Lawn Mowing Prices
Per visit, per month and per season by lot size, why small lawns cost more per square foot, and the six things that move a mowing quote.
Figures come from the same model that prices jobs on this site, calibrated against Chesterfield County, Virginia providers. Regional differences are covered below.
How much does lawn mowing cost?
Lawn mowing costs $45 to $65 a visit for a typical quarter-acre lot, or about $195 to $280 a month on a weekly schedule. Small city lots start near $35 and a maintained acre runs $135 to $175 a visit. Nearly every company prices from turf area with a minimum charge, which is why small lawns cost more per square foot than large ones.
Mowing prices by lot size
These are live figures from the rate model this site prices jobs with, calibrated against Central Virginia providers. The regional adjustments further down apply on top.
| Lawn size | Approx. turf | Weekly mow | Every other week | Per month (weekly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1/4 acre | 4,510 sq ft | $40-$50 | $45-$60 | $173-$217 |
| 1/4 - 1/2 acre | 10,412 sq ft | $55-$70 | $65-$80 | $238-$303 |
| 1/2 - 1 acre | 25,562 sq ft | $100-$125 | $115-$145 | $433-$541 |
| 1 acre + | 40,000 sq ft | $140-$180 | $160-$205 | $606-$779 |
Ranges are calibrated to Chesterfield County providers and priced from turf area, not lot size. Type your address for your parcel's exact range.
Notice the shape of that table. The price does not quadruple when the lawn does. A base charge covers getting a crew and trailer to your curb whether the lawn takes fifteen minutes or an hour, and the per-thousand-square-feet rate only applies above it. On a small lot you are mostly paying for the visit itself.
Per month and per season
Weekly mowing is 4.33 visits in an average month, not four. Over a season of roughly 32 visits in the transition zone, a quarter-acre lawn comes to about $1,450 to $2,100 a year in mowing alone.
| Lot | Weekly, per month | Every other week, per month | Weekly, per season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1/4 acre | $175 to $235 | $110 to $150 | $1,300 to $1,750 |
| 1/4 to 1/2 acre | $240 to $305 | $150 to $190 | $1,750 to $2,250 |
| 1/2 to 1 acre | $345 to $435 | $215 to $270 | $2,550 to $3,200 |
| 1 acre and up | $580 to $740 | $360 to $460 | $4,300 to $5,450 |
Weekly or every other week
Every-other-week visits cost about 15 percent more each, because the crew is cutting twice the growth and often has to make a second pass or bag clippings. They still work out cheaper per month, because you are buying half as many.
The catch is the one-third rule: never remove more than a third of the blade in a single cut. A lawn kept at four inches should be mowed when it reaches six. In the peak growth weeks of late spring a cool-season lawn will pass that in ten days, so a every other week schedule means either scalping it or living with clumped clippings. Biweekly works well in midsummer when growth slows, on large open lots, and on warm-season grass. It works badly on a fescue lawn in May.
What a mowing visit should include
- Cut at an agreed height, with the pattern alternated so the grass does not lean.
- String-trim around trees, beds, posts, and anything the mower cannot reach.
- Hard edge along driveways, paths and curbs. This is the single most visible difference between a professional cut and a fast one.
- Blow clippings off all paved surfaces, not into the street or a storm drain.
Clippings are normally mulched back into the lawn, which returns nitrogen and is what you want. Bagging and hauling is an extra charge and is only worth it for the first cut of spring, a badly overgrown lawn, or an active disease outbreak.
What pushes a mowing quote up
| Factor | Typical effect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Overgrown first cut | +30% to +50%, one time | Double cutting, bagging, more wear on blades |
| Slope | +10% to +15% | Slower, and sometimes a walk-behind instead of a rider |
| Fenced back garden with a narrow gate | +5% to +15% | Small mower only, more passes |
| Heavy obstacles: beds, trees, play equipment | +5% to +20% | Trimming time rather than mowing time |
| Bagging and hauling clippings | +$10 to $25 a visit | Disposal fees and loading time |
| Dogs in the garden | Varies, sometimes declined | Crews will not mow round waste, and many will skip the visit |
Per hour and per acre
Almost nobody quotes mowing by the hour, but the implied rate is $50 to $80 per crew-hour in mid-cost markets and $65 to $110 in expensive ones. A two-person crew does a quarter-acre lot in twenty to twenty-five minutes including unloading, which is how a $45 to $65 visit price is arrived at.
By the acre, a maintained open acre is $135 to $175 a visit. Rough or unmaintained acreage is a different service altogether: bush-hogging or field mowing, typically $60 to $120 an acre and measured in passes rather than finish quality.
Regional differences
| Region | Quarter-acre weekly mow |
|---|---|
| Northeast metros, coastal California, Seattle | $60 to $95 |
| Mid-Atlantic, Denver, Chicago, Twin Cities | $50 to $75 |
| Central Virginia, Carolinas, Tennessee, Ohio Valley | $45 to $65 |
| Deep South, Texas, rural midwest | $35 to $55 |
A longer southern season offsets the lower per-visit price, so annual spend across regions is closer than the per-visit numbers suggest.
Getting three comparable quotes
Quotes are only comparable if they are for the same work on the same schedule. Give each company the same three things: your approximate turf area, the frequency you want, and the cutting height. Then ask each of them for a per-visit price, not a monthly one, and convert it yourself. Most of the variation people report between quotes disappears once they are expressed in the same unit.
Getting a number for your actual lawn
Every range on this page is built from turf area, and turf area is the one thing a table cannot know about your property. The estimator reads your parcel from county records, subtracts the house and the driveway, and prices what is left.
Questions homeowners ask
How much does it cost to mow a lawn?
$45 to $65 a visit for a typical quarter-acre lot. Small city lots start near $35 and a maintained acre runs $135 to $175. Nearly all companies price from turf area with a minimum charge per visit.
How much should I pay someone to mow my lawn per month?
$175 to $305 a month on a weekly schedule for a quarter to half acre lot, or $110 to $190 every other week. Multiply a weekly per-visit price by 4.33, not 4.
Is biweekly mowing cheaper than weekly?
Cheaper per month, more expensive per visit. Every-other-week visits cost about 15 percent more each because there is twice the growth to cut. It suits large open lots and midsummer, and works badly on cool-season grass in spring.
How much does it cost to mow an acre?
$135 to $175 a visit for a maintained acre. Rough or unmaintained acreage is bush-hogging rather than mowing, typically $60 to $120 an acre.
Why did I get charged extra for the first cut?
Overgrown lawns take a double pass, usually need clippings bagged, and wear blades faster. A first-cut reset is commonly 30 to 50 percent above the normal visit price, charged once.