Is it cheaper to cut your own grass

For those with small lawns, it can be tricky deciding whether it is cheap to cut your own grass. The average cost of maintaining a small lawn is between $30 and $50 per month. Meanwhile, the average hourly rate for professional lawn care services is around $40.

So, if you were to hire a professional to take care of your lawn every week, it would cost you at least $160 per month. However, if you take on the task of cutting your own grass, you can save a significant amount of money.

Here are a few things to consider when trying to decide if it is cheaper to cut your own grass:

-The size of your lawn: If you have a small lawn, it will obviously take less time to cut than a larger lawn. Therefore, it will likely be cheaper to cut your own grass if you have a small lawn.

-The condition of your lawn: If your lawn is in good condition, it will be easier to cut and will likely require less time. On the other hand, if your lawn is in poor condition, it may be more difficult to cut and will likely take more time.

-Your schedule: If you have a busy schedule, it may be more convenient to hire a professional lawn care service. However, if you have some free time, you may be able to save money by cutting your own grass.

-Your equipment: If you already have a lawn mower and other necessary equipment, it will obviously be cheaper to cut your own grass than to hire a professional. However, if you need to purchase all of the necessary equipment, it may not be as cheap to cut your own grass.

-Your skills: If you are skilled at cutting grass, it will be easier for you to do it yourself and you will likely save money. However, if you are not skilled at cutting grass, it may be more difficult for you to do it yourself and you may end up spending more money.

Why it is cheaper to cut your own grass:

Cost of labor: In the US, the cost of manual work such as having someone come cut the lawn for you costs about $40/hour. If you have a small lawn, it could take about 1 hour to cut your lawn which would cost $40. So every time you need your lawn cut, it costs $40. Now let’s say you do it yourself and it still takes you 1 hour to cut the lawn. The only cost now is your time which has no monetary value – at least when you are doing it yourself. I don’t like comparing my work in the yard to the foregone income I would have if I spent that time working in my office.

Since I mostly do my yardwork over the weekends, I’ll think of it as part of my “leisure time” and not worry about the opportunity cost. But, if you want to put a value on your time, $40/hour is a good place to start. So, if it would cost you $40 to have someone else cut your lawn and it costs you $0 in terms of your opportunity cost, then it is cheaper for you to cut your own lawn.

Equipment cost: If you don’t already have a lawnmower and other necessary equipment, then you will need to factor in the cost of purchasing these items. A decent lawnmower can cost around $200. So, if you need to purchase a lawnmower and other equipment, it may not be as cheap to cut your own grass.

Skills: If you are skilled at cutting grass, it will be easier for you to do it yourself and you will likely save money. However, if you are not skilled at cutting grass, it may be more difficult for you to do it yourself and you may end up spending more money.

When its cheaper to outsource cutting of grass:

When the lawn is very large:

If you have a large lawn, it may be more time-consuming and expensive to cut your own grass. In this case, it may be cheaper to hire a professional lawn care service.

When the lawn is in poor condition: If your lawn is in poor condition, it may be more difficult to cut and will likely take more time. In this case, it may be cheaper to hire a professional lawn care service.

When you have a busy schedule: If you have a busy schedule, it may be more convenient to hire a professional lawn care service. This way, you can avoid spending your free time cutting grass.

When you don’t have the necessary equipment: If you don’t have a lawn mower or other necessary equipment, it may be cheaper to hire a professional lawn care service. This way, you can avoid purchasing the necessary equipment.

When you are not skilled at cutting grass: If you are not skilled at cutting grass, it may be more difficult for you to do it yourself and you may end up spending more money. In this case, it may be cheaper to hire a professional lawn care service.

To operate a lawn mower, it is estimated that it will cost about $0.75 per hour, not counting the price of fuel. The average lawn size in America is around 10,000 square feet. If it takes you 1 hour to cut your lawn, that would be 100 square feet per minute. So, it would take you 100 minutes to cut your lawn, which would cost you $75 in terms of the cost of operating the lawn mower.

The average price of gas is around $4.50 per gallon. If it takes 1 gallon of gas to cut your lawn, that would be $4.50.

Therefore, it would cost you $325 to cut your own lawn if you need to purchase a lawn mower and gas. This is more expensive than hiring a professional lawn care service, which would likely cost around $200. So, in this case, it is cheaper to hire a professional lawn care service.

FAQs

What’s the average cost of mowing a lawn?

According to Bobvila, Homeowners who wish to have a well-kempt lawn often hire mowing services. The price for this ranges from $48 to $210, with the average being $130 according to Angi and HomeAdvisor. The size of the lawn is usually the largest contributing factor in determining cost.

How much should you charge to cut someone else’ grass?

According to Stephen Craig Wood who is a Construction project manager as per his profile on Quora, you should charge the market rate to mow anyone else lawn. To estimate the market going rate, consider if you are going to be using your own lawnmower or if the owner of the lawn owns his grass-cutting equipment.

According to Stephen, below are some factors to consider on how much to charge someone to cut their lawn.

• Determine the cost of the lawnmower estimating that it will last for 5 years. If it cost you $400 to purchase it and use it 52 weeks a year, you’ll need to divide 400 by 53*5 which brings the cost of a single lawn mowing session to about 31 US cents.
• Cost of fuel: If the cost of fuel is $5 per gallon and need 3 gallons for a lawn, your cost is $15.
• Cost of labor and transport: Use the federal minimum wage of $7.75/hr and top it up to $10/hour. If you estimate to mow the lawn for 2 hours, it will cost the lawn owner $20.

The total comes to $35.31 but considering the miscellaneous cost of wear and tear, a sum of $40/hour is a fair amount to charge someone to mow their lawn.

How long does it take to cut a lawn?

It usually takes around 1 hour to cut a lawn. However, this can vary depending on the size of the lawn and the skill of the person cutting the grass.

In conclusion, it is cheaper to hire a professional lawn care service rather than cutting your own grass. This is because it can be time-consuming and you may need to purchase expensive equipment. However, if you have the time and you are skilled at cutting grass, then you may want to do it yourself