Lawn Care Prices Explained: What You Are Paying For

A lawn care price pays for more than the minutes a mower runs on your grass. It covers the crew's time on your lawn, the drive between yards, fuel, blades and gear, liability insurance and workers' comp, getting rid of clippings or leaves, and sales tax. A fair price includes all of it. A very low price usually skips one of those things, and you might pay for that later.

What does a lawn care price actually cover?

Think of one visit to your house. Here's what goes into it:

• Time on your lawn. Mowing, then trimming along fences and beds, edging the walks, and blowing clippings off hard surfaces.
• Travel. The truck and trailer drive from the last yard to yours, then on to the next one.
• Equipment. Mowers, trimmers, edgers and blowers wear out. Blades need sharpening. Engines need fuel and repairs.
• Insurance and workers' comp. Coverage in case someone gets hurt or something gets damaged.
• Disposal. Bagging clippings, leaves or hedge cuttings, or hauling them away.
• Tax. GST or HST, if the business is registered.

Lawn size drives the biggest piece, the time on your lawn. Our post on why lawn care is priced by lawn size explains that part. This post looks at everything else in the number.

Why does travel time show up in the price?

A crew can't mow while it's driving. Every minute on the road is a paid minute with no grass getting cut.

That's why crews like tight routes. When they have several homes on the same few streets, they spend more of the day mowing and less time driving. A crew that has to cross town for one lawn has to cover that drive somehow.

It's also why the same crew on a set day works well. Your crew comes on your street's day, in a planned order. Nobody's making a special trip.

What does the equipment cost add?

Commercial mowers run for hours a day, most days of the season. They need regular blade sharpening, oil changes and repairs. Trimmers burn through line. Blowers and edgers wear out too.

Sharp blades matter to you. A dull blade tears grass instead of cutting it clean. Torn tips turn brown and make a fresh cut look ragged. A crew that keeps its gear in good shape is part of what you're paying for.

Then there's the truck and trailer, plus fuel for everything. None of it shows up on your lawn. But a crew can't show up on your lawn without it.

Why should insurance and workers' comp be in the price?

This is the part a cheap quote often leaves out, and it's the part that can cost you the most.

Mowers throw stones. Trimmers can crack a window or nick a car. A worker can get hurt on your property. Liability insurance covers damage. Workers' comp covers the worker. The Government of Alberta tells homeowners to ask for an insurance certificate showing public liability and property damage coverage.

Workers' comp matters for another reason. In some provinces, you can end up owing a contractor's unpaid premiums:

• British Columbia. WorkSafeBC says a customer could be held responsible for an unregistered business's premiums.
• Alberta. WCB-Alberta says that without a clearance letter, you may be liable for a contractor's unpaid premiums.
• Ontario. A free WSIB clearance shows a business is registered and up to date on its premiums.

Coverage costs the crew money every season. When it's in the price, you're protected. Our guide on how to check a lawn care company is insured shows you how to confirm it.

Is a cash price really a deal?

Sometimes a quote drops a lot if you pay cash. That can feel like a win. But think about what got cut to make the price lower.

New Brunswick's Financial and Consumer Services Commission warns about this. It says a contractor offering a cash discount may be uninsured. It also says an under-the-table deal may leave you with no legal recourse if something goes wrong.

A lower number isn't always a lower cost. A broken window or an injury on your lawn can cost far more than a whole season of mowing.

Is sales tax included in a lawn care price?

Ask, because quotes handle tax in different ways. Some show it on top. Some build it in. Some don't charge it at all.

Here are some GST and HST rates from the Canada Revenue Agency:

Province	GST or HST rate
Alberta	5% GST
Ontario	13% HST
Nova Scotia	14% HST
New Brunswick	15% HST
Newfoundland and Labrador	15% HST
Prince Edward Island	15% HST

British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have 5% GST plus their own provincial sales tax. Ask your crew which taxes apply to your job.

Why does one quote have no tax at all?

The CRA says a small supplier doesn't have to register for GST/HST. If a small business chooses not to register, it doesn't charge the tax. That's legal. But when you compare two quotes, check whether both are before tax or after tax. Otherwise one can look cheaper than it really is.

What about clippings, leaves and hedge cuttings?

Getting rid of yard waste takes time, and sometimes it costs money. There are two common ways to handle it:

• Bag it for curb pickup. Your crew bags it and sets it out for your city's yard waste day.
• Haul it away. Your crew loads it on the trailer and takes it to a depot.

Hauling takes more time and trailer space. So a price with haul-away can look higher. That isn't a bad deal. It just covers more work.

For weekly mowing, many lawns don't need bagging at all. Short clippings can stay on the grass. For a spring or fall cleanup, leaves and debris are the main job, so disposal is a bigger share of the price.

How do you compare two lawn care quotes?

Two quotes only compare fairly when they cover the same work. Go through each one with this list:

1. Is trimming and edging included on every visit, or extra?
2. Are clippings blown off the drive and walks?
3. Is it weekly or every two weeks? How many visits in the season?
4. Is bagging or haul-away included?
5. Is tax included, added on top, or not charged?
6. Will you see proof of liability insurance and workers' comp?
7. Will the same crew come each time?
8. What happens if they miss a visit or do a poor job?

The last two questions are easy to forget. But they decide how the season actually feels.

What's built into a Golden Oak price?

Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local partner crew in your city. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Here's what comes with your price:

• Your price by text within 60 minutes, from 7am to 8pm. We measure your lawn from satellite images, so nobody visits.
• The same vetted, insured crew every visit.
• A photo texted after every cut.
• The On-Time Guarantee: if your crew misses your scheduled window, that cut is free.
• The Love-It Guarantee: text us a photo within 24 hours, and your crew re-cuts it free within 48 hours.

Our 60-minute satellite price page explains how we measure. The how it works page walks through the steps from form to first cut.

How does paying for the season work?

With the Worry-Free Lawn Season, you pay for the season up front. Your first cut is free when you book the season. Pause by text when you're away. Cancel anytime, and we refund half of your unused visits.

Our partner crews do maintenance only. That's mowing, trimming and edging, hedges, and spring and fall cleanups. They don't spray weeds or pests. See all four on the lawn care page.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Lawn Care Price Questions

Rules change, so check with the agency before you hire. Sources: CRA GST/HST rates, CRA small suppliers, Alberta: hiring a contractor, WorkSafeBC, WCB-Alberta clearance letters, WSIB clearances, FCNB: hiring a contractor.