Lawn Care Pricing Mistake

[@lionlegacy6652]

I'm a rookie 1st season. I had a customer yesterday that I undercharged! I charged 20 when I really should've charged around 40 to 45 dollars. Overgrown grass thick and fence! Big back yard small front yard. I learned my lesson. My mower is new and powerful but I stressed my mower a little to much for the price. experience is the best teacher.

[@lawncarelife]

You are correct. "Experience is the best teacher". Most everyone has made the same mistake. No worries...now you will know how to price next time

[@387THOMAS]

Made the same mistake but mines was only the front yard and it's every other week

[@omnimous69]

I was honest with my customers when my prices increased. With business insurance payments, new equipment and eventually a new truck I had to ramp up my prices to keep myself and my business afloat and was open about the prices going up yet again next year where it would settle for some time. Haven't lost a single weekly or biweekly customer because of it, although I did lose one casual customer.

[@keithmitzel3844]

Yes what you said is true and watch your prices you got make money too I like what you said all the expense no one sees

[@keithhunt8]

Yep. Avoid the cheapskates at all cost. Even if you mowed thier lawn for free, they'd never be satisfied. Most of my other customers actually appreciate my hard work, even after paying a reasonable price, are friendly, and a genuine pleasure to work for.

[@lawncarelife]

+Caith Hunt true, most customers are good ones

[@AcidDaBomb]

Totally agree, I like the company I work for now cause of how they price. We are not the cheapest, in fact are one of the more expensive options. We also don't do all the other shit our competitors do and our reviews reflect that.

[@Tortured4Lyfe]

Man, I post ads and people call me based on those ads that I post. so Advanced Auto Parts store called me to cut their grass, edge, hedge bushes, pick up trash, and blow for twice a month. I said ok, send me your address and Ill go over there and take a look and write up a quote. When I got there, the grass area was a good size,mind you i got a push lawn mower, but the property was still doable with my push mower. The only machine I didnt have to do the job was a hedge trimmer, instead, I have pruning shears (scissors) and the bushes went allll around the damn parking lot, building, I mean there was bushes every where. I was thinking of telling the lady that i will work on it tomorrow morning and go buy myself a hedge trimmer for $400-$500 that same night, but the lady asked me If I could do all the work for $45.00. She blew my mind man.I said theres no way Im devoting all my time to service you for 45 dollars. Not even landscaping companies will charge 45 to cut this property, theres no way this place can be finished in an hour even with commercial equipment because of so much hedge they had going all around the property, including the trash and debri that I had to pick up which was all over the place. I was like man, no way. I had to refuse. I thought that was going to be an opportunity but that lady was a joke. I think my work is good too, I dont try to cheat anybody on a deal. I price based on my experience and judgement, but I honestly should told her would you do this entire place for 45 bucks? but I didnt say anything, I just refused her business.

[@slum3947]

Yeah that definitely sounds like one 2 pass

[@josepenaranda2427]

thanks for the advice, a lot of people don't tell this information

[@uria711]

Love your channel thanks for everything u do

[@lawncarelife]

+uria711 I enjoy it. Glad it is helpful for you

[@nezerac]

Ya and I'm learning this with automotive work. I'm starting to see that the people you deal with are the type of people who hate spending money on ANYTHING! If it's not for them and what they want personally...they're willing to make everyone else suffer and ask for more than what they deserve even though they're already far out ahead on everything to begin with.

[@lawncarelife]

It is probably the same people in our industry. Some people simply don't understand you have to make a living.

[@johngarrod8592]

They complain about price of lawn care. Yet they tend to be the ones that buy over priced coffee everyday and never complain about that. 😲🔫

[@lawncarelife]

+john garrod they might have to talk you down on your lawn care price so they can't afford their coffee... regardless, we have to remember to price the lawn care at what it should be priced at regardless of how the customer feels about it

[@oscarvazquez3930]

yep, thanks for your advice Jason . I like your videos.

[@lawncarelife]

+oscar vazquez no problem. Thanks for the kind words

[@Sumd3vil]

Man, i love your videos. So helpful.

[@lawncarelife]

Glad you enjoy. I hope to content to produce more helpful content

[@caseyoutdoors3897]

I am just getting into lawn care and have no idea how to price. Right now I have 5 yes. That takes me anywhere from a 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes from start to finish. I charge $35 for 3 lawns and $45 for 2 lawn's Every week. I don't know if that's in the range of pricing or not for most people and would love to know. My question is though How much do I charge for Edging and how often do I do it. I work by myself because I don't make enough to pay anybody.

