What Lawn Care Actually Costs

Typical U.S. prices by lot size and service — and the route math that decides who actually profits at those prices.

Typical per-cut prices

Broad U.S. ranges for recurring residential mowing (mow, trim, edge, blow). Regional cost of living moves these 20–30% either way:

PropertyPer cutMonthly (weekly service)
Small city lot (under 5,000 sq ft turf)$35 – $50$150 – $215
Typical suburban lot (5–10k sq ft)$45 – $70$195 – $300
Large lot (10–20k sq ft)$60 – $95$260 – $410
Half acre of turf$80 – $130$345 – $560
Full acre of turf$120 – $200$515 – $860

Typical add-on services

ServiceTypical price
Spring or fall cleanup$200 – $600
Mulch installed$75 – $130 per cubic yard
Hedge & shrub trimming$60 – $100 per crew-hour
Aeration$100 – $250 per visit
Fertilization program$60 – $120 per application

Why two companies charge $50 and $85 for the same lawn

Route density. The $50 operator has nine lawns on that street and spends four minutes driving between stops; the $85 operator is crossing town. Neither is wrong — the price that's profitable is a function of where your other customers are. This is also why buying a competitor's route, or dominating one neighborhood with door hangers, beats any pricing trick: it converts drive time into mowing time, which is the only conversion in this business that's pure profit.

Using these numbers without getting hurt

  1. They're sanity checks, not price sheets. Compute your own floor from crew cost, equipment, and route position — the full method — then see where you land in the band.
  2. Don't enter at the bottom. The bottom of every band is occupied by operators who haven't priced their mower's replacement yet. They churn out of the industry every season; don't follow them out.
  3. Sell the band up with reliability. Customers pay the top of the range for crews that show up the same day every week and photograph the closed gate. That premium costs nothing.

Find your own number

The free calculator prices any visit from your real costs in 30 seconds. The $29 workbook adds crew costing, a route-day planner, and a customer price book with a season tracker.

Free Pricing Calculator