A great lawn care business starts with accurate and profitable estimates. 

Whether you’re offering basic mowing or more advanced services like aeration and fertilization, knowing how to price your services correctly is crucial. Not only does it ensure that you’re making a profit, but it also plays a huge role in winning new clients. After all, no one wants to underbid and lose money or overbid and lose the job.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through creating effective lawn care estimates with real-world examples, price charts, and expert tips on determining lawn size, location, seasonality, and more. We’ll also highlight how GorillaDesk’s dynamic estimate feature can simplify the process and boost your closing rate. 

Let’s dig into the details so you can start charging what your services are truly worth.

Mastering lawn care estimates: How much should you charge?

Figure out the right price to charge your customers for lawn maintenance in every season. (Source)

Whether you’re looking to price basic lawn mowing or upsell on fertilization and lawn aeration, we’ve got you covered with practical tips and real-world pricing insights:

Lawn mowing costs breakdown

Lawn mowing services can vary significantly based on factors like the size of the lawn, how frequently you need to perform the service, and the customer’s location. 

Typically, lawn mowing pricing is based on the lawn’s square footage or hourly rates, with adjustments for the number of visits required during peak seasons.

For example, mowing a small residential lawn (up to 5,000 square feet) may cost between $30 and $50 per session, while larger properties (up to an acre) can range from $100 to $200. Hourly rates for lawn mowing can vary; the national average falls between $40 and $80 per hour, depending on factors like local labor costs and equipment.

Factors to consider when estimating lawn mowing costs include:

• Lawn size: Larger lawns will take longer to mow and require more fuel, equipment maintenance, and labor.
• Frequency of service: Weekly or bi-weekly mowing is common, and some lawn care companies offer discounts for regular service plans.
• Location: Urban areas often have higher labor rates, while suburban and rural locations may benefit from lower costs.
• Materials: Using manual tools, like a push mower, makes the job take longer. Using a riding mower can reduce the time you spend on the job and the cost for your customer while giving you more time to service other clients.

The lawn care pricing chart below gives cost estimates for lawn mowing based on the yard size and estimated time to complete the service:

Lawn Size	Time to Complete	Cost
Less than 5,000 square feet	15–30 mins	$30–$50
½ acre	30 mins–1 hour	$50–$75
1 acre	1–2 hours	$100–$200
2 acres	2–4 hours	$250–$350
5 acres	5–10 hours	$450–$650

Additionally, many lawn care businesses offer pricing packages for regular maintenance that combine mowing with trimming, edging, and blowing debris for a bundled rate.

Beyond the basics: Estimating additional lawn services

Determine the optimal aeration cost for your landscape company by looking at the lawn size and type of grass. (Source)

While mowing might be the most common service you offer, additional lawn care services can significantly boost your revenue and customer satisfaction. These services often complement basic mowing packages and give your clients comprehensive lawn care solutions. After all, who doesn’t love an all-in-one provider?

Learn more about additional lawn service pricing below.

Fertilization

Lawn fertilization is essential for maintaining healthy grass. The cost for this service varies depending on the type of fertilizer you use and the lawn’s size. On average, you can charge $100 to $300 per application for a typical residential lawn. Keep in mind that many homeowners opt for 4–6 treatments per year, depending on the grass type and local climate.

Aeration

Aerating a lawn improves its water and nutrient absorption. This service typically costs between $75 and $200 per session, depending on the lawn size. It’s often recommended in the spring and fall, so it can be profitable to offer this service as an upsell during these seasons.

Overseeding

After aeration, overseeding can fill in bare spots and thicken lawns. Overseeding is generally a more expensive service—it ranges from $500 to $1,250 per lawn, depending on the seed variety and yard size.

Weed control

Weed control treatments are another common upsell. Depending on the method you use (organic vs. chemical), the average price can range from $65 to $170 per treatment. Many businesses include weed control as part of an ongoing lawn care program.

The chart below highlights the national average cost for lawn maintenance services as of 2024. This is for one-off services and does not include any discounts for bundled or recurring services.

Lawn service	Service cost
Lawn fertilization	$100–$300 per application
Lawn aeration	$75–$200 per session
Overseeding	$500–$1,250 per lawn
Weed control	$65–$170 per treatment
Flower bed installation	$1,200–$4,000 per service
Mulch installation	$35–$70 per cubic yard
Leaf removal	$100–$300 per visit
Yard cleanup	$125–$400 per visit
Lawn dethatching	$75–$300 per visit

Offering these services as part of seasonal packages or annual maintenance plans can increase your average revenue per customer and establish long-term, valuable relationships.

For more information on how much your landscaping company should charge, check out our comprehensive lawn care pricing chart.

