The question we all want to know:

Is it cheaper to mow your lawn yourself or hire a lawn service?

It’s probably one of the oldest debates since the time lawn and landscape companies opened up shop.  Is it really cheaper to do it yourself?

1.  What’s your time worth?  An average 1/3rd acre lot will most likely take an hour to mow, trim around spots where your mower can’t fit, and blow the clippings off your driveway and walkway.  Then of course there is the time it takes getting ready to mow (changing your clothes, pulling your mower out of your garage or shed, filling with gas, going to the gas station to get more gas, etc).  As always, after mowing would require a shower, especially in the hot summer sun.
2. Equipment costs: $400 for a decent 21″ mower, $100 for a string trimmer/weed whacker and $200 for a decent handheld leaf blower.  While the cost of $700 may not seem like much, remember that it’s homeowner grade quality and 21″ mowers are meant for smaller properties (think townhouses).  Getting a bigger riding mower, like a John Deere tractor, averages about $1700.  Using the numbers of a $1700 lawn tractor, a $100 trimmer and a $200 leaf blower, the total investment is $2000.  In Maryland, we average about 35 mowings per year.  $2000/35 cuts= $57.14 per cut.  With those numbers, it costs a homeowner $1999.90 to mow their lawn each year.  Hiring a lawn service isn’t much more than doing it yourself, let’s say a lawn service charges $2300 per year.  That’s a total savings of just about $300 per year off a $2000 investment, meaning it would take the average homeowner about 6 1/2 years to pay off their investment!!!
3. Maintenance needs to be done to keep your equipment running.  Spark plugs, blade sharpening, oil changes, belts and other repairs are common and take time as well as more money.
4. Give yourself the piece of mind and remember, what’s my time worth?  You can spend more time with friends and family, enjoying the outdoors or any other activities and not have to worry about mowing your lawn after a long week of work.

After seeing the numbers broken down, the mystery has been solved.  Mowing your lawn yourself doesn’t save you nearly as much money as you thought it would.  It’s not always cheaper to do it yourself.

The Mowing Pros currently service: Annapolis, Adelphi, Beltsville, Berlin, Bethany Beach DE,Blandensburg, Brandywine, Bowie,  Burtonsville,Calverton, Camp Springs, Capitol Heights, Cheltenham,Cheverly, Chillum, Clinton, College Park, Columbia,Cottage City, Crofton, Croom, Crownsville, District Heights, Edgewater, Fenwick Island DE, Forestville, Fort Meade, Fort Washington, Fulton, Gambrills, Glen Burnie,Glenn Dale, Greenbelt, Hillcrest Heights, Hyattsville,Jessup, Kettering, Landover, Langley Park, Lanham,Laurel, Marlton, Marlow Heights, Millersville, Mt Ranier,Ocean Pines, Ocean City, Ocean View DE, Odenton, Oxon Hill, Pasadena, Riva, Riverdale, Savage, Severn, Severna Park, Springdale, Suitland, Takoma Park, Temple Hills, University Park, Upper Marlboro, Washington DC,West Ocean City, NE Washington DC, NW Washington DC,SW Washington DC