How Much Should I Pay to Mow My Lawn?

Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 13:21
Last edited 31/03/2022 - 13:41 by 1 other user

I'm hoping members can give me an idea of what I should pay to have my lawn mowed.

Our front yard and back yard are level with no impediments to mowing. The front yard is 14m x 3m and the back yard is 16m x 4m. I can mow both lawns in around 5 minutes. Both lawns have either paths or garden edging on all sides, so line trimming is very easy and takes about 5 minutes. Blowing too is easy and takes another 5 minutes. So 15 minutes work in total. The lawns require cutting every two weeks.

I'm currently paying Jim's Mowing $40 per fortnight to cut the lawn. Is $40 about right for an outer Brisbane suburb (Moreton Bay area), too much, or too little?

Home & Garden Lawn Mowing

Comments

  • PissLUR on 31/03/2022 - 13:23
    +15

    why dont you get another quote?

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 31/03/2022 - 13:26

    We used to pay that at work. But on the high side as they used to charge 25, as they’re doing all 4 neighbours at once.

  • Fergy1987 on 31/03/2022 - 13:26
    +144

    if its so easy why dont you do it for $0

    • zonra on 31/03/2022 - 20:26
      +30

      Reminds me of those posts on fb asking for tradies to come do a “literally 5 minute job”, presumably for free or a fiver.

  • derk on 31/03/2022 - 13:34
    +4

    20$ a mow seems pretty good to me

    • [Deactivated] on 31/03/2022 - 13:52
      +1

      he said they need cutting every two weeks, so it sounds like $40 per mow

      • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 13:58
        +1

        Yes, it's $40 per mow

        • [Deactivated] on 31/03/2022 - 14:00
          +14

          if it's a 15 min job, i would do it myself and save the 40 dollars (minus fuel) especially if you only have to do it every 2 weeks.

          • derk on 31/03/2022 - 14:12
            +9

            @[Deactivated]: Apologies - i read it wrong!

            My thinking is that they probably have a min call out fee? Much less than $40 wouldn't be worth it for them? You are paying for the convenience to not it yourself.

            • [Deactivated] on 31/03/2022 - 17:04

              @derk: yeah most likely call out fee. if you find someone local it would probably be much cheaper

  • Cheaplikethebird on 31/03/2022 - 13:37
    +73

    15 minutes to mow & blow + travel time + time to unpack/repack equipment, seems pretty reasonable to me.

  • JimmyF on 31/03/2022 - 13:38
    +18

    Do it yourself if its so easy and can be done in 15 mins…. Otherwise its $160/hr you're paying!

    • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 13:52
      +1

      Good point

      • JimmyF on 31/03/2022 - 14:10
        +38

        But in all fairness, $40 to mow the front back, trim and blow is a fair price if you don't want to do it. They have travel costs and time to get to your place, mowers, trimmers, blowers to service etc.

        • netjock on 31/03/2022 - 14:42
          +7

          They have travel costs

          This is the problem. You never know the next job might be 20 mins drive away and having to load / unload will make the job basically a full hour.

      • webmonkey on 01/04/2022 - 18:25
        +4

        I disagree that is a good point. Ask yourself, what is your time worth maintaining and fueling equipment and to mow your grass front and back every two weeks? 40 bucks seems too cheap to be honest.

    • supersabroso on 01/04/2022 - 15:52
      +2

      Agreed, I used to do 600 square metres by myself! That was a chore, 100 square metres is a dream. Just do it youself and save a ton of money. Get a Ryobi battery powered mower, easy as.

    • AustriaBargain on 03/04/2022 - 09:06
      +4

      $160 an hour if the gardener teleports to your garden while holding a lawn mower that is already turned on.

  • Hithere on 31/03/2022 - 13:42
    +5

    Check your local paper or drive around your area on the weekend, there's often someone local who will do it cheaper than Jim's, usually a young person wanting to earn some extra pocket money.

  • apsilon on 31/03/2022 - 13:42
    +34

    You're getting all the gear out, trimming 74m of edging, mowing ~100sq m of lawn (I'm assuming mulching rather than catching), blowing all the paths etc then packing everything up in 15 min total? Damn, you're a lot faster than me. I really am getting slow.

      • apsilon on 31/03/2022 - 14:38
        +1

        I'm confused. You keep your mower on a trailer and trimmer and blower in a ute? Sounds like you're a lawn mowing service so why are you getting someone else to do your lawn? How much would you charge for the job?

        • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 14:41

          Haha, no, Jim's Mowing keeps their mower on a trailer and their line trimmer and blower in the back of their ute.

          • apsilon on 31/03/2022 - 17:16
            +11

            @Amazible: OK, well I'm still amazed you can do all that in 15min. Mine's about 2.5 times the size and I do have several bushes to go around but takes me 1.5 - 2 hours. At your speed it'd be done in under 40min.

      • Quantumcat on 31/03/2022 - 15:36
        +4

        They have to travel to the job and then travel to the next job. And pay for insurance, petrol, etc.

        • Soluble on 31/03/2022 - 16:30
          +8

          And franchise fees :o

          • Agret on 01/04/2022 - 20:31

            @Soluble: And $4 of that $40 is gone to GST since you're not paying some neighborhood kid a cashy to do it

      • Musing Outloud on 02/04/2022 - 20:16
        +1

        Travel time between jobs is a cost you've failed to mention. I have a property with lawns about your size and it is $50 a time for a local gent 10 mins away.

  • Porker on 31/03/2022 - 13:49
    +2

    How much do you want to be paying for someone to mow your lawn?

    • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 13:57
      +1

      I'm not sure what a fair price would be. That's why I'm asking what people think is a fair price

      • Porker on 31/03/2022 - 14:13
        +2

        Perhaps my question should have been are you confortable paying that amount.

        To some $40 might seem fine, where others not.

        I'm not fine paying someone $40 to cut my lawn, but I'm fine paying $40 for a very nice meal for myself.

        • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 14:19
          +2

          Haha, I cringe at spending $40 on a meal for myself, but I understand that the franchise owner has the cost of hiring labour, the cost of purchasing and maintaining equipment, the cost of fuel, the cost of his franchise fee, and the cost of running his business including book-keeping and accounting. So I know there's additional costs involved. What I'm asking is given all of those costs, what is a fair price to mow my lawn?

          • Cheaplikethebird on 31/03/2022 - 16:13
            +3

            @Amazible: Even if the actual work only takes ~15 minutes you're looking at about an hour block out of this person's day. I also cringe at spending $40 on a meal but I would refuse to do a job for less than $30/hr which is likely what the mower is looking at once you take out overheads.

            I used to pay for a mower at a rental back in the day which would have taken roughly the same amount of time, we're talking about 8 square meters of lawn all up and that cost me $40… ten years ago.

            • ihbh on 02/04/2022 - 13:34

              @Cheaplikethebird:

              8 square meters

              Heck, just use a push mower, whipper snipper or hand tool.

    • TheOtherLeft on 01/04/2022 - 08:35
      +3

      $0 of course. This is OzB. People should be feeling privileged to be mowing your lawn.

  • GG57 on 31/03/2022 - 13:54
    +16

    If it is really only 15 minutes work, just do it yourself.

    • Sweetnsour on 01/04/2022 - 11:15
      +1

      Sounds like more than 15 minutes. You still need to pack away the clippings, go buy fuel for the mower or charge the blower, check the spark plug is still OK.

      • Tleyx on 04/04/2022 - 08:22
        +1

        You can get electric mowers so you don't need to get fuel or check.spark

        If you don't use a catcher you don't need to empty it.

  • SnoozeAndLose on 31/03/2022 - 14:00
    +2

    Take a before and after of the mower doing it. Do it yourself and take a before and after photo and ask them to skip for 1 time.

    See if you can do what they are have done for you in 15 mins.

    You need to include the time you pack and unpack your equipment.

    DIY is always the most economical but you are either too lazy or don't have time to do it.

    It comes to how you value your time. It is easy said than done

    • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 14:07

      @SnoozeAndLose As I said to @Apsilon People should consider the additional time taken to unpack and repack when considering how much I should pay.

  • cupcake on 31/03/2022 - 14:12
    +13

    That's cheap. You should pay him more.
    The time it takes to pack and unpack the mower, trimmer, cleaning and associated costs - you have a bargain price there.
    In saying that, an old friend of mine used to pay her neighbour $20 each time to mow her front lawn. He didn't mind doing it for her for $20 but that was in 2003.

    • Agret on 01/04/2022 - 20:33
      -1

      The neighbor has a lot less travel time than Jims group contractors. No tax on the $20, no franchise fees, no fuel usage. $20 sounds fair if it's your neighbor.

