The price of your first lawn mowing with verified local lawn mowing services starts at $176. The price is based on the size of your property, the type of grass, the length of grass, and other factors. Perhaps you have a small, neatly kept lawn. Perhaps you have an 800 m² lawn that has not been maintained in months. Both belong in the category of “a mow.” However, the two are not comparable, and pricing them the same would be misleading.
This is a large reason lawn mowing quotes vary so much. Below is the real cost of lawn mowing services based on property size, common inclusions for visits, and one important detail virtually all lawn mowing guides miss: not every lawn mowing service is legally able to spray weeds.
What Does a Standard Lawn Mowing Service Include?
The three main components of a standard visit include: cutting of the entire lawn, edging of all paths, driveways, and garden beds, and the removal of clippings by blowing them off all hard surfaces.
Everything beyond this is an add-on priced separately, as they take additional time to complete.
- Hedge trimming
- Garden bed weeding
- Green waste removal, where clippings can’t be left on site or mulched back into the lawn
- Weed or pest control chemical application
Adding edging is a common way operators charge more for a job. To avoid this, be sure to check if edging is included, as some operators provide bare quotes and charge for edging afterwards.
Average Lawn Mowing Costs by Property Size in Australia
Lawn mowing costs do vary based on the size of the property, as the time taken to mow the lawn is the primary determinant. Here is how pricing roughly breaks down for a typical job.
| Property size | Typical lawn area | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Small lawn | Under 125 m² | From $176 |
| Medium lawn | 125 m² – 500 m² | $176 – $550 |
| Large lawn | 500 m² – 1,000 m² | $550 – $1,000 |
| Acreage / very large block | Over 1,000 m² | $1,000+ |
These ranges aren’t fixed, and should be used as a general guide. Your confirmed pricing is based on the factors involved with your property and will be outlined in the written quote, and will not depend solely on the size of your lawn.
Factors that Influence a Quote
Size of the property is the first consideration, but is usually not the biggest impact on that tier. For Urgent Pro’s service areas, the biggest difference between an estimate that is cheap and straightforward and one that is expensive usually boils down to challenges related to access and the condition of the lawn, not just the square metres of the lawn.
| Factor | Reason |
|---|---|
| Size of the lawn | More time to mow, more fuel used |
| Type of grass | Buffalo grass, kikuyu, or fast growing varieties take longer to mow because they grow faster than slow growing varieties like couch or fescue |
| Condition of the lawn | An unkempt lawn requires the lawn mower to go slower with more passes to cut the grass, often two passes |
| Access | For the lawn mower to get along the side of the lawn, it must be able to fit through a standard side gate |
| Obstacles | Lawn mowers must stop and trim around garden beds, walls, play equipment, and trees |
Narrow side gates are an under-estimated factor. As most providers use a standard mower, if a mower can’t fit through the side gate, it must switch to smaller, slower equipment, which increases the time it takes to complete the work and also increases the cost.
Why Does an Overgrown Lawn Cost More to Mow?
Mowing an overgrown lawn costs more, but it’s not a case of providers charging more for neglect, it genuinely takes longer. A lawn that hasn’t been cut in six weeks will likely need the use of a brush-cutter or a first rough pass before a conventional mower can even bring it down to an appropriate height. In most cases, the clippings need to be bagged and removed rather than being left to break down on the lawn.
Regular lawn mowing also benefits customers. Mowing your lawn once every one to two weeks in summer, or once every three to six weeks in winter, ensures your lawn stays at a manageable height and makes each consecutive mow less time-intensive and the quote consistent. Customers who choose not to schedule regular lawn mowing and instead opt for one-off, sporadic bookings find that the mowing of their lawn tends to sit at the high end of the quote range, since the provider is starting from behind each time.
Do You Require a Licensed Provider for Weed Spraying?
For chemical treatment, yes. For general mowing, edging and trimming of hedges, a licence isn’t required. For chemical herbicide or pesticide application, a licence is required. For commercial use of chemicals, the requirements differ from state to state. There are also some states where a person using ground equipment to apply herbicides on land that doesn’t belong to them must be licensed before offering the service for a fee. Coverage isn’t even uniform within a state. In Queensland, for example, the licensing requirement doesn’t apply to certain areas of the state. “Just add weed spray” is a risky add-on when you consider the detail behind the licensing requirement.
For the Urgent Pro network, chemical treatments are only performed by providers that hold the applicable state accreditation. This small detail makes the difference between an actual lawn service and someone who sprays chemicals on your property without the training to do it safely. To confirm you’re not engaging an unlicensed service, check your state’s requirements through your state government’s business licensing service.
Some key limits to be aware of are:
- Insurance limits on ladder work restrict hedge trimming to about 2 metres
- Wet grass can’t be cut to a professional standard, so a provider may need to reschedule rather than continue and leave a poor finish
- Accidental damage is most commonly caused by sprinkler heads, low-voltage garden lights and pet gates, so it’s good practice to mention these before a provider starts work, since it only takes thirty seconds
How to Get a Quote on Lawn Mowing
To get a quote for the job, you need to provide as much information as possible: the size of your lawn, how long it has been since it was last cut, side access (if any), and anything in the yard that could be damaged during mowing, like irrigation or garden lights. Urgent Pro provides confirmed pricing, meaning the quoted price is set and given to you before the job starts. No hidden fees.
Unlike other lawn mowing businesses, Urgent Pro is a booking marketplace, which means that for every booking, customers are given the details of the assigned provider, including the provider’s ABN. As authorised agents, payments are collected by Urgent Pro on the provider’s behalf.
FAQs
How much does lawn mowing cost in Australia?
Via Urgent Pro’s network, prices begin at $176 for a small lawn under 125 m², $176 to $550 for a medium lawn, $550 to $1,000 for a large lawn, and over $1,000 for an acreage or large block, depending on the type of grass, access, and the condition of the lawn.
What is a typical lawn mowing service?
A standard lawn mowing service includes mowing the lawn, edging, and blowing clippings from hard surfaces. Other services like hedge trimming, weeding, chemical application, and green waste removal incur an extra cost.
Why do overgrown lawns cost more to mow than well-maintained lawns?
Maintaining a well-mowed lawn is more cost-effective in the long run than doing a catch-up cut for an overgrown lawn. Overgrown lawns require a slow first pass, sometimes a brush-cut, before the lawn can be mowed to an acceptable height, and the excess clippings usually need to be removed rather than left on the lawn.
Am I required to hire a licensed provider for weed spraying?
Yes. Chemical application of herbicides or pesticides requires a licence in most states. A licence is not needed for general mowing or edging.
How often should lawn mowing be done?
A regular lawn mowing service is recommended every one to two weeks in warmer months, and every three to six weeks in cooler months, to maintain the height of the lawn and minimise the duration of each visit.
Am I able to schedule lawn mowing services at regular intervals?
Yes. Regularly scheduled lawn mowing at two to four week intervals typically costs less than individual visits.