Lawn Mowing Price Calculator

Enter the lawn size, mower width and your hourly target. You get a per visit price, a season price and time per visit.

How the numbers work

Mowing speed depends on deck width. The calculator assumes a ground speed of about 3 miles an hour with 20 percent lost to overlap and turns, then converts that into square feet per hour. A 48 inch zero turn covers roughly 30,000 square feet an hour on an open lawn, while a 21 inch push mower covers about 13,000.

Obstacles and slopes stretch that time. Trimming and edging are added at about 25 linear feet a minute, and 8 minutes covers unloading, blowing and loading. Time times your hourly target gives the price, and the minimum protects tiny lawns.

Measuring a lawn

Use a satellite map measuring tool or pace it off. Subtract the house, driveway and planting beds. A quarter acre lot is about 10,900 square feet total, and the mowable part is often 6,000 to 8,000.

Questions

How much should I charge to mow a lawn?

Many lawn operators charge $35 to $60 for a typical quarter acre lot, or about $40 to $70 per hour of crew time. Larger lots usually price by acre with a lower rate per acre.

How do I price mowing by square foot?

Divide the mowable area by your mower's production rate to get time, then multiply by your hourly target. That is what this calculator does.

Should I charge more for trimming and edging?

Trimming and edging are usually included in a mow, blow and go price, but heavy edging or overgrown first cuts should be priced as extras.

What about seasonal contracts?

A seasonal price multiplies the per visit price by the number of visits, often with weekly service from spring to fall. Customers like one predictable bill.