[@craigsmith4775]

Would slightly disagree as we went in deliberately low using flyers to achieve a high density for the work area. Our quality is good (we would say that) as we get many compliments from the customers and a number of customers have already upped their prices on their own initiative. Due to the high job density it's surprising how what appears to be a low price can still be making good money. And if your quality is good then a price increase after 2 - 3 years would not be unjustified

[@lawnman3638]

Craig Smith Same here. I'll mow 5 houses on the same street for $25-30 and be done in a little over an hour. It's nice not to travel far.

[@tannertittle6557]

Love your videos Jason

[@lawncarelife]

+Tanner Tittle thank you. Glad to help. I appreciate the encouragement

[@jasons.chambers4885]

much needed information. thank you!

[@wildbill23c]

call your competition, ask them what they charge, that kind of helps too. Have the right equipment for the job, go out and physically look at a job before giving a price, don't take someone's word on what the job will be like, if they tell you the property is clean, plan for the opposite because oftentimes its a mess and they're too damn lazy to clean it up. If you are cleaning up a property for someone and they complain about how it looks, tell them its an initial clean up, that if you are hired to come back in the future each future visit the finished result will get better. You can't make it pretty on the initial clean up no matter what you do, especially if its someone who decided they shouldn't do any lawn care since the beginning of the season so now the grass and/or weeds are 6 feet tall. I've done a few clean ups in the past and the customers have been warned prior to me even starting that it won't look pretty the first time I'm there, but the next time it will get better, and after a month it should be back to looking well cared for.

[@lawncarelife]

Glad to help. It can be a temptation to have lower prices, especially when starting out. It can help bring cash flow in the short term, but low prices are not the long term answer in my opinion

[@UnblockedOne2]

I messed up by giving people a $5 discount if they go weekly. Turned out all my weekly lawns didn't grow enough to be mowed weekly. Caused lots of problems.

[@lawncarelife]

+UnblockedOne2 I don't think what you did is a bad idea. It just may have happened to be a dry summer. Perhaps that wouldn't be a good offer for people with an irrigation system

[@supermariozzzzzzzzzz1403]

Hey man I love your channel, I'm learning a lot. What do you do for being out in the sun for so often? Did you build a tolerance to it or did you get burnt a lot when you started, and what do you do to not get burnt, thanks!

[@lawncarelife]

I wear a big hat with a neck flap. I wear sun screen. I am considering going to long sleeve, dry fit shirts next year. I get burned easily so I try to be careful with the sun.

[@supermariozzzzzzzzzz1403]

Lawn Care Business Oh ok. I'll have to look into sunscreen for when I start out and to get a good hat. I feel like though with long sleeves that one would overheat in the summer, but hey to each their own.

[@2010drive]

Depends on your location, in dry climates you stay cooler wearing a long sleeve in the summer while in the sun. Go to Arizona and you will notice all of the landscapers wearing long sleeves.

[@RU-HDD-4-HVN]

Yep great advise.......that's the way it works.

[@lawncarelife]

thanks

[@RU-HDD-4-HVN]

Lawn Care Business It's been my experience too. So thanks for giving others the heads up! It will help to kick-start the profit margin and good business practices.

[@lawncarelife]

I will admit, I may occasionally take a customer for a lower price until I get my schedule filled but it is not recommended for the long run

[@RU-HDD-4-HVN]

Lawn Care Business That's totally reasonable, makes sense.

[@semco72057]

I can understand how you can under price your work, and later, have to increase your price to make up for that by having to raise the price to your customers.

[@donabraham7164]

this week a customer I just that is renting a house said to me, please cut my grass on the lowest level your mover can go. I told her I couldn't because it will burn your grass up and I don't want to be responsible. She has very nice grass too. It wasn't like a yard full of weeds what is your opion in this?

[@lawncarelife]

I have heard that line before. Sometimes they like a shorter grass, but sometimes they want it cut real low so they can cut as as few times as possible. Like someone who wants it cut once a month but cut it really low. Or someone who wants hedges trimmed once a year but cut them "way back". The grass I deal with has to be cut weekly to keep it low

[@tonyslawncare]

great video

[@mtnmotoadv]

Do you calculate travel time as well into your quotes? Say a yard is 15 minutes out of the way, is that a part of your hourly rate?

[@lawncarelife]

+Frankenscuzz good question. I would try to add a little extra if a yard is out of the way

[@mikeduckworth9533]

How much should i charge for a hour of work?

[@grasscutter88]

Do you frequently have the customer tell you what the last guy did it for? I always get the last guy did it for $25 dollar line, but now I'm thinking these people are just making that up and trying to get a good deal thinking i'll fold. What do you think?

[@lawncarelife]

+grasscutter88 I have heard those type of comments as well. That is usually not a good sign whether they are telling the truth or not

[@cnnroker1]

“My last guy did it for $25, can you match it?” Yet in the same breath they tell you how shoddy job they did. I always tell them its like paying McDonalds prices expecting Olive Garden quality.

