Paying someone to mow/edge
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Anonymous
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What's the going rate for lawn service these days? We just bought a house in Northwest DC and have about 7000 sq ft lot. It's our first ever lawn.
It took a guy 2 hours. It was $175. He was able to prioritize our request and come the next day. The grass was very tall, at least a month of growth. But seems like a lot. |
Anonymous
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Lets see - you had long/month growth grass, a prioritized request and it took him 2 hours to do...
It wouldn't be that amount every time if they were doing it regularly but it seems like a fair price given the particulars you've outlined. I'm curious what price you could have paid for all this that didn't prompt you to think it was too much.... |
Anonymous
| $175/month or $40/wk |
Anonymous
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OP: I just have no concept of what's reasonable is why I was asking. I assumed it would be in the $50-$80 for 2 hours of work. He said it would be $120 going forward for every two or three weeks.
I don't make $60/hour, but I also don't have the equipment. |
Anonymous
$50-80 for two hours isn't reasonable these days. It's also the time to get to your house, gas, equipment, gas for the equipment, insurance, etc. How do you live in such a big house with that little income? |
Anonymous
| I pay $38/week for mowing/edging on a similar sized lot in Arlington. It’s a service with multiple guys and they take maybe 30 minutes all in. |
Anonymous
$50-$80? - those are prices from 15-20 years ago or someone doing it every 5-6 days and so it doesn't take 2 hours. He came the next day and it was a month's worth backlog/growth you need to remember factor that in. IMO every 2 or 3 weeks in a typical May/June around here is too long between mowing - you want 7-10 days tops; 2 weeks or maybe 3 in Aug when it's hot and not raining. You need to get a few more estimates to see if that $120 price in line or not - there are many other factors that go into the price than just sqft. Not everything reduces down to a rate per hour - Wait until you have to have a plumber in to snake the main sewer line to the street and then come back here and post, lol. |
Anonymous
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OP: First time homeowner, thanks for the kindness and advice.
The house is not very big, but the lot is. The house needs a lot of work. My husband also makes a similar income. We live very frugally. |
Anonymous
If that's the case, it sounds like you don't have spare money to burn and that money would be better spent on the house proper and you should buy a mower/trimmer and do this yourself. Don't get a self-propelled, get a push mower - cheaper and more reliable/fewer things to break. It's a little more work pushing but you're young and can skip the gym/workout for a day or two. For the price of 3 or 4 visits of your current guy, you'll have the equipment and be mowing for years. My yard is the same size and it never takes me more than an hour - longer when I trim but I don't do that every time. |
Anonymous
Last year I quit the lawn company, bought the equipment and learned to mow myself (single mom). Even buying the equipment, I saved money last season. This season I am paying a neighborhood teenager $30/mow. |
Anonymous
| I pay $35 a week for mowing and edging. My lot is .16 acres total. Takes 2 guys about 15 minutes. This is through a landscaping service. |
Anonymous
| I pay $50 every 2 weeks for a half-acre lot in Rockville. There’s a fair amount of grass but also a lot of tiered beds created by the former owner. They mow, trim and edge every visit. I will pay separately for extra tasks like mulching. |
Anonymous
| We have a 15,000 sq ft lot in Fairfax county and pay $35/week. They are here for 20 minutes tops each visit and they also do 2 other houses on my street which I think keeps our rate low. |
Anonymous
| OP, location matters. You’re going to pay more in an affluent area. Ask your neighbors who they use and get a couple of quotes to compare. The guy who does my yard also mows for half of the street so it’s easier for him. |
Anonymous
| 45 bucks every week in McLean. .35 acres |