Short answer
It depends on how many lawns you mow, your price per cut and your season length. As an example, ProfitDrawer's lawn care guide shows 40 weekly lawns at $45 over a 30 week season bringing in $54,000 in revenue (40 x $45 x 30). Fuel, repairs, insurance, mileage and taxes come out of that, so profit is lower. This is an example, not an average.
Work out your own yearly number:
- Lawns on your route: how many weekly and biweekly clients you can actually fit.
- Price per cut: the guide's quarter acre example works out to $45 a weekly cut from time, fuel, driving and overhead.
- Season length: the example uses 30 weeks; yours depends on your climate.
- Revenue = lawns x price x weeks. Add extras like cleanups if you offer them.
- Subtract costs: fuel, line, blades, repairs, insurance, marketing and vehicle costs.
- Set aside taxes: for the 2026 tax year, self-employment tax is 15.3% of net earnings of $400 or more, plus income tax, and estimated payments are generally due if you expect to owe $1,000 or more.
What raises the yearly total:
- Dense routes. The guide notes ten lawns on two streets beat ten lawns across town.
- Pricing every lawn on real time, and raising underpriced ones after the first month.
- Saving summer income for winter and next season's repairs.
The free price per job calculator sets a price per lawn. General information, not tax advice.
Source: How to Start a Lawn Care Business (ProfitDrawer guide) · Updated
Tools and spreadsheets for this
Related questions
All questions on ProfitDrawer Answers →
General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check the rules for your state and your situation.