How to price lawn mowing jobs in South Africa

Most operators price by feel: what the last customer paid, what a neighbour charges, what sounds fair. That works until it doesn't, and the usual outcome is charging less than the job costs you.

1. Work out your real cost per hour

Before you can price a job, you need one honest number: what an hour of your working time actually costs to deliver.

• Fuel, including the trip to the property, not just the mowing.
• Equipment, blades, line, servicing, and eventually replacing the machine.
• Time you are not paid for. Quotes, driving, waiting for the gate.
• What you need to take home. Your own income, before the business pays anything else.

Divide that by the hours you genuinely spend working, and you have a floor. Never quote below it. A busy diary that loses money is worse than a quiet one.

2. Then price the job

With your floor set, each job is a judgement about time and difficulty:

• Size of the stand. The main driver, but only the start.
• What is actually growing. Kikuyu and buffalo take longer than a sparse, dry patch.
• Access. A narrow gate, a steep bank, or a lawn the mower cannot reach.
• Edging, hedges and clearing. If it is not mowing, it needs its own line on the quote.
• Travel between jobs. Three small jobs across town is not the same day as three on one street.

3. Per job, or per month

One-off work is quoted per job. Repeat customers often prefer a fixed monthly fee, which is good for them and better for you, because you know what is coming in. Just make sure the monthly fee assumes the services you will actually deliver, and say plainly what is included.

4. Adjust for the season

Grass grows fast in the wet season and barely moves in a dry winter. If you charge a flat fee all year you will resent the summer. Say up front that the growth season may carry more visits, or price the year in a way that accounts for it.

5. The traps

• Underpricing the first cut. An overgrown property is the hardest job you will do there. Price it as one.
• Quoting before you look. Price off the property, not off the phone call.
• Never raising prices. Costs move every year. If your price does not, your income falls.
• Free small favours that become the job. If it takes time, it goes on the quote.

Common questions

Should I charge per hour or per job?

Most operators quote per job, but work out the price from an hourly rate you already know. That way you can quote confidently without guessing.

How often should I raise my prices?

Review them once a year at minimum, and sooner when fuel, equipment or labour costs move. Tell repeat customers before the new price starts.

Do I charge more for overgrown properties?

Yes. A first cut on a neglected stand is a different job from maintenance. Price it as such, or you will spend three times as long for the same money.

Should I offer a monthly price?

If the customer wants the same service every month, a fixed monthly fee suits both of you. Just make sure the fee assumes you actually go.