How to Start a Lawn Care Business in 2024: Expert Guide with 7 Proven Steps

For homeowners, nothing beats a green lawn in front of their homes. But it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain a lawn. Therefore, there is a plethora of opportunities for lawn care enthusiasts in the landscaping industry.

The lawn care business provides grass-cutting, tree or grass trimming, and debris removal services, including fertilization, weed control, pest control, and other outdoor services. Most lawn care companies offer weekly or monthly services for residential and commercial customers.

The landscape maintenance industry market size is projected to grow by 2.3% in 2022. It’s rightly said that homeowners are more concerned about the health of their lawns. But starting a lawn care business requires careful planning, legal arrangements, and thoughtful marketing.

Here, we will cover the steps on how to start a lawn care business.

What is a Lawn Care Business? 

When you start a lawn care business you must understand that lawn care is not just about cutting grass, tree trimming, and keeping the edges trimmed. Lawn care is a seasonal business providing mowing services and maintaining lawns. It’s about protecting the turf and keeping your yard looking its best from the inside out. And pests, debris, and weed control so your grass can thrive.

Landscaping services also extend to fertilizing your lawn to boost it as it grows and maintaining a healthy balance of nutrients in the soil so that nothing gets out of hand and wrecks your whole business operations.

In short, Lawn care isn’t just about making sure your grass looks good. It’s about ensuring the entire ecosystem of your yard is balanced and healthy. Good lawn care businesses come by regularly to give a fresh cut and ensure customers have everything they need to keep their lawns looking great all year long.

Essential things required for running a lawn care business 

Following are some of the essential things required for starting a business in lawn care:

1. Lawn care business tools such as:
   • A riding lawn mower
   • Push lawn mower
   • Trimmer
   • Edger
   • Leaf blower
   • Lawn bags
   • Lawn spreader
   • Lawn sprayer
2. Business Registration
3. Business insurance for lawn care business
4. State permit and license from the regional government

Is Starting a Lawn Care Business Right for You?

If you own a lawn care business, your competitors will include established players with a huge customer base and local teenagers whose startups may offer lucrative prices to attract more customers. 

Let’s understand what you need to launch your own lawn care business and how much profit you can make. 

Market Analysis and Potential

According to Mordor Intelligence’s Report, the United States Lawn Care Market is expected to increase from $58.69 bn in 2024 to $75.71 in 2029, growing at a CAGR of 5.20%. 

This stat highlights the industry has a huge potential for growth.

When it comes to upfront costs, you might be surprised to learn that they are relatively lower compared to other businesses. It means you can rely on your savings or personal credit loan to arrange it. 

You can start a business and offer specialized services for as little as $775-2,500. This includes liability insurance, registration costs, and a push mower.

Category	Cost
Insurance	$500-$600
Registration cost	$75-$400
Equipment cost	$100-$1000
Marketing cost	$100-$500

You can, of course, invest in more equipment or advertising when your business grows and becomes more advanced.

Coming to the earning potential, there’s been a huge demand for lawn mowing across the US, especially at the start of spring and throughout summer when grass grows faster and more actively. 

Your profitability depends on the factors, including: 

• Amount of work to be done
• Equipment required
• Your team size
• Types of services
• Your service area

Required Skills and Qualifications

Technical Skills Needed

Coming to the skills and qualifications, there is no formal requirement or educational qualification required to become a lawn mower. However, you need to be physically prepared to go out in scorching temperatures to execute lawn mowing services or hire a competent crew who can do it for you and carry heavy loads, including mowers and bowers. 

Business Management Skills

You need to develop business acumen to manage your cash flow effectively, hire the right people, and market your business to target customers. You should manage your team members effectively by distributing service jobs efficiently among them and inculcating self-discipline in them. 

Complete 7-Step Process to Launch Your Lawn Care Business

Let’s look at the 6 steps to start your lawn care business. 

1. Market Research and Business Plans

Lawn care business owners looking for a way to stand out in the market should stop focusing on their competition and start thinking about their target audience. The first thing you have to do is decide which market segment you want to target. 

Your target audience is split into two components: residential and commercial customers. You need to know what kind of people you’re trying to reach to figure out how best to connect with them and offer your lawn care services.

• If you’re targeting residential lawns, house owners are potential targets. 
• If you’re targeting commercial lawns, property managers are the target customers.

2. Legal requirements and insurance

As a commercial lawn care business, you want to protect your business with insurance coverage legally. Starting a lawn care service is easy, but it doesn’t end there. The next step is ensuring that your business is adequately insured and covered if something goes wrong. This is why it is also important to have the required business license. Check with your local small business administration to understand the kind of insurance and licenses you would need. 

