UNDER CONSTRUCTION-More Q&A To Come
Q. Do you charge by the acre, time on the job or what? A. I charge based on the amount of work I anticipate, as well as the acreage. The bigger the property, the more wear and tear on the equipment and the more fuel required. Fuel is my biggest expense each month. However, the complexity of the property, the amount of trimming, weed whacking and blowing required also adds to the equation. Lastly, logistics factor in as well. Can I cut two lawns within throwing distance of each other without having to unload and load the equipment twice to do so? How many times will I need to stop and get off and on the mower? There could be extra services required or requested some weeks. Some weed whacking may not be necessary every week. There are so many nuances to each different property. In general I try to keep my pricing very reasonable relative to the amount of work I perform.
Q. You mention in the text that some types of properties are not ideal for your service. Can you explain which types they might be, and why? A. Three main types: 1. Small lawns. 2. Lawns or partial lawns encapsulated by a fence with an access gate not wide enough to get my zero-turn mowers through. 3. Properties with steep grades and quick transitions from high angles to shallow angles. For instance, where a 61 or 52 inch cutting deck is too wide across to make a smooth cut without scalping into the ground on one side or the other. These types of properties are better suited to mower decks with far less width. Many larger lawn services run stand-on, self-propelled mowers which can easily make these transitions. I do not. However, I do run a couple push mowers for trimming which can cut those hard transitions, but when there are a lot of those areas, it can take longer to accomplish than a flat yard, twice the size. So if it isn't a good fit for my equipment and I can clearly see that when I estimate the property, I will recommend against my service. For smaller lawns, even though my wide mowers can blow through the main mowing area in a few minutes the rest of the work, such as trimming, weed whacking and blowing can sometimes take as long as a much larger lawn. The time to unload and load the equipment from the trailer is the same as it is for larger lawns. And the gas to get everything there is the same. The only savings on a job like that is the actual mowing time, and that's assuming the lawn isn't loaded with trees and other obstructions which will definitely slow down my otherwise very fast, wide mowers. So, smaller properties are usually just not a good fit, in general. I will do a smaller lawn, but keeping the costs more reasonably priced is less likely. Those lawns encapsulated by fences with no access wide enough to get my equipment through probably need no more explanation.
Q. I already have a lawn service taking care of my property on a weekly basis. How much will I save if I switch over to your service? A. That's not an easy answer, because I am not here to undercut other professionals on price. If they are doing a good job, please, stick with them. They deserve your business. That said, if you are truly not happy with them, then certainly, I would expect you to save some because my rates are set based on a lower overhead than most lawn care companies have and a totally different business model. I'm part time and only want to do a small number of larger lawns per week. 8-10, not 40, 50, or more, like the big lawn care companies. I'm not doing this to get rich. I do this because I enjoy it (most of the time) and have to make some extra income to supplement my meager retirement check. For those few customers I work with, they get all my attention. The lower price is just an added benefit.
Q. Between my work demands and family commitments, I sometimes find it hard to mow my lawn when it really should be cut. Yet, if I wait until I can get to it, it's usually overgrown and much more difficult, takes more time and turns into a clumpy, unsightly mess. So instead, can I call you last minute, when I realize I won't have time to get to it during the period it really needs to be cut, and have you come out to handle it for me, before it gets overgrown? How much advance time do you need to get my lawn squeezed into your schedule? A. Yes, of course you can call me last minute. I just can't promise I'll be able to get there that day, but certainly I can squeeze it in over the next couple days. Trust me, I don't want to cut it when it is overgrown, either. It's a long slow process which requires extra time and effort, but worse, adds a lot of wear and tear to even the best equipment.
Q. Do you mow on Sundays? A. For the neighborhood's sake, I don't like to. I will if necessary.
Q. Can I just have you mow my lawn, but not do any weed whacking, tight trimming, or blowing? I'm happy to do that part myself. A. Yes, absolutely. And that will certainly save you a some money, too.
Q. Does it cost extra for "lawn striping" my property? A. Yes. It is a much slower and detailed process requiring specialized equipment. And, for many lawns, it may not make sense. For the most part, big, wide-open lawns are best suited for the most visually-pleasing results. Even then, the quality, thickness and type of grass can play a large role in how much it will stand out and how nice it will look striped.
Q. Is a seasonal bi-weekly mowing schedule something you might offer? A. Generally speaking, I don't recommend cutting grass only once every two weeks during the growing season. The added work required due to the overgrowth which would likely occur during that two-week period adds a sizeable amount of extra time and costs on many levels. It's better to maintain the length on a weekly basis if possible. The rate will be a known amount beforehand and not dependent on how much added work may be necessary due to the extra growth. I can, however, offer an alternative option. If you wanted to do a bi-weekly schedule with YOU mowing the off-weeks yourself, well, that could work. And, in fact, if you wanted to just mow and NOT trim on your weeks, I would still trim and blow on my weeks, before anything started to get too far out of hand. As long as we come up with a plan where I show up every two weeks, to a lawn not past due its' cut date, then yes, a biweekly plan could work. Let's discuss the possibilities and realities.
Q. At what length/height do you mow your properties? A. Good question, but there is no "one-height-fits-all" at which I set my mower. There are too many variables to just use one setting. What type of grass? Bermuda, Fescue, Rye, etc.? Some work well cut shorter. Most don't. Is it wet? Is it thick and lush? Is it overgrown? What time of year? How fast is it growing? Ideally, it's best not to keep a lawn mowed too short in the heat of the summer in the Mid-Atlantic region. In my opinion, 2 1/2" is the absolute shortest I might be comfortable cutting, depending on some of those variables, but I'd likely feel more confident cutting at 3 or 3 1/2 inches. The longer grass blades help shade the soil, lowering ground temperatures. This protects the root system from heat stress. A lawn cut to 2" might look nice initially, but that lawn will likely suffer over a short time and without a lot of rain, it will quickly brown. Yet, with a lot of rain, the work required to get it back down to 2 or 2 1/2 inches after even only 5 or 6 days, could result in additional fees. I try to cut at a height which won't leave clumps of clippings all over. A good rule of thumb is cut no more than 1/3 of the total length off the top. Not always feasible, though. Unfortunately, when it grows too much between mows, this can be a problem requiring many extra passes to get it all chopped up. And let's not forget the most important variable. What length does the customer want? Certainly, if a property owner tells me to mow at 2 inches, I will do what is asked of me, but before I do, I will explain the potential consequences and hope we can compromise.
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have by phone, email or text. As more good questions are posed by potential customers, I will continue to add more of them to this list. Have a question now? Email me right from here. Click this link. I'll typically reply within 24 hours, but more likely within only a few.