Lawn Mowing Cost Calculator
Most lawn companies charge $150 to $200 per acre or $0.01 to $0.06 per square foot to mow a lawn. It’s fairly uncommon for lawn companies to charge by square footage for mowing and other basic lawn maintenance unless you are dealing with a very small space. In most cases, the payment structure will be based on the time it takes to mow the lawn. If your landscaper does charge by size, below are the average lawn mowing costs you can expect.
| Lawn Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 3,500 Square Feet | $35–$210 |
| 5,000 Square Feet | $50–$300 |
| 10,000 Square Feet | $100–$600 |
| One Acre | $150–$200 |
| Two Acres | $300–$400 |
| Three Acres | $450–$600 |
| Four Acres | $600–$800 |
| Five Acres | $750–$1,000 |
| 10 Acres | $1,500–$2,000 |
| 15 Acres | $2,250–$3,000 |
Additional Lawn Mowing Cost Factors
In addition to size, a yard’s shape, accessibility, grass type, and more will affect the mowing price. Here are several factors that can impact your average lawn mowing cost.
Shape
The shape of your yard will affect the price you can expect to pay to have a pro trim your grass. If your yard is uniquely shaped with lots of tight corners and hard-to-reach-areas, you’ll likely pay toward the higher end of the spectrum. However, if you have a straightforward yard shape, like a simple rectangular area of grass, you’ll likely pay on the lower side (depending, of course, on your yard’s size and other factors).
Accessibility
If your landscaper has to maneuver around obstacles, this will likely increase your total mowing costs. Slopes, awkward shapes, gardens, playground equipment, or bodies of water that should be avoided will take longer to mow and will drive up your hourly cost.
Lawn Health and Condition
Healthier grass grows quicker, and thicker patches of grass mean more time spent mowing. The better the health and condition of your lawn, the more you’ll likely end up paying to keep it neat and trimmed.
Type of Grass
Lawn grass type is an important (but often overlooked) factor in lawn mowing and lawn maintenance costs. Cool-season and warm-season grasses grow at different rates throughout different periods of the year, and you may need to have certain types of lawns mowed more frequently during the growing season.
Length of Grass
If you like to keep your grass short, this will increase the frequency of visits and thus increase your average lawn mowing cost. To keep your grass healthy, only one-third of its height should be mowed at once, so you’ll want to book more frequent visits to prevent it from getting too long in between.
Frequency and Plans
Every lawn is different, and the mowing schedule should be tailored accordingly. Many landscapers will offer discounts for repeat visits, or they may offer specific pricing plans to choose from.
Labor
Landscapers typically charge an average of $25 to $60 per hour for lawn care services or roughly $30 to $80 per lawn mowing service visit. Routine jobs such as weekly lawn mowing and watering are less expensive, but higher rates apply for speedy or complex jobs requiring multiple crew members. Many companies offer hourly rates in their quotes, but flat rates for labor, materials, and overhead are also common. These include transportation costs to your home, equipment maintenance, and maintenance of your lawn's unique features.
For an additional cost, most local lawn care services also offer feeding, weeding, aeration, and other upgrades if you want a next-level lawn. Remember, when you hire a local lawn mowing pro, you’re also paying for their expertise.
Location
Your geographic location is an important factor in the final cost, as it determines the type of services you’ll need to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful. For example, areas of the country that experience all four seasons will need leaf cleanup, while southern locations with a longer growing season require more frequent visits that carry on for a longer period of time. Along with that, labor costs tend to be higher in densely-populated urban areas than in more rural parts of the country.
Here’s a look at the price of lawn mowing in 10 cities:
| City | Cost |
|---|---|
| Seattle | $130 – $530 |
| Minneapolis | $40 – $400 |
| Los Angeles | $50 – $800 |
| New York | $80 – $400 |
| Houston | $30 – $400 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $30 – $380 |
| Cincinnati | $30 – $470 |
| Phoenix | $50 – $450 |
| Milwaukee | $30 – $450 |
| Baltimore | $40 – $700 |
Maintenance
Lawn maintenance tasks like edging, weed abatement, fertilization, lawn aeration, and leaf removal will also bump up your mowing cost, if you opt for those extras. Here is a look at typical maintenance tasks that your mowing pro may offer and their costs.
| Maintenance Task | Cost |
|---|---|
| Edging | $700 – $1,700 |
| Weed abatement | $35 – $120 |
| Fertilization | $80 – $380 |
| Aeration | $70 – $190 |
| Leaf removal | $190 – $540 |
How Much Does It Cost to Mow a Lawn Yourself?
Some homeowners love getting up early to mow the lawn and enjoy that fresh-cut smell all weekend. If that’s you, DIY lawn maintenance is a relatively inexpensive task—after the initial purchase of the mower.
If you have a small-ish yard, a push mower will work just fine. You can find one you power yourself or an electric or battery-operated model for under $200. Gas mowers start around $300, while ride-on mowers cost closer to $1,500 to $5,000. You also need to factor in the cost of a weed eater and leaf blower, both of which are typically between $80 and $200.
You’ll also need to factor in the cost of gas and maintaining and repairing your lawn mower.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
If you decide to mow your lawn yourself, you’ll save an average of $124. But mowing a lawn can be tiring, tedious work, and it’s easy to lose track of time in between your sessions. Lawns benefit the most from consistent care, and bringing in a pro means one less thing on your to-do list to keep your outdoor space thriving and beautiful. Get in touch with a local landscaping company to learn more about the benefits offered by professional-grade lawn care services.
Candace Nelson contributed to this piece.