      • Euphemistic on 02/04/2022 - 08:57
        +2

        $20 might sound fair 20 years ago, but depends on the relationship and size of the lawn. Should be aiming for a minimum of $30/hr if it’s ‘income’. If it’s a ‘nice way to say thankyou’ and other favours are returned like bringing in bins and checking mail then $20 is certainly acceptable.

        • Agret on 02/04/2022 - 10:28

          OP said it only takes 15min to quickly go over their lawn so it's a rate of $80/hr. Being a neighbor just helping out I imagine the cut won't be held to some high standard and it's okay to be a little uneven/patchy with no fancy edging work.

  • SF3 on 31/03/2022 - 14:22
    +2

    26 x $40 = $1040 per year.

    With $1040, you can buy your own mower and edger and/or trimmer, maybe with spare change. Pays for itself.

    • cupcake on 31/03/2022 - 14:25

      Yes. However, keep in mind time saved and not having to do it yourself.
      I'd rather pay the $40 a fortnight or just have the grass cut once a month.

      • supersabroso on 01/04/2022 - 15:55
        +1

        That's insane, $1040 is crazy. Just imagine the amount of 18/36V Ryobi power tools you can buy for $1040 every year! Much better to just do it yourself.

    • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 14:27
      -4

      Do it yourself seems to be the consensus. But it's still unclear whether $40 is too much, too little, or about right.

      • ozhunter on 31/03/2022 - 14:28
        +6

        But it's still unclear whether $40 is too much, too little, or about right.

        Does it matter?

        Get another quote to see if you can get it cheaper or do it yourself if you think it's not worth paying someone.

      • SF3 on 31/03/2022 - 16:26
        +1

        I think the fact that you are overthinking about if $40 is a good/acceptable deal or not, and you believe it'll take you 15mins to complete each time.

        You are better off getting your own equipment and doing the 15mins yourself, that way, you don't have to agonize over if it is a "good deal" or not. Because you manage the costs, job, equipment and the saving in the long run - that's why we are here in OzBargain right?

        It depends on what that 15mins is worth to you.

        • Sweetnsour on 01/04/2022 - 11:18
          +2

          Spend hours on ozb forums saving $40 or 15 mins mowing the lawn?….

          Back to ozb forums. I mean saving money looking for bargains 😄

      • Trekky on 01/04/2022 - 08:57

        I didn't buy a house to mow lawn……

        • Agret on 04/04/2022 - 09:14

          Just pull up the lawn and put down astroturf then.

      • cookie2 on 01/04/2022 - 15:08

        Should have a poll. Front and backyard, sounds reasonable if borderline. I wouldn't pay it but I have a partner that's happy to do. Maybe I'd think differently if I had to do it myself.

  • AndyC1 on 31/03/2022 - 14:25
    +5

    $40 is cheap as you need to cover time to get there, unpack, pack and get back plus petrol and line for the line trimmer and wear and tear.

  • starspawn on 31/03/2022 - 14:44
    +5

    That's such a low price. Wouldn't even help to cover fuel costs for them.

    • CrispyChrispy on 31/03/2022 - 14:51

      If it doesn't even cover fuel costs, then why would they keep charging OP for that price?

      • starspawn on 31/03/2022 - 14:53
        +1

        Probably because their business model will fail and they can't see that now.

        • CrispyChrispy on 31/03/2022 - 14:55
          -2

          In 2019, Jim's Group is the largest home-service franchise in Australia. It has an annual turnover of over $500 million, approximately 4,000 franchises and about 35,000 customers. Jim is still the CEO of the group and actively involved in day-to-day operations.

          • Agret on 01/04/2022 - 20:35
            +2

            @CrispyChrispy: He is not referring to Jims Group business failing. He refers to the individual franchisee who isn't quoting enough for the job.

  • salmon123 on 31/03/2022 - 14:53
    +7

    $40 is cheap. Try getting any sort of tradie to turn up for less than $100 in Sydney. It's impossible. I'd guess Qld is similar.

    I'm guessing your guy has some jobs on the same street or very close, so they don't need to load/unload.

    • Lord Fart Bucket on 31/03/2022 - 15:01
      -5

      mowing the lawn is a tradie?

      • salmon123 on 31/03/2022 - 15:31
        +1

        mowing the lawn is a tradie?

        Well, it's not a hobby. Probably the same category as cleaners/housekeepers. They don't turn up for less than $100 these days either.

