How Much Do Landscapers Charge Per Hour? 2026 Rate Guide

Q: What's included in labor burden for landscapers?

Labor burden includes employer payroll taxes (FICA, FUTA, and SUTA), workers compensation insurance (higher for landscaping than for most trades), general liability insurance, health benefits if offered, and paid time off. Total burden typically adds 25-35% on top of base wages.

Q: Why do landscaping companies charge so much more per hour than workers earn?

The gap covers labor burden (25-35% on top of wages), overhead (trucks, equipment, insurance, office costs), and profit margin. Once burden and overhead are loaded onto the bare wage, the true cost per crew hour lands far above what any one worker is paid, before a dollar of profit is added. The worked example in the guide shows the full build-up.

Q: Should I charge the same hourly rate for all services?

Not necessarily. Many landscapers charge different rates based on equipment used, skill required, and market rates; specialized work like hardscaping bills well above routine mowing. However, having one consistent rate simplifies quoting, as long as your lowest rate still covers your true costs.

Q: How do I raise my hourly rate without losing customers?

Raise rates 5-10% annually with 30-day notice. Explain the rising costs behind it (fuel, insurance, labor). Some customers will leave, and that is okay if your remaining customers are more profitable. Reliability is what earns the premium; consider grandfathering long-term customers at a smaller increase.

3 Ways to Set Your Hourly Rate

Most crews use one of these three methods. Only one of them starts from your own costs:

Method	Best For	Pros	Cons
Cost-Plus Formula	Accurate pricing based on your actual costs	Ensures profitability; adjusts as costs change	Requires tracking all expenses accurately
Market-Based	Quick competitive positioning	Easy to research; customers understand	Competitors may be undercharging
Revenue Target	Working backward from income goals	Ties rate to business goals	May not reflect true costs

Worked Example: Calculating Your True Hourly Rate

Let's calculate the minimum hourly rate for a 2-person crew doing lawn maintenance:

Example: 2-Person Crew Hourly Rate

Step 1: Labor Costs

Worker 1 base wage$20.00/hr

Worker 2 base wage$18.00/hr

Combined base wages$38.00/hr

Labor burden (× 1.30 multiplier)$49.40/hr

Step 2: Overhead Allocation

Monthly overhead (truck, equipment, insurance, etc.)$4,200

Billable hours per month (crew)280 hrs

Overhead per billable hour$15.00/hr

Step 3: Break-Even + Profit

Total cost per hour ($49.40 + $15)$64.40/hr

Add 20% profit margin$12.88/hr

Minimum hourly rate (crew)$77.28/hr

Per-worker rate: $77.28 ÷ 2 workers = $38.64/hr per person

Reality check: If you charge $50/hr for this crew, you'd lose $14.40/hr

Note: Labor burden varies by state. Workers comp for landscaping typically runs 3-8% of wages. All figures are US-based estimates.

If you run one crew and your rates already clear this formula, a spreadsheet handles the math fine and you do not need to buy anything. Software earns its keep when you quote every week and costs drift under you: this worksheet is exactly what landscape estimating software automates, applying your burden multiplier, overhead per billable hour, and target margin to every quote you price.

Now run your numbers

Same formula as the example above, seeded with the same values. Swap in your crew’s real costs — it updates as you type.

Crew size

Avg wage $/hr

Labor burden %

Profit margin %

Monthly overhead $

Billable hrs /mo

What do you charge now? $/hr per crew, optional

Loaded labor cost$49.40/hr

Overhead per billable hour$15.00/hr

Break-even rate$64.40/hr

Your minimum crew rate

$77.28/hr

$38.64/hr per worker

Break-even = loaded labor + overhead. Minimum rate adds your profit margin on top, same as the worked example.

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What's Included in Labor Burden?

One distinction before the list, because two different searches land here: what a landscaper makes per hour is the wage line ($18-20/hr for the crew in the example above). What a landscaping company charges per hour has to carry that wage plus everything below, plus overhead, plus margin. That gap is not padding; it is the rest of the business.

Labor burden is everything you pay on top of wