1. Calculate direct cost
Add loaded labor, aerator rental or equipment allocation, fuel, travel and any seed or materials included in the job.
VORKIVO / Free tools / Lawn pricing
Free contractor pricing tool
Yard Cleanup Pricing Calculator
Build an yard cleanup quote around lawn size, labor, equipment, seed, travel, overhead and the profit margin you actually want.
Free · No account required · Built for service contractors
Price an yard cleanup job
Use your own costs. The calculator turns them into a recommended selling price and useful job metrics.
Recommended quote$200.00Cost and margin calculation
Expected profit$0
Price / 1,000 sq ft$0
Revenue / labor hour$0
Planning estimate, not a market-rate guarantee. Soil condition, access, slopes, irrigation, machine type, local demand and taxes can change the final quote.
How to price aeration
Start with cost, then protect the margin.
Service pricing can go wrong when a contractor copies a local per-square-foot number without checking setup time, machine cost, travel and labor. Use square footage as context, but make the quote work for your business.
2. Add overhead and margin
Allocate enough overhead to the job, then calculate the selling price required to hit your target profit margin.
3. Protect small jobs
A minimum charge can stop a small lawn from becoming an unprofitable trip once loading, driving and setup are included.
How much should you charge for yard cleanup?
There is no single contractor price that works in every market. A useful quote starts with the lawn you are actually servicing and your cost to perform the work. Measure the property, estimate crew time, account for the aerator and travel, then add overhead and your required margin. The calculator above shows the implied price per 1,000 square feet so you can compare jobs without letting a generic rate determine whether the job is profitable.
Square-foot pricing vs. a minimum charge
Square-foot pricing is useful when property size drives machine time. A minimum job charge handles the fixed part of the visit: scheduling, loading, travel, unloading and setup. For smaller lawns, the minimum may determine the quote. For larger or difficult properties, your cost and time assumptions should matter more than a simple flat rate.
Aeration with overseeding
If overseeding is included, enter the seed and other materials as direct costs instead of hiding them inside labor. That makes it easier to compare an aeration-only quote with an aeration-plus-overseeding package and protects the margin when material prices change.
FAQ
Lawn pricing questions
How much should I charge for yard cleanup?
Use your actual labor, equipment, travel, overhead and optional seed costs, then apply a target margin and minimum charge. Local demand and property conditions still affect the final quote.
Should I price aeration per square foot?
It can be a useful benchmark, especially across different property sizes. A minimum charge is still useful because every job has fixed travel, loading and setup time.
Should overseeding be included?
Only when it is part of the scope. Keeping seed as a visible direct cost or separate quote item makes the economics easier to control.
Does this calculator use a national average?
No. It intentionally starts with your own costs and target margin rather than pretending one national price fits every contractor and market.
More free tools
Price the next service.
Turn the price into a professional quote.
Keep the customer, quote, job, invoice and expenses connected in VORKIVO.
Get VORKIVO — $14.99/month