        • GG57 on 31/03/2022 - 15:44
          +1

          I reckon that will go to $150 soon, with the high fuel costs.

          • salmon123 on 31/03/2022 - 15:49
            +1

            @GG57: Probably already has in some parts of the country - don't forget there's labour shortages too.

        • idonotknowwhy on 01/04/2022 - 10:39
          +2

          They don't turn up for less than $100 these days either.

          My cleaners are a God send. $70 per clean, 2 of them show up and work for an hour.
          They often work 15 minutes longer than that, and they never accept if I offer them more money.

          • Euphemistic on 01/04/2022 - 16:41

            @idonotknowwhy: Your cleaners are probably not declaring income and won’t be insured either. May even be claiming benefits.

            $35/hr plus travel isn’t a lot.

    • Amazible on 31/03/2022 - 15:12

      Yes, Jim's Mowing is a franchise and each owner works within a given area. The previous franchise owner told me his target was between 10-16 mows per day, basically one every 30 minutes which works well in a medium density residential estate. Assuming $40 is what most people pay, then 'potentially' he is making between $400-$640 per day less costs for labour, fuel, and so on. Great business model apparently.

      • Derrick Crane on 31/03/2022 - 15:27
        +8

        "Less costs for labour fuel and so on" - I think you may find there are a lot of "so on"s.
        Franchise costs, equipment costs and maintenance (Including vehicle), insurance, disposal costs are just a few that spring to mind.

      • popsiee on 31/03/2022 - 16:18
        +8

        No one going to undercut $40 .
        Ridiculously cheap and they must be making peanuts .

      • chriskq on 01/04/2022 - 10:40

        with math like that you should be charging for financial advice

      • Edgecrusher on 03/04/2022 - 18:49
        +1

        Jesus, why would you take on a franchise if his turnover is $400-$640 per day!

        Better off just working for the man, buy the time gst, consumables, equipment, franchise fees, superannuation, any additional tax’s(not sure if there would be more if set up as a company for them to pay), insurances, bad debts etc come out they’d be better off working for someone else - especially as the average ozbargin wage is $200k (*may of may not be a lie)

        I wouldn’t pay someone to mow my lawn, but if I did I’d expect $40 to be nothing.

        Or go true ozbargin style, spend $5k and put fake grass down! Problem solved!

        • nubzy on 03/04/2022 - 19:12
          +1

          I really don't understand why anyone would go with a Jim's Mowing franchise over being a sole trader. It is very easy to build a client base, there are lots of people out there who do want their lawns mown by someone else and happy to pay. Before you know it, you start getting referrals through word of mouth. Then you start branching out into other areas. Gardening/mowing is a very profitable and fairly inexpensive business to start, and most people out there do it for quality of life and to be their own boss. Not sure i'd want to do it full time, but alongside gig/freelance work or a part time job it can work very nicely. For many people a full time job is not an appealing prospect especially if it means being chained to a desk all day, taking orders, getting fat and waiting for a heart attack to happen. Being outside, working with your hands and seeing the end results is very satisfying and will keep you fit and healthy.

  • jv on 31/03/2022 - 15:53
    -1

    You are paying 38 cents/m²

    I wouldn't pay any more than 25 cents/m²

  • Euphemistic on 31/03/2022 - 16:33
    +9

    I reckon $40 is probably about minimum to turn up to your place and do your lawns wether it’s 5min or 30min.

    Only way you’d get it cheaper is to provide your own gear and find a local teenager to do it for you.

  • megadeth on 31/03/2022 - 20:23
    +1

    Pay yourself $160/h and DIY. Will also give you a good feeling of being on a three digit hourly rate. ;-)

  • farknos on 01/04/2022 - 08:20
    +9

    ive been self employed for 32 years (different industry) and the above is why i refuse to work in residential market.

  • Trekky on 01/04/2022 - 08:55

    I pay $60, They do front and back as well as edges. Front is fairly large (Could have another house there). They are here for just around 50 minutes. I'm in Sydney.

    • WT on 01/04/2022 - 12:19

      can you pm me their details please

  • Emli on 01/04/2022 - 09:07

    I pay $35 for a rectangular front lawn 14m by 4. That is approximately half your area. From arrival to packing up equipment is more than 15 minutes. Would love to see your lawn mowing timing in action.

    • chriskq on 01/04/2022 - 10:39

      Thats what i thought. 5mins… pull the other one!

