How long does it take to mow a lawn?
Mowing time is the easy part to estimate. Trimming, edging and the drive between properties are what decide whether the route makes money.
The job
Your rate
This visit
$89
1.4 hours at $62.47/hr
Realistic range
$75 – $115
1.2–1.8 hours
| Task | Hours |
|---|---|
| Mowing (6,000 sq ft) | 0.60 h |
| Unload and load equipment | 0.17 h |
| String trimming | 0.21 h |
| Edging | 0.15 h |
| Blowing down | <0.1 h |
| Drive time from previous job | 0.20 h |
| Total | 1.42 h |
Quoting lawn care well
- Route density beats headline price. The same lawn earns very differently depending on how far you drove to reach it.
- Always set a minimum charge. Unload, setup and travel cost the same on a small lawn as a large one.
Where these numbers come from
Every coefficient is anchored to a published industry benchmark. An estimate you cannot check is not worth much, so here they are.
- Mowing rate
- General calculators default to 15 minutes per 1,000 sq ft for a homeowner with a push mower, while professional crews report about 45 minutes for 10,000 sq ft. This model uses 12 min/1,000 for a 21" push mower, 6 for a commercial walk-behind and 4 for a zero-turn.
- Trim, edge and blow
- Modelled as proportions of mowing time — 35%, 25% and 15% respectively — which is where most solo operators lose unbilled minutes.
The suggested hourly rate comes from the same model as our lawn care pricing calculator, which converts BLS employee wages for your state into a self-employed business rate. Override it with your own rate at any point — this tool is about the hours.
Other job scopers
Estimates only. Your own speed, equipment and standards will move these numbers — track your real times and adjust.