what is a good prise to charge for mowing lawns

My hairstylist told me the other day she has found $25/week for a typical residential lawn. Larger properties Imsure command more.

It depends on how much the competition charges, and what your reputation is. I disagree with charging by the hour. Some people do that for special projects, like planting a flower bed, but everyone I know of charges by the size of the yard. I have a very tiny yard. I've paid everywhere from $20 -$35, per cut. Some charge more the longer it is between cuts. So for example, they charge $20 to do it every week, $25 to do it every other week, and $35 to do it once a month. I guess this is because the grass is taller/thicker, and harder to mow if you do it less often. You want to be clear with the customer exactly what you will do: Mow, edge, weedeater, bag the grass clippings, sweep, etc. Some want the hedges trimmed from time to time as well. That of course would deserve a higher price!

I have fired three yard guys. I now do it myself.

One guy had me scheduled for every other Tuesday. First Tuesday, it rained. He said he'd mow it the following week, on Tuesday. It rained again. By the time he finally mowed, it had been a month since the previous cut. With all that rain, my yard was over a foot tall!! There were plenty of other days where he could have come, but did not.

Another guy kept whacking my plants with the weedeater. He killed two shrubs, and damaged a tree trunk pretty badly.

The third guy, when he used the leaf blower, he blew grass clippings all over the side of my house. All the way up to five feet high. They were stuck on so hard I could not simply sweep or wash them off, I had to scrub them.

What I am saying here, is take pride in your work! That is the best way to get more business!

If you're just getting started, I might ask people in your area what they pay to have their lawn maintained. Then, use that information to set your own prices, or, even better, when you approach someone for whom you'd like to work, say. "I checked with a few neighbors, and I hear the going price for lawn maintenance that includes XX services (like weed whacking or raking or mulching etc), is $XX per week. I'm just getting started and I'd really like to have this opportunity, so I'd like to offer you a free trial week and then I'll do the work for $XX (and make this price a few dollars less than what you learned in your research) if you're happy with how your yard looks."

If you came to me and said this (and if I didn't already have a contract), I would sure give you try because you not only want to give me a fair and researched price, but you want to convince me with the quality of your work. Sometimes if you're just getting started, it can be hard to get people to give you a chance. Maybe Mom or Dad could help with gas money for the mower if you explained your project and goals to them while you're earning your first few customers.

Last bit of advice, don't expect to win them all. There are some people out there who will take advantage and just take the free cut, but you don't want to work for those people for the long haul either. Try people you know, try people you trust first and do a really good job. You'll be surprised how fast word will spread.

Best of luck!

Hey Ridley,
It may be best to do an hourley rate. Have you ever mowed lawns before? Because that also should factor in. Also, if you need to use the persons equipment, it may be worth a few dollars less.
I'd say you start around 10-15 and hour and work your way up. But if you do that, do not stop to text or anything while you work. When you bill a customer on the hour, you have to make the most of your time.
Also, you can always negotiate based on the client.
Be safe!

It depends on the size of the lawn. I would say between $25 and $45 dollars will be a good amount generally. For a large parcel of land, you can charge upward of $75 to $85 every 2 weeks. you need enough money to pay you and pay for your expenses over time. Eventually you can start working on the profit margin after paying for all your expenses. Take care!