Here are some business insurance tips for starting a lawn care business:

• Get general liability insurance as general liability insurance protects you in the event of bodily injury or property damage claims by clients or third parties.
• Consider business equipment protection insurance for your lawn care equipment and commercial auto coverage for your work vehicle. Lawn care equipment maintenance can get expensive quickly, and accidents happen. You want to avoid paying out of pocket if something happens while you’re out on the job site with a client or if something breaks down.

Business insurance is crucial if someone gets hurt on your property and sues you, even if it was an accident. The business losses will also be covered under insurance. Though it is important to keep your business license updated to maintain lawn care insurance coverage.

Moreover, you need to set up a business bank account & credit card for your lawn care business. Having a business credit card will help to separate personal and business expenses. This ensures keeping business and personal finances separate. The business credit profile will also help you with business loans going further if required.

3. Purchase necessary equipment

Owning your own lawn mowing business can be a great way to make a living. You’ll be out in the fresh air, working with your hands and getting exercise while providing other people with the job they need. But starting this business demands some budget considering lawn care business start-up cost and other additional costs. This includes the cost of purchasing the  lawn care products and other necessary safety equipment.

At a minimum, most lawn care businesses need the following equipment to get started:

• Mower (types of lawn mower)
• Edger
• Electric string trimmer (aka weed eater)
• Leaf blower (for leaf removal)
• Mowing goggles (to protect against debris)
• Safety ear muffs (to protect against noise)
• Gardening gloves (to protect against thorns and other hazards)
• Gas cans (for refueling)
• Lawn bags (for collecting leaves, dirt clippings, etc.)

Transporting your equipment to and from your client’s homes and businesses requires a reliable truck or trailer. Work vehicles are also essential for active lawn care businesses if you lack one. So, investing in good equipment will let your lawn care work go smoothly.

4. Service Offering and Pricing Strategy

If you’re looking for a way to make money, consider zeroing in on the services you want to offer as a successful lawn care business. You can offer mowing and edging services, but you can also add additional services to your business plan.

For example, you may be able to sell fertilizer and insecticide directly to clients. You can also weed, mulch, and perform other gardening work. Along with mowing, you might offer to install new lawns, plant native species beside grass lawns, or create a more natural look.

You could also provide seasonal services such as pruning trees, shrubs, and perennials during their dormant periods. Services such as snow removal might also be possible given that you have the necessary equipment for  the job.

With these additional services, you’ll be able to charge more for your expertise while finding additional revenue streams simultaneously.

Most lawn care companies charge a flat rate pricing for service, but you can also charge by the hour. It is the way to go if you work with large commercial clients. Your hourly rate will reflect labor and overhead expenses. Plus, any additional equipment, legal costs, service costs, or material costs associated with the given job.

For smaller residential jobs, though, it’s best to use a square footage rate instead of an hourly rate. That way, you can give customers a lawn care rates estimate based on the size of their lawns and how much work needs to be done. It is important to distinguish the pricing for your lawn care services when dealing with different clients

You need to decide on the lawn care service list that you will be offering; based on that, a monthly budget can be prepared. When it comes down to it, there’s no right way to set detailed lawn care service prices. It all depends on what works best for your business model!

5. Marketing and Customer Acquisition

The most effective way to get more lawn care customers is by directly knocking on doors and talking with property managers. However, this approach is often complicated because many other landscapers do the same thing, making it difficult for potential customers to choose one lawn care company over another.

To stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to do more than a regular service, also offer a fair price and good service. You’ll need robust marketing ideas that build brand awareness and keep bringing quality leads. Getting presence on some social media platforms is a good way to start growing your customer base.

Having an interactive lawn care business website, creating marketing materials, leveraging marketing tools that eliminate manual work, and digital marketing plan is a great start. Keeping business cards is also handy as you can give them out to any potential customers. You can also scout business listings on the web for new opportunities and clients.

6. Operations and Management

• Implementing smart mowing techniques can help enhance your lawn care operations and optimize your client’s turf health. 
• One technique is the ‘one-third’ rule, which recommends cutting only up to one-third of the grass blade in a single mowing session. It helps avoid unwanted stress on the grass and fosters better growth. 
• Another method is mowing in straight lines, which saves time and results in a well-mowed lawn with evenly spaced lines.
• You can also change your mowing pattern to prevent soil from compaction and ensure an even cut. Moreover, you must sharpen your mower blades regularly to achieve clean cuts and minimize risks of grass diseases. 
• Adjust your mowing frequency depending on the grass growth rate and season. 
• Deploying strategic irrigation methods that involve understanding the water requirements of various plant species and adjusting wearing schedules as per weather conditions. 