The key factors that impact lawn care pricing

Pricing lawn care services isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario. Several variables come into play, from where you’re based to when customers need service. 

How location, seasons, and timing impact prices

Where you operate and the time of year can greatly affect your pricing. Lawn care services tend to be more expensive in urban areas with higher labor costs, while rural areas may see lower rates. 

Seasonal demand is another major factor—during peak growing seasons like spring and summer, you’ll likely need to increase your prices to keep up with demand.

For instance, in colder regions where grass goes dormant in the winter, lawn care services might slow down or even pause, while in warmer climates, mowing and other services may be necessary year-round. 

Offering seasonal pricing adjustments or bundled services for year-round customers can smooth out fluctuations in demand and keep your schedule full.

Residential vs. commercial lawn care pricing

Residential and commercial properties come with their own unique pricing challenges. Residential lawns are generally smaller, but homeowners might expect weekly or bi-weekly visits. 

In contrast, commercial properties often have larger green spaces, which require specialized equipment and longer service times but less frequent visits. For commercial contracts, you may also need to factor in additional services such as landscaping, trash pickup, or snow removal, which can significantly affect your pricing structure. 

Commercial clients tend to prefer flat-rate contracts to help with budgeting, while residential customers may lean toward per-service pricing or seasonal packages.

Commonly overlooked pricing variables

Some of the most overlooked factors when estimating lawn care costs can have the largest impact on your bottom line. 

Soil condition is a good example—if the lawn has poor soil, it might require extra treatments or more frequent aeration, which you should account for in your estimate. Similarly, lawns with hilly terrain or areas that are difficult to access (due to fences, gates, or landscaping) can increase the amount of time and effort required, pushing up the total cost.

Other factors to consider are equipment wear and tear and the distance you need to travel to reach a property. The farther the client is from your base of operations, the more fuel costs and travel time will factor into your final price.

Choosing a lawn care pricing model

Should you charge by the hour or per service, or should you offer flat-rate packages? 

The right pricing model depends on the services you offer and the type of clients you cater to. For smaller residential properties, an hourly rate might make sense, especially if each job takes a different amount of time to complete. However, many customers prefer the transparency of per-service pricing, where they know upfront how much they’ll pay for a mow, fertilization, or aeration.

For commercial clients, flat-rate packages can be a good option, especially when bundled with additional services like weed control or landscaping. This allows businesses to budget for lawn care without unexpected costs.

Take the guesswork out of pricing with lawn care estimate software

Creating accurate, profitable estimates is crucial for any lawn care business. With the help of estimate software, you can eliminate guesswork, save time, and provide customers with transparent quotes. 

These tools allow you to factor in everything from lawn size and service type to labor costs and regional pricing variations, which ensures that your estimates are spot-on. Not only does this reduce costly errors, but it also builds trust with your clients by providing clear and consistent pricing.

Streamline your estimates with GorillaDesk

Create error-free estimates faster than before with GorillaDesk. (Source)

Estimating lawn care services can be complex; balancing accuracy, profitability, and closing rates is a delicate task. But with the right tools, you can streamline the entire process. 

GorillaDesk’s quoting and estimating software makes your quoting process faster, easier, and more accurate.

Our CRM simplifies the way you create quotes by factoring in everything from lawn size to service type, helping you avoid costly underpricing errors. This not only saves you time but also ensures that you send out polished, professional quotes that impress your clients and boost your bottom line.

The software’s dynamic estimates feature allows you to offer upsells with the click of a button, turning basic lawn care jobs into more profitable, all-inclusive packages.

By automating much of the estimate process, GorillaDesk lets you focus on what you do best: taking care of your customers’ lawns. With automated follow-ups and easy digital delivery, you can stay ahead of the competition by being responsive and reliable.

PurLawn, a family-owned lawn and pest control company based in Florida, uses GorillaDesk to invoice customers, accept payments, and reduce time spent on administrative tasks. PurLawn’s owner Matt said GorillaDesk provided, “Savings in admin and overall cost… As a start-up, my time can now be spent more constructively, working ‘on’ the business versus ‘in’ it. [This results in higher] overall confidence in our organization, less time trying to learn the system, and more time utilizing it.”

Check out the full story to learn how PurLawn has benefited from GorillaDesk’s software.

Win more jobs with GorillaDesk

Send polished, professional estimates on the go with GorillaDesk. (Source)

Start sending more accurate and competitive estimates today and watch your lawn care business grow. 

With GorillaDesk’s lawn care software, you can create professional quotes that win more jobs and increase your profits. Don’t leave money on the table with outdated estimate processes—let GorillaDesk streamline your operations and help you reach your business goals.

Start your 14-day free trial today to explore how GorillaDesk helps lawn care pros.