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Lawn mowing price calculator
Work out what to charge per cut from your real costs. First the calculator builds your hourly rate from your pay, equipment, fuel and overhead. Then it prices a visit from your minutes on site and the driving it adds, with a minimum charge for small lawns.
The example already filled in is the weekly quarter-acre lawn from our pricing guide.
Method from our guide: How Much to Charge for Lawn Mowing (2026 Pricing Guide)
Your floor price per cut
$32.56
The lowest price to accept. Below this, the job loses money.
Market check
$41 – $61 single visit, up to 1/4 acre
- Market range
- Your floor
- Suggested quote
LawnStarter, Sept 2026: price per visit by lot size. National figures; check local competitors.
Suggested starting quote
$41.00 · $164 per acre
The higher of your floor and the bottom of the market range. Go higher if your service or area supports it.
- Profit per visit, after paying yourself$14.49
- Season revenue (26 weeks)$1,066.00
- Season profit (26 weeks)$376.67
How the floor is worked out
| Your pay per hour | $22.00 |
|---|---|
| Equipment: $9,000 ÷ (3 × 800 h) | $3.75 |
| Fuel: 0.6 gal × $4.465 | $2.68 |
| Overhead: $3,600 ÷ 800 h | $4.50 |
| Cost per mowing hour | $32.93 |
| Hourly rate with 20% margin (rounded up) | $42.00 |
| Time on site: $42 × 40 min | $28.00 |
| Driving: 6 mi × $0.76 | $4.56 |
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✦ How it works
The method, step by step
Market rates tell you the ceiling. Your costs tell you the floor. Every number above is an example: replace it with your own.
Your hourly rate
Your pay + equipment cost per mowing hour + equipment fuel + overhead per hour, divided by (1 − profit margin), rounded up to the dollar.
Price per cut
Hourly rate × minutes on site ÷ 60, plus the round-trip miles the lawn adds × cost per mile.
Minimum charge
Small lawns still need the full setup and travel, so the floor never goes below your minimum.
Market check
Compare with what a lawn that size goes for per visit. Price per visit, not per square foot: published per-square-foot rates overprice normal residential lawns.
✦ Market rates
What lawn mowing costs in 2026
National figures. Rates swing by region, lawn size and how often you mow, so check two or three local companies.
| What | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Per visit, typical lawn | $43–$70, average $56 | LawnStarter, Sept 2026 |
| Per visit, recurring | $30–$85 | HomeGuide |
| Per visit, one-time | $50–$100 | HomeGuide |
| Per hour | $32–$68 | LawnStarter |
| Up to 1/4 acre | $41–$61 | LawnStarter |
| 1/4 to 1/2 acre | $49–$69 | LawnStarter |
| 1/2 to 1 acre | $59–$114 | LawnStarter |
| 1/4 acre weekly / every two weeks | $45–$65 / $60–$85 per cut | HomeGuide |
| Minimum charge | about $30 | LawnStarter |
Links to every source are in the full pricing guide.
✦ The full version
Lawn Care & Landscaping Business Starter Kit
This calculator prices one job. The kit’s Excel workbooks price your whole service list, and the business app turns a price into a quote with your logo, then into a job and an invoice.
✦ Questions
Pricing questions
How much should I charge to mow a 1/4-acre lawn?
Most companies charge about $41–$65 per cut for a quarter acre, depending on frequency and region (LawnStarter, HomeGuide). Work out your floor first, then price within your local range.
Why not price by the square foot?
Published rates of $0.01–$0.06 per sq ft give $109–$653 for a quarter acre, far above what those lawns go for. Use square footage to estimate your time, not as the price.
Should every-two-weeks mowing cost more per visit?
Yes. Longer grass is slower to cut. HomeGuide’s quarter-acre figures are $45–$65 weekly and $60–$85 every two weeks, so add minutes on site for biweekly lawns.
What profit margin should I use?
The example uses 20%. To get a 20% margin on the final price, the calculator divides your cost by 0.80, not multiplies by 1.20.
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