What's your minimum?

[Williams Services]

I've noticed some guys have minimums that are a lot lower than I would have imagined. I have a minimum of $35 and I'm wondering what ya'lls markets are like.

[strickdad]

25.00 here

[CLC]

So if you guys had a lawn that was 20x20 no trimming it would be 25/25 dollars??

[Crazygator]

Here it used to be $25.00. Now it is $30.00, so take your pick. :D

[Esby]

Looking at $25.00 cut and dry here, although I like to push for a $30.00 min when I can.

[cclllc]

My min.is 35.00 on residential and 40.00 commercial

[strickdad]

Originally posted by CLC
So if you guys had a lawn that was 20x20 no trimming it would be 25/25 dollars?? if i get out of the truck for a regular customer they have spent 25.00 (not including estimates those are free)

[65hoss]

I'm looking at increasing my minimum for 2002. Thinking about going up to $40. Basically I'm not going to be looking for smaller lawns anymore. Profitability for 2002 is my game plan.

[HOMER]

My minimum is usually no less than $30.00.........but that's generally not what you make per hour on any given job. I replied to the smallest yard thread and the yard i was referring to is a $30.00 yard. Me being able to complete it in 11-12 minutes actually makes it one of my more profitable residentials, probably THE most profitable. We can't get the big bucks down here that some areas can so we try and make it up in speed. Most of my year round accounts for residential are $85.00 a month. Average time spent at each is 28 minutes by myself when there are no leaves on a job priced that way. My yearly plan consists of 30 mowings so 30x28=840minutes 840/60=14 hours for the year. 85 x 12 = $1020.00/14.0 hrs = $72.86 an hour. I can live with that.

My minimum for corner lots is $45.00 period. I don't budge on that one. Some of my yards are underbid and I don't make as much per hour once it's all tallied up.

[Mowingman]

My minimum here for mowing, trimming, and edging a yard is 28.00. On hourly work, I charge 30.00/hr for labor, with a minimum of 2 hours.:)

[David Ott]

My minimum used to be $32.50, but I raised it this year to $36.50.

We are rural so sometimes I drive 45 minutes to one account. Too much time in the truck to get much less. The typical account takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Probably this winter, I will figure what accounts pay to do and drop those that don't pay off.

[MOW ED]

I don't use minimums as an opening for bidding as I will first approach a customer and find out what they are looking for from me. If a customer has a small lot but will sign on for many extras i.e., fert aps, aerating, dethatching, mulch beds ect. I can give a better price on the yard since these extras are in the high profit per time spent area and can make up the difference if I feel I am on the low end of the mowing bid. I don't lose money on mowing and now that I have my wife working too (since Sept 2001)we can take on more work and get done quicker.

I will be timing all of my work starting next season as we will have a crew of 2 and make adjustments as necessary.

Its an evolving practice of keeping the times and looking at the books. As far as a minimum in my mind goes, we probably sit somewhere around 30 bucks for a job that will take 2 of us no more than 15 minutes.

[Lawn Wizard]

Well I dont really use minimum that often. The smallest lawn I have is just over 1000 sq.ft. and that runs $20. Takes me 15 min to do.

[G&S LANDSCAPING]

For 2002-minimum is $30.00 PLUS TAX. At 7% = $32.10.

[tranum]

$25.00 mow & trim only

[AltaLawnCare]

25.00 Residential
35.00 Commercial

Hardly ever happens, 25.00 x 25 cuts per year is a whopping 52.00 per month for 12 months.

[Lawnboy53]

Weve got low ballers here at $18. Mine is $30

[TGCummings]

$12 for lawns 500 square feet or under.

Not much bigger than 4000 square feet out here, and that's not too common. I can get $33/cut for a lawn that size, though.

Ratios are just different out here. ;)

[SlimShady]

No minimum.
If it's a 5 min job with zero drive time then $140 per hr. divide by 60min * 5min=$12Cnd., add $5 because I can=$17 or $10.71 US. Flat price on a job that small. Any drive time price goes up accordingly.

[Michael Wall]

$35 min. here,just isn't worth dropping the gate for less than that. Slim Shady $140 per hr ..is that man hr...even w/ Canadien money seems high but hey good for you.

[MrNoSweat]

What I do in my area is find out first if they are looking for year-round service. That usally weeds out people that only want you in the HOT time of year!!. All my accounts are billed out monthly. In this area I figure 42-45 cuts per year. I don't do any per-cut any longer. I found out they usally drop you as soon as the grass slows down.

[LoneStarLawn]

Originally posted by MrNoSweat
What I do in my area is find out first if they are looking for year-round service. That usally weeds out people that only want you in the HOT time of year!!. All my accounts are billed out monthly. In this area I figure 42-45 cuts per year. I don't do any per-cut any longer. I found out they usally drop you as soon as the grass slows down.

So what is your minimum?

Our minimum is $25.00. We have garden homes in areas that we cut that have lawns smaller thatn postage stamp houses.

[MrNoSweat]

What the lowest I charge is $30.00 a cut, $30.00 x 42 cuts =1260.00 per year divided by 12 = 105.00 per month. Thats for a yard thats 5 passes across the front 1 down each side and 4 across the back with my 52" walk behind. Most of them are larger and get charged more. I have found out over the years billing all yards monthly makes it much easer to billout and its my call when I start cutting every other week and no more trying to figure out how many times I was there that month.

[Just Cut]

$25.00 min. up to 5000 sq ft

[JohnHenry]

My minimum is 29 for postage stamps lots. Most my residential accounts though range fron 50 to 85. I very seldom offer the minimum rate only if would me less than hour

[SolidAxleVette]

I feel that I have to add a few pennies to this thread.

BAck many years ago, perhaps as many as 10, Pro Magazine did a feature article on a small outfit, perhaps even a solo operation. I don't remember much about the article, except the quote " ...and what does it cost for a visit from XXX? $25.00. That will get you ..." Keep in mind that this was in the early 90's.

The next month, in the letters to the editor section, there was a letter from another landscape operator condeming them for running such an atricle. His viewpoint was that there were certian costs involved in keeping a customer, and that $25.00 was too low, and that his company had a minimum of $40.00. Keep in mind that this was in the early 90's.

Hearing of these $25.00 minimums makes me cringe. There are certian costs involved with maintaining a customer. It takes time to invoice that customer, it takes time to collect from that customer, it takes time to communicate with that customer. You have a fixed amount of time and costs involved with each stop. You have to drive there (it doesn't matter if it is in the same neighborhood, a few minutes of drive time adds up over a years time). You have to get out of the truck, unload the mowers, re-load the mowers, unload the trimmer, re-load the trimmer, close the gate, get back in the truck... My point is that it takes you the same amount of time to do these things to mow 200 square feet, or 2 acres.

I can only think of one other business that will travel to your home, and perform services, using their own tools, for less than $25.00 The only one that comes to mind is window washers.

In thinking about other business, all have a minumum, and it is not cheap. Insurance companies have minumum premuims, cell phone companies have minimum plans...

That being said, our minimum for a mowing is $40.00. Our minumum for any other "landscape work" is 4 man hours. We do lose out on a lot of jobs because of these high minimums. We do, however, know our costs, and also our production, therefore, we are not losing money on those small jobs.

We have found that in doing other "landscape work" that the time involved in loading the tools, getting to the site, unloading and setup at the site, doing the work, cleaning up and loading at the site, returning to shop (or another jobsite), and unloading back at the shop, recording the work , billing and collecting the fee, 4 hours is the minimum time that those tasks can be accomplished in.

Here is a little exercise. Take each and every hour that you spend working on your business. Include time spent: researching and purchasing equipment; advertising; selling; bookeeping; meeting with professionals(lawyers and accountants) running for materials; maintaining and repairing equipment; time spent on the phone with customers; loading and unloading; cleaning trucks; learning; meeting with clients... You get the idea.

Now, think if you had to PAY SOMEONE to do all these things for you. Could you afford it???

