How to start a lawn care business as a kid
Lawn care is one of the most reliable kid-and-teen businesses in America. Reliable because: lawns grow every week from April to October, neighbors are nearby, and most adults would rather pay $30 to skip mowing than do it themselves.
Here is a no-fluff playbook.
What you need to start
- Push mower — borrow your family's first if you can. Starter mower: $150–300 new, $50–100 used.
- Weed trimmer (optional first month) — adds $20–40 per yard.
- Gas can + extra gas — $15
- Trash bags — $5
- A phone with a calendar — already have it
Total realistic startup if you do not own a mower: $80–150 secondhand. If you have one at home, it is basically free to start.
How to price
The simplest pricing in 2026. Price per yard, not per hour. Customers like predictable bills.
| Yard size | Time | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Small (apartment-sized) | 20–30 min | $20–25 |
| Medium (typical suburban) | 30–45 min | $25–35 |
| Large (corner lot, big back) | 45–75 min | $35–55 |
Add +$5–10 if they want trimming around fences and trees.
How to get your first ten customers
- Print 50 simple flyers and walk them door-to-door.
- Talk to neighbors directly — much better conversion than flyers alone.
- Always ask happy customers for a referral.
- Show up on time. Repeat customers are 90% of the business.
Kai, 13, distributed 80 flyers in his neighborhood his first weekend. Got 3 calls. By week 4, he had 8 weekly customers and was earning ~$200 every weekend.
Money and taxes
- Save 25–30% of each payment in a separate envelope or account.
- If you earn over $400/year in self-employment, the IRS expects a tax return.
- Track every payment. A simple notes app works fine.
Kai earns $1,800 during a summer (May–Aug, 16 weekends, 6 lawns × $19 average). He sets aside $540 for taxes, puts $360 in savings (20%), uses $540 for needs, and $360 for fun.
Add-ons that double your income
Optional services off the same customers:
- Fall leaf cleanup: $40–80 per yard
- Snow shoveling: $20–40 per driveway
- Mulching: $50–150
- Hedge trimming: $25–50
Once you have 10 weekly summer customers, seasonal services turn lawn care into a year-round business.
- ✗ Underpricing. $10/yard burns you out fast.
- ✗ Saying yes to a yard you cannot finish. A $40 yard you abandon at 80% is a $0 yard plus a complaint.
- ✗ Forgetting taxes. $1,800 in cash feels great until April.
This weekend
- Print 50 flyers and walk your neighborhood.
- Pick a price tier you will hold the line on.
- Open a separate account for tax money.