Mowing Price per Lawn

Excel Formulas › Landscaping & Lawn Care

All versionsMAX

Mowing prices from time — lawn area ÷ mowing rate gives minutes, times the labor rate — with a minimum charge so small lawns still cover the trip.


Quick formula: price from mowing time and rate:
=MAX(minutes/60 * hourly_rate, minimum_charge)
Mowing minutes (area ÷ rate) converted to hours, times the rate, floored at a minimum so it covers the stop.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

The example

8,000 sq ft, 12k/hr rate.

AB
1ItemValue
240 min @ $75/hr$50
3vs $45 min→ $50

The formula

The formula:

=MAX(minutes/60 * hourly_rate, minimum_charge) // mowing time × rate, floored

How it works

How it works:

  1. Mowing minutes = lawn sqft ÷ mowing rate (sqft/hour) × 60.
  2. Convert to hours and multiply by the hourly rate.
  3. MAX(…, minimum) so a tiny lawn still covers the trip.
  4. Add trimming/edging time and a seasonal multiplier if you bundle them.

The minimum charge is what makes small lawns profitable. A postage-stamp yard might mow in 10 minutes, but you still drove there, unloaded, and reloaded — so time × rate under-recovers the real cost. A minimum (often $40–$50) floors the price so every stop pays for itself. MAX(time×rate, minimum) applies the bigger of the two automatically.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Sq ft, mowing rate (sqft/hr), hourly rate, minimum.

Time · Price

Variations

Mowing minutes

From area:

=sqft / mowing_rate_sqft_hr * 60

With trimming

Add edging time:

=(mow_minutes + trim_minutes)/60 * hourly_rate

Monthly (weekly cuts)

× cuts:

=price_per_cut * cuts_per_month

Pitfalls & errors

Minimum charge. Floor small lawns to cover the trip.

Include trim/edge. Add that time, not just mowing.

Zero rate. No mowing rate gives #DIV/0!.

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Mowing Price per Lawn practice workbook
A mowing-price sheet with the minutes, trimming, and monthly variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I price lawn mowing in Excel?
Mowing time times rate, floored at a minimum: =MAX(minutes/60 * hourly_rate, minimum_charge).
How do I get the mowing time?
Area over the mowing rate: =sqft / mowing_rate_sqft_hr * 60 for minutes.
Why a minimum charge?
Small lawns mow fast but still cost a trip — the minimum ensures every stop pays.

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Function references: MAX