Free tool for lawn care businesses

Lawn mowing price calculator

Updated October 2026 · By the MeasureLawn team

The short answer

Price a mowing stop from the time it takes, not a guess: mowing time (set by the lawn size and your mower) plus trimming plus time at the stop, multiplied by the hourly rate your business needs, and never below a minimum. With placeholder settings (a 21-inch mower, $65 an hour, $40 minimum), an 8,000 sq ft lawn takes about 50 min and prices at about $54 a visit. Put in your own numbers below.

Want the theory first? Read how to price lawn care jobs.

Measure the turf, not the lot. Don’t know it? Measure any lawn free on satellite.

On a 5,000 sq ft lawn. Scaled for size.

Unload, load, drive.

Revenue per crew hour.

Suggested price per visit
$54weekly

$60 every two weeks

Mowing
22 min
Trim, edge and blow
13 min
Stop and drive
15 min
Time on this lawn
50 min
As a price rule: about $23 per stop + $3.79 per 1,000 sq ft, minimum $40. Exact at 5,000 and 15,000 sq ft, close in between.
Your price sheet with these settings
GrassWeeklyEvery 2 wks
3,000 sq ft$40$40
5,000 sq ft$42$46
8,000 sq ft$54$60
10,900 sq ft$65$73
15,000 sq ft$80$91
21,800 sq ft$104$121
43,560 sq ft$179$211
Price by lawn size

An example mowing price sheet

The calculator at its default settings, for a small mower and a commercial one: $65 an hour, 10 minutes of trimming on a 5,000 sq ft lawn, 15 minutes per stop and a $40 minimum. The bigger mower is so much faster that the minimum sets the price until well past a quarter acre.

Grass area21" mower, weekly52" stand-on, weekly
3,000 sq ftSmall town lot$40 (min.)$40 (min.)
5,000 sq ftTypical newer subdivision$42$40 (min.)
8,000 sq ftAbout a fifth of an acre of grass$54$40 (min.)
10,900 sq ftA quarter acre of grass$65$40 (min.)
15,000 sq ftLarger suburban lawn$80$44
21,800 sq ftHalf an acre of grass$104$52
43,560 sq ftOne acre of grass$179$75

An example to show how the method works, not a rate card or a survey of what companies charge. Your hourly rate, your mower and your market decide your prices.

How the calculator works

Every assumption, in plain sight

  • Mowing time = grass area ÷ (deck width × 90%, because each pass overlaps the last by 10%) ÷ mowing speed, plus 15% for turns. Speeds are steady working paces: 21" at 3 mph, 36" at 3 mph, 52" at 6 mph, 60" at 6 mph.
  • Trimming, edging and blowing is the time you enter for a 5,000 sq ft lawn, scaled by the square root of the area, because edges grow more slowly than area. 10 minutes at 5,000 sq ft becomes about 15 at a quarter acre and about 30 at an acre.
  • Time per stop covers unloading, loading and the drive from the last lawn. It is the same on every lawn, which is why small lawns need a minimum.
  • Every two weeks: the mowing part takes 25% longer because the grass is taller.
  • Price = total minutes ÷ 60 × your hourly rate, rounded to the dollar, and never below your minimum.

Check it against your own lawns

Time five lawns you already mow, from arrival to departure, and measure the grass on each. If your real times are longer than the calculator’s, raise the trim time or the time per stop until they match. After that, its prices are your prices.

What adds time

Price the extra minutes, not a guessed percentage: slopes, lots of trees and beds to mow around, gates too narrow for your mower, bagging clippings and an overgrown first cut all add time. Add it to the trim time or the time per stop and the price follows.

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FAQ

Mowing price questions

How much should I charge to mow a lawn?
Charge for the time the stop takes at the hourly rate your business needs, and never less than a minimum. Time = mowing (set by lawn size, deck width and speed) + trimming, edging and blowing + loading, unloading and the drive. As an example with placeholder numbers — a 21-inch mower, $65 an hour, 10 minutes of trimming on a 5,000 sq ft lawn and 15 minutes per stop — an 8,000 sq ft lawn takes about 50 min and prices at about $54 a visit.
How do I calculate a mowing price by square foot?
Measure the grass itself (not the lot), work out how long it takes to mow with your mower, add trimming and time at the stop, and multiply by your target hourly rate. If you prefer a per-square-foot rule, the calculator turns your settings into a base per stop plus a rate per 1,000 sq ft.
What is a good hourly rate for a lawn mowing business?
There is no single right number: it has to cover wages, fuel, equipment, insurance, overhead and profit in your market. Work it out from your own costs and the number of billable hours you can fill in a week, then put that number in the calculator. The $65 default is only a placeholder.
Should I charge more for mowing every two weeks?
Usually, yes. Grass that has grown for two weeks is taller and thicker, so it takes longer to cut and leaves more clippings. This calculator assumes the mowing part takes 25% longer every two weeks; time a few of your own every-two-weeks lawns and adjust.
Why do I need a minimum charge?
Loading, driving, unloading and trimming take nearly as long on a tiny lawn as on a mid-sized one. Without a minimum, small lawns lose money. Set a minimum that covers a stop at your hourly rate, and charge whichever is higher: the time price or the minimum.
How do I find the square footage of a lawn without driving out?
Outline the grass on satellite imagery and leave out the house, driveway, patio and beds. The free MeasureLawn tool does this for any US address in about a minute, and MeasureLawn Pro lets homeowners do it themselves on your website and see your price.
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