How much should I charge to mow a lawn?

Build it: total stop time (mow, trim, edge, blow, gates, load) × loaded hourly cost + drive share, ÷ (1 − margin). Typical quarter-acre results land $40–$70 by market, but your costs and route decide yours.

What's a minimum charge for mowing?

Your break-even for rolling the trailer to a stop — commonly $35–$50. Below the minimum, the answer is 'on-route only' or no.

Should bi-weekly mowing cost more per visit?

Yes — double growth means slower cutting, more clumping, often bagging. Many operators price bi-weekly 20–35% above the weekly per-visit rate.

Field guide

How Much to Charge for Lawn Mowing — Two Lawns, Worked

The forum answer is "$40–$60, depends." The method answer fits on an index card and prices any lawn in your market, including the weird ones. Here it is, worked twice.

The card

Per visit = (stop minutes + drive-share minutes) ÷ 60 × loaded hourly cost ÷ (1 − target margin). Loaded cost carries wage, fuel, equipment depreciation, insurance, and overhead — solo operators commonly land $45–$65/hr loaded once they count honestly.

Lawn A: quarter acre, on-route, flat, no gates

Stop: 30 min. Drive share: 4 min. Total 0.57 hr × $55 = $31.20.
÷ 0.65 (35% margin) ≈ $48/visit.

Lawn B: half acre, off-route, gated backyard, heavy trim

Stop: 55 min (push-mow back, long trim line). Drive share: 15 min. Total 1.17 hr × $55 = $64.20.
÷ 0.65 ≈ $99/visit — and if that price loses the job, the job deserved to be lost.

The three multipliers people forget

Bi-weekly: +20–35% per visit — double growth is real work.
First cut on an overgrown lawn: cleanup pricing, not the recurring rate.
Bagging with disposal: minutes plus a haul destination — a line, not a courtesy.

Consistency is the profit

The math only works if every quote uses it — the route's economics are the sum of its stops. FieldSquire quotes from your saved rates at the curb, so Tuesday-you and Saturday-you price alike. Free for 14 days on the lawn care estimating app; run your loaded rate once through the free margin calculator and let it repeat.

Try it on a real job: FieldSquire's Solo plan is free for 14 days with no credit card — unlimited manual estimates and AI-assisted drafts you review line by line. Start the free trial or see the lawn care estimating app guide.