counting my lawyer's fees.

Guess trumps always will exist, to that kind it is simply a game.

 

[4570Man]

"The really good ones will pull up and do three or four houses all from where they parked and be out of there in an hour!!! From what I'm told, $30 is about average to have the lawn mowed, trimmed and cleaned up. I've never been able to figure out the math. How do they make a living, buy the equipment and gas from that and make it all worthwhile?"

Three workers. 3-4 houses@$30 each,so $90-$120 an hour. That's $30/hr./person (less fuel,etc). Still probably $20-$25/hr.
Most customers pay cash probably, so $800/week tax free isn't bad.
I really can't see how the guy I found for Mom does all that mowing for $55, except he has full time job, he does a few mowing jobs like that for cash, so an extra $10,000/year tax free isn't bad.

Mowing 1 or 2 yards is a loosing proposition. Mowing a bunch in one trip is much better. And IMO you don’t pay help $30 an hour and you don’t work 3 people with 1 mower.

 

[Fuddy1952]

True. What Eddie said was "One on the riding mower, one doing weed eating, and one doing the blower, or the walking mower, or just picking up stuff".
A landscaper friend has two work crews and pays about $15/hr.
The OP was going to ride mower to jobs close by, so just 3-4/week...maybe just 3-4 hours/week but an extra $100+/week.

 

[LD1]

Math is easy.

4 yards in 1 hr for $120.....

Counting drive time in a town...can probably do 5 groups of 4 lots in an 8hr day.

$600 route.....
Guys on mowers probably make $15/hr....so $360/day labor...owner of business or equipment makes $240/day for just scheduling jobs. Thats $1200/wk

Have a few crews.....

Up-sell on fertilizer, weed killer, mulching...etc.

Mowing is only a small part of the potential income for a successful full service lawn-care business. And it wouldnt be hard to be successful...but you gotta offer mow than just mowing. And you gotta do more than just a job here and a job there to make it competitive. Gotta build routes to maximize efficency

 

[EddieWalker]

You have to factor in a lot more math then just labor. Fuel, equipment purchase price, maintenance and constantly buying and sharpening blades. Disposal of what you haul off, insurance on the tow vehicle and what it costs. What gets broken has to be fixed right away, so there is also a line of credit that will have big interest payments, or you keep cash on hand for those emergencies that isn't used for other things. Then where do you store everything at night? Barns cost money, or renting a place big enough to park everything that is secure, is a never ending expense.

I just don't see it making a lot of sense financially, but obviously there are so many people doing it that the numbers add up. I'm guessing that it's non stop hustle without rest. Dairy farming is probably more relaxing.