[Lawn Dog]

$20 is my min. for very small lawns, generaly up to 2000sqft. We charge $25 for between 2000 and 5000sqft. It all depends on what market we are in. Some places I charge a $25 min. on anything. You may think this is low, but there are a lot of good companies in my aera that are cheaper.

I wish I could get a $30 min., but it just wont happen here. I just cant see how someone can call $20 for 5min. of work lowballing.

[TGCummings]

Gotta agree with Lawn Dog here: It really depends on your area. Those LCOs in that magazine undoubtedly worked in an area where 2 acre lots were common and could afford to keep that sort of minimum. In my area, you won't find much over 4000 square feet, and most of those are hidden behind small gates. We have to make money on smaller lots and, in order to do that, have smaller minimums.

It's just different everywhere. You do, however, need to know your costs and charge accordingly. I would love to charge $40/cut on my 500 square foot lots and bring in $1400/day cutting them solo. Then I could work 4 days a week in the field and bring in $300,000 a year w/o worrying about hiring help. Somebody smart would undoubtedly come around, however, and realize $10 for 10 minutes worth of work is pretty good money and snatch up all my customer while they make themselves a healthy, and professional, living.

You have to know your market to succeed. You also have to realize not all markets are the same...

[Sunrise]

25.00

[willis1]

Minimum $30

[cpmayhewinc]

The only time I mention minimum rates is with other professionals and to the customer that asks.

35.00 is my magical number.

I try to sell packages and stay away from hourly or per visit pricing.

[Organic-man]

I will be mowing for the first time this spring. Minimum for me is $34. I charge per visit and 34 makes me just a wee bit less than my competitors. Quite a few people were willing to sign on for just a dollar savings per week. Go figure. This year I will be timing how long it takes on my properties to get a price per hour. I have estimated it at 60-70 per hour by timing the competitors using similar machines, but they go way too fast. I will be going slower, so hope for between 50-60 per hour. I do all the lawns myself, and 90% are within 10 minutes driving distance on my 10 mph Exmark. I will rarely have to load up the truck, as I can mow many lawns without having to touch the pavement much.

[Kerry Estes]

Originally posted by Organic-man
I will be mowing for the first time this spring. Minimum for me is $34. I charge per visit and 34 makes me just a wee bit less than my competitors. Quite a few people were willing to sign on for just a dollar savings per week. Go figure. This year I will be timing how long it takes on my properties to get a price per hour. I have estimated it at 60-70 per hour by timing the competitors using similar machines, but they go way too fast. I will be going slower, so hope for between 50-60 per hour. I do all the lawns myself, and 90% are within 10 minutes driving distance on my 10 mph Exmark. I will rarely have to load up the truck, as I can mow many lawns without having to touch the pavement much.

[BlacEleg]

Min. of $ 25.00ROTFLMAO

[Clay]

Absolutely NO minimum! Unless you can consider FREE as a minimum... :-)

I will jump at the chance to do a little something for a neighbor of an account and then simply say "don't worry about it".... You see, it's a perfect opportunity to build a relationship with a person that could lead to many other opportunities.

The little "extra efforts" are what seperates you from someone else on a professional level.... I can recall on one occasion that a similar situation directly led to a $2,200 a month account, which led to a $1,100 a month account, which led to a $550 a month account, which lead to a $1,600 a month account.... So that one little no minimum "Freebie" ended up helping me secure almost $5,500 a month in business...

Business tends to create a "can't see the forrest for the trees syndrome"... be careful not to step over the dollars to pick up the pennies....

Best of luck, Clay

[Lawnscalper]

My minimum charge is free, becasue I'm not about to pay them to cut their lawn. For paying customers my minimum on paper is $30, but I'll go to $25 under the right conditions.

[terracare]

30-35 residential

35-40 commercial


all have to be on a 28-week mowing contract, no exceptions.

[Holloway Lawns]

$15.00 here if it is a 15 minute job for one person. Most of mine are $30.00 to $45.00

[LawnMan]

Right now I am chargeing $20.00 just for mowing. I need to charge more so I can get a trimmer.