      By the time you get all the gear unpacked, do the job with cleanup and pack up i imagine it would be at least at the 30min mark

  • BigBirdy on 01/04/2022 - 09:33
    +1

    $40 is a fair price, but if you’re not happy, do it yourself. You may also be able to get it slightly cheaper if you can find someone doing mowing locally. My man does a few houses each visit, all the neighbours are happy to have him do them on the same visit.

  • Ozpit on 01/04/2022 - 09:40
    +3

    I thought the gold standard for a true blue Ozbargainer was to never pay someone to do something you can do yourself. Having said that, I’d do OP’s patch for $35 if a regular gig and in my neighbourhood. $30 if all equipment supplied. Cash in hand of course.

    • nahkk on 02/04/2022 - 06:21

      Mate, you are the Platinum level of OZB!!!

  • 2esc on 01/04/2022 - 09:48
    +1

    Only 15 minutes! I would cut it myself save the money.

    As to the price it's not just 15 minutes for them to mow the lawn they do have to travel to get to your place. Yes they will try to schedule it with another job in the area but it's still not just 15 minutes for them.

    You don't have 15 minutes of time spare a fortnight?

  • Waltervp on 01/04/2022 - 10:02
    +2

    Sounds fair to me. Just the coming and going for a contractor, loading and unloading, the paperwork, invoicing and taxes, liability insurance.

    We need a sharing economy where people in a community share a mower instead of all own one, and when one person mows he does a few neighbours at the same time and you may take turns or compensate perhaps.

    The sharing economy is a difficult concept and the usual arguments about maintenance and breakages will also be there, but there are many communities in the world where they successfully do these things. We can at least start by talking to a few neighbours. Maybe offer to do both your neighbours lawns occasionally. Maybe you'll find they will offer the next time.

  • Zondor on 01/04/2022 - 10:21
    +5

    I wouldn't get out of bed for $40

  • MontyMacaw on 01/04/2022 - 10:27

    Jim’s franchise cost about $40k. Equipment probably about $60k. Commission and other overheads would make it an expensive business to run with probably not much more than minimum wage after all that expense and stress. They are taken for suckers. If you don’t want to pay that much then use a small operator without the same overheads.

  • Navanod66 on 01/04/2022 - 11:08
    +7

    Neighbours (& the ex-owner of my house) use a mower company that charges $35 per mow due to collective bargaining.

    The mower constantly brings weeds and Kikuyu grass into our couch lawns. Also damages landscaping with careless edging and trimming. Once broke a car window when a chip off verge concrete went flying. Quickly left, came back later and pretended they've only just arrived.

    So I now do my own lawns, about 150sqm out front and no back.
    Takes me way longer than 15mins, and I'm on all battery tools, which is quicker to setup. I must be slow.

    I had only invested in Ozito gears but the top end of it. The best mower (brushless 2x18V steel deck), a good trimmer (2x18V), edger & blower. Got the edger real cheap so all together under $700. Would break even in a year after 20 mows.

    Advantage: No noisy petrol equipment. No transplant of weeds from other lawns. I get a better feel of the health of the lawn and can apply fertilisers and herbicides appropriately.

    Disadvantage: Time and effort. Initial costs. Can't cut as low as the reel mowers used by commercial mowing folks.

    Priceless: Pride when looking at a lush green lawn without weeds and bald patches caused by scalping

    • MontyMacaw on 01/04/2022 - 20:08
      +2

      Hank Hill is proud of you! Yep!

      • Navanod66 on 01/04/2022 - 22:12

        Now that you mention it…I am sorta a Hank

  • trapper on 01/04/2022 - 12:03

    Surely there is some teenager living near you who will do it for $20 and then you will be helping out the kid too.

    • MontyMacaw on 01/04/2022 - 20:09

      Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! What is this the 1960’s??? Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

  • serpserpserp on 01/04/2022 - 12:09

    Takes me an hour or so to do my lawn and I have probably 200-250 sqm. That is not including trimming.

    Cut every two weeks in spring/summer in Melbourne, 3-4 in winter if you can't be bothered

  • tikei on 01/04/2022 - 12:40

    Not a fan of lawns. Seems like a waste of space. Would make it a veggie patch or even just have it as concrete to park extra cars on/play bouncy ball on it.

    • idonotknowwhy on 01/04/2022 - 17:26

      Same here. I rent and always make sure I don't have a lawn to waste time on.

  • megaclix on 01/04/2022 - 14:52

    What happens to the grass cuttings? Do you just mulch?

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