[@tracybrown1579]

I always reply back to those comments like this. Well guess that’s why your looking for a new lawn guy huh! When they say what do you mean by that. I say they obviously went belly up or figured out they couldn’t keep doing 25$ yards anymore. So they dropped your business for some profitable lawns. I will not even drive my equipment to a lawn for less than 75$ I don’t care if it only takes 10 minutes. I use a incentive for those customers to get me several neighbors lawns and I will give them some discounts for every other lawn they get me in that same neighborhood. Also I don’t really like mowing and trimming for those clients that won’t sign up year round maintenance programs. I have a service contract that also keeps money coming in year round. However you best be there when you say and do everything from property line to property line. I include everything in that contract also. Basically the customer walks out to a manicured landscape year round. All tress shrubs grass and beds are detailed on every visit. I mean every visit I don’t short cut one item on the list. That’s why I have customers that send me gifts and send me birthday cards. I have several customers that I have serviced for 17 plus yrs.

[@sgm6881]

Where do You get Your Dryfit Shirts??...

[@travisdickson252]

How much do you think I should charge as a 15 year old making some summer money?

[@lawncarelife]

+Travis Productions I don't think you should charge much less if you can provide the same quality work. Some people may not give you a chance because of your age but many would

[@FordFalcon1962nBlue]

the least to ask should be 15 or 20.00 for even a medium sized lawn, heck they'll probably come up a bit and say hey lets make it 25.00..i have 4 clients at 25.00, 1 at 30.00 and 1 at 40.00 , and some at 20.00 and of course it all depends on location and how far you have to go to mow it-

[@FordFalcon1962nBlue]

and he's right quality is the key- i put quality into my lawn care and gained a few new people because of it, i mow one yard, the guy across the street hires me, i mow another guys yard, his relative or w/e across town then hires me because people talk-

[@jimboroca4895]

I'm been doing this mistake :,)

[@Michshnly]

Just starting out i had a customer cut his lawn for $20. At the end he said ohh i thought that included shrubs trimmed. I said no that's extra better go with your old company. Walked away and f customers who do this crap.

[@brandinmccastle7843]

Hey man here recently I was told I was cheap how do you charge your yards?

[@lawncarelife]

for mowing, it is usually based on the estimated time. I try to make $60 per person per hour. If you are rarely told no from a customer, then you may want to increase your prices.

[@dennisreynolds6915]

What are the links you have? Do you own a graphic design logo company? Or a marketing company?

[@lawncarelife]

+Stinky Potatoes no, I don't own a graphic design or logo company. I have a few products that I sell that are Lawn Care related. A friend of mine is a graphic designer. He does the logos

[@dennisreynolds6915]

Ah ok. Nice job with everything. I enjoy your videos.

[@dennisreynolds6915]

I like the way you talk

[@ericslawnandlandscape]

This is my first season so pricing is hard to grasp. For grass cutting im only using a 21 inch push mower. I got a job that's a half acre property and not sure If I went to low on price. $40 per cut per week with edging and clean up. Looks like that's going to take me a minimum of 1 hr to get done. Maybe 1 fifteen minutes. With my basic setup to start do you feel im pricing close to where I should be? This is just part time for me at this point. I have another business also. Thank you for your channel!

[@FourThreeSeven]

Would need to see the property to know for sure. But to me it sounds like you priced it right. You shouldnt charge more because your push mowing it. If you do you wont get any business, because other people with better equipment would charge less and do it in 1/4 the time.

[@ericslawnandlandscape]

Thank you.

[@420santacruz]

I CHARGE $60.00 PER HOUR FOR ME,,,,AND $40.00 PER HOUR FOR EACH ADDITIONAL MAN HOUR PER MAN (PERIOD)

[@tonygenebass9812]

RollTide

[@hallaw9064]

Working for free is like getting eaten by a shark. You should avoid!!

[@iamswoll]

What is your take on illegal immigrants coming to America and undercutting American landscapers?

[@eddiegonzalez954]

Will don't have knowledge about the price's just everybody else and manybe there overhead is as much everybody's else. Don't get mad because Mexican's works three time as hard as a white person or black person they olny thing do bitch about I just get more money for this job with out even working your Ass off so bitch about do something about it .!!!

[@iamswoll]

Deport all illegals and no amnesty!!!!! Build that wall and send back all illegals!!

[@e.g.treeserviceandlandscap5133]

Daniel So you are say DEPORT ALL ILLEGAL and you forgot about you and your family tree as well you should go back to British and UK that's where you come from the start so before you British in the UK came to United States this is a native of American land and part of Mexico land as well. So bee for you start talking go do your research about you real history not the high school bs history. ✌🏼️😂