Free tool

Job Pricing Calculator

Price lawn care and pressure washing jobs with cost-plus math, so every quote covers labor, materials, overhead, and the profit you actually want.

Cost-plus job pricing

Fuel, line, blades, bags, disposal.

Recommended price

$56.31

$75.08 per billed hour

Labor cost$22.50
Materials$8.00
Overhead$6.10
Your cost$36.60
Profit$19.71

Price = (labor + materials + overhead) priced up to hit your target margin. Margin is profit as a share of the final price.

Quick area estimate (optional sanity check)

Multiply area by a per-sq-ft rate. Typical band $0.01$0.02 per sq ft.

$0.00

Lawn care pricing benchmarks

  • Most residential mows fall around $35–$70 per cut depending on lot size, terrain, and frequency.
  • Weekly accounts price lower per visit than one-off cuts because they are predictable and faster.
  • Roughly $0.005–$0.02 per sq ft of turf is a common per-square-foot sanity check for mowing.

How to price a job for profit

Underpricing is the fastest way to work hard and still go broke. Cost-plus pricing fixes that by building the price up from what the job actually costs you, then adding profit on top. There are three layers:

  • Cost. Labor is job hours times your crew rate, plus materials and consumables (fuel, chemicals, blades, bags). That is the cash the job burns before anything else.
  • Overhead. Your business has costs that no single job pays for directly: insurance, vehicle payments, software, phone, advertising. Spreading a percentage of those across every job keeps them covered. Many small crews use 15–30%.
  • Margin. Profit is what is left after cost and overhead. Set a target margin (the share of the final price you keep), and price the job up to hit it. A 35% margin means $35 of every $100 you charge is profit.

The calculator above does this live. For the bigger picture on why these numbers matter, see the field service math behind a healthy business.

Lawn care pricing basics

Most residential mows land around $35–$70 per cut, driven by lot size, terrain, obstacles, and how often you visit. Weekly accounts price lower per visit than one-off cuts because they are predictable and quick once the property is dialed in. A per-square-foot check (roughly $0.005–$0.02 per sq ft of turf) is handy for larger properties, but always confirm the price clears your cost and margin. New to the trade? Read how to start a landscaping business.

Pressure washing pricing basics

Residential siding and flatwork typically run $0.08–$0.50 per sq ft. Commercial work and heavily stained or delicate surfaces push higher, into the $0.10–$1.00 per sq ft range. A 2,000 sq ft driveway at $0.20/sq ft is about $400 — a quick gut check, not a substitute for cost-plus. Factor chemicals, fuel, water, and the time spent on setup and prep into your job hours. For the full startup picture, see how to start a pressure washing business.

Frequently asked questions

How do you price a lawn care job?

Start from cost, not a competitor's number. Add up labor (job hours times your crew rate), materials and fuel, then a slice of overhead. Mark that total up to your target profit margin. Most residential mows land around $35–$70 per cut, but the right price is whatever covers your cost and leaves the margin you want.

How much should I charge for pressure washing?

Residential siding and flatwork typically run $0.08–$0.50 per sq ft, while commercial or heavily stained surfaces push toward $0.10–$1.00 per sq ft. Use those bands as a sanity check, but build the actual quote from cost-plus: labor, chemicals, fuel, overhead, then your margin on top.

What profit margin should a service business target?

Many small lawn care and pressure washing operations aim for a 30–50% margin on a job after labor, materials, and overhead. Lower margins can work at high volume; higher margins suit specialized or one-off work. The calculator lets you set any target and shows the price that hits it.

Is this calculator free?

Yes. The Job Pricing Calculator is completely free, with no signup and no credit card. It runs in your browser. When you are ready to send the quote and run the job, Fieldtics has a free tier too.

Win the job, then run it in Fieldtics

Price it here, win it, then run it in Fieldtics — quotes, scheduling, and invoicing in one free app. The free tier covers unlimited clients, job scheduling, a customer CRM, and the mobile app with no credit card. The $29/mo Professional tier adds quotes, invoicing, online payments, and team scheduling. Trusted by 500+ service businesses.