How do I calculate travel cost for a crew?

Multiply drive time by your total crew cost per hour. If you have 3 workers and your loaded labor rate is $25/hr each, crew time costs $75/hr. A 45-minute drive each way (1.5 hours round trip) costs $112.50 in labor alone. Add fuel and vehicle wear for total travel cost.

How to Calculate Drive Time in Landscaping Quotes

Q: Should I charge for drive time or include it in overhead?

Charge for drive time on distant jobs; include it in overhead for nearby customers. A common approach: no travel charge within 15-20 minutes of your shop, then charge for each additional mile or minute beyond that. This keeps local customers happy while ensuring distant jobs remain profitable.

Q: How do I present drive time charges to customers?

Be transparent: list travel as a line item on quotes, or state your service area and travel policy upfront. Many landscapers say 'No travel charge within 15 miles; $X per mile beyond.' Some build travel into the job price without itemizing—just make sure distant jobs are priced higher.

3 Ways to Charge for Drive Time

Different methods work for different business models. Choose the approach that fits how you quote jobs. (Pricing bigger install jobs from plans? Our landscape takeoff software comparison covers measuring quantities before you price travel and labor.)

Method	Best For	Pros	Cons
Per Mile	Rural areas, clear distance-based pricing	Easy to calculate and explain	Doesn't account for traffic time
Per Hour (Travel)	Urban areas, heavy traffic markets	Accounts for actual time lost	Requires estimating drive time
Built Into Price	Zone-based pricing, repeat customers	Simple quotes, no line item	May undercharge distant jobs

Worked Example: 25-Mile Job with 2-Person Crew

Here's the complete calculation for a lawn maintenance job 25 miles from your shop:

Example: Travel Cost Calculation

Distance & Time

One-way distance25 miles

Round-trip distance50 miles

Estimated drive time (35 min each way)1.17 hours round trip

Vehicle Costs

IRS mileage rate (50 mi × $0.67)$33.50

Crew Labor While Driving

2 workers × $22/hr × 1.17 hrs$51.48

Total travel cost$84.98

Simplified rate: $1.70 per mile ($85 ÷ 50 miles)

Or per-hour rate: $72.50/hr of travel time

Note: IRS mileage rate is $0.67/mile for 2024 (US). Labor rates vary by region.

Setting Your Travel Policy

Most landscapers use a tiered approach to travel charges:

Free zone (0-15 miles): No travel charge—this is your core service area
Standard zone (15-30 miles): Charge per mile or minimum travel fee ($25-50)
Extended zone (30+ miles): Higher per-mile rate or decline small jobs

Note: Zone distances vary by market density. Urban landscapers might set their free zone at 10 minutes; rural operators might go 20-30 miles before charging.

5 Drive Time Pricing Mistakes

Only charging for fuel: Fuel is about 25% of travel cost. Crew labor and vehicle wear are much larger expenses.
One-way calculation: You have to drive back. Always calculate round-trip distance and time.
Ignoring traffic: A 20-mile drive in rush hour might take 45+ minutes. Use actual drive time, not just distance.
Hidden in price without adjustment: If you "build it in" but use the same price for near and far customers, you're losing money on distant jobs.
No minimum for distant small jobs: A $100 lawn cut 30 miles away loses money. Set minimums or decline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do landscapers calculate drive time into quotes?

Landscapers calculate drive time by charging per mile ($0.50-1.50) or per hour of travel ($30-50 for crew time). Multiply round-trip distance by your per-mile rate, or multiply total drive time hours by your travel hourly rate. Add this to the job price. Some landscapers use Google Maps integration to calculate exact distances and times automatically.

Should I charge for drive time or include it in overhead?

Charge explicitly for drive time on distant jobs; include it in overhead for nearby customers within your core service area. A common approach: no travel charge within 15-20 minutes of your shop, then charge for each additional mile or minute beyond that threshold. This keeps local customers happy while ensuring distant jobs remain profitable.

What's a fair per-mile rate for landscaping travel?

Most landscapers charge $0.50-1.50 per mile for travel (US rates). The IRS mileage rate (67 cents in 2024) covers vehicle costs only—fuel, depreciation, insurance, maintenance. You need to add crew time cost on top. If you have 2 workers at $20/hr loaded cost and drive 30 mph average, that's $1.33/mile in labor alone. Total realistic cost: $2.00+ per mile is common for a crew.

How do I present drive time charges to customers?

Be transparent: list travel as a line item on quotes ("Travel charge: $45"), or state your service area and travel policy upfront on your website and estimates. Many landscapers say "No travel charge within 15 miles; $2 per mile beyond." Some prefer to build travel into the overall job price without itemizing—just make sure distant jobs are priced appropriately higher than nearby ones.

Should I turn down jobs that are too far away?

Sometimes, yes. If drive time makes a small job unprofitable even with travel charges, politely decline or quote high enough to make it worthwhile. Many landscapers set a maximum service radius (30-45 minutes) and only take jobs beyond that distance if they're large enough to justify the travel or can be grouped with other nearby work on the same day.

How do I calculate travel cost for a full crew?

Multiply drive time by your total crew cost per hour. If you have 3 workers and your loaded labor rate (wages + burden) is $25/hr each, crew time costs $75/hr while driving. A 45-minute drive each way equals 1.5 hours round trip, costing $112.50 in labor alone. Add fuel and vehicle wear (use IRS mileage rate as a baseline) for total travel cost. This is why distant jobs need significant travel charges.

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How Landscapers Calculate Drive Time Into Quotes

Quick Answer

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✗ Common Mistakes