7. Growth and Scaling Strategies

• Utilizing technology can help streamline operations and help expand them. To begin with, you can tap into effective marketing strategies to attract and retain more clients. 
• Digital marketing channels, including social media, email campaigns, and search engine optimization can help reach a wider audience.
• You should also encourage happy customers to post their feedback, reviews, and testimonials to build loyalty and credibility for your brand. 
• Diversify your services and consider adding complementary services, such as landscaping, irrigation systems, and seasonal maintenance to attract a broader client base. 
• As your business grows, you must build a highly reliable team and provide them with comprehensive training to ensure they align with your company’s standards and culture. You can also foster competitive salaries and positive work environments to retain them. 

Lawn Care Business Success Factors

1. Cost Analysis

Analyzing costs involved in various aspects of your lawn care business helps you set prices for your lawn care services. It can help you cover expenses and generate a considerable profit margin. Moreover, a competitive price helps you attract more customers, enhancing your overall financial health.

2. Profitability Metrics

There are different metrics that you must take into account. Here are the following. 

• Average Annual Revenue Per Customer: Your average annual revenue per customer is the total revenue earned in a year divided by total customers. It helps you assess your lawn care business profitability and provides insights into customer spending patterns. The higher it is, the more your revenue and hence, profit margins can be. 

• Cost Per Acquisition: Cost per customer acquisition is the amount it takes to win a customer and highlights your sales and marketing effectiveness. Comparing it against the revenue generated can help you determine the ROI of your CPA.
  
• Average Lifetime Revenue Per Customer: Average lifetime revenue (ALR) measures the total revenue you can expect to generate from a single customer. Understanding this metric enables you to inform your sales and marketing decisions and address pain points that restrict customer conversion. 

3. Seasonal Considerations

Setting aside a budget for low-demand months is essential to meet your personal demands and current business expenses, including taxes and insurance premiums. You can also schedule equipment repair and maintenance during these seasons as they are not in high demand. 

You can also consider hiring employees on the condition that they would need to leave during seasonal lows or continue their jobs at decreased salaries. This transparency will help them understand your situation and plan accordingly.

Route Optimization with Upper

Benefits for Lawn Care Businesses

As a lawn care business owner, you’ll need to hire employees with hands-on experience and have a team to handle quite early in your business. And you want to make sure your lawn care employees fulfill all the daily appointments and always reach potential customers on time. This boils down to how efficient your route planning and scheduling are, and manual work doesn’t cut. 

That is where Upper as a lawn care route planning software comes in. Here’s what it can do for your landscaping business. 

1. Automated route planning and scheduling

Let’s face it, as a lawn care business owner, planning routes and schedules aren’t your priority, and it is not what you should spend your time doing. You can spend the same time working on growth strategies and boosting your profit margin. With Upper, you can do exactly that. Upper route planning and optimization software automatically plans and optimizes routes and schedules and cuts 90% of your planning time.

2. ETA notifications to lawn care customers 

With Upper, you can send automatic notifications of your customers about ETA. Hence, customers are present at your arrival, and your appointments are not wasted in the back-and-forth commute. Remember that not sending ETA notifications means your workers have to try to fulfill the same appointment multiple times. This can lead to fewer task fulfillment on that day and wasted fuel costs too.

3. Efficient and cost-effective route planning

With Upper, you’ll get the most efficient routes for your lawn care appointments. You can take advantage of the shortest routes while accommodating driving preferences, time windows, and more. Inefficient routes are inconvenient and cost you money in terms of wasted gas and wear-and-tear on your vehicle, and you don’t want to do that with your lawn mowing business.

Success Stories

Parkwood Products Ltd managed to deliver twice the total deliveries and reduced planning time by up to 88%. It also used Upper to achieve an increase in 64% in productivity.

Conclusion

Starting a new lawn care company involves robust planning and an experienced team. Right from starting a lawn care business legally by forming a legal business entity (sole proprietorship or limited liability company) to having a business account, obtaining the business license, deciding on a lawn care business name, and defining business assets.

The real struggle does not end here. Your best business framework is likely to face loss if your workers do not fulfill daily appointments. This is where route planning and optimization software like Upper comes into the picture. Automated route planning helps to find the best-optimized routes to complete more appointments. Thus accelerating your business growth.

You can book a demo today to find out how Upper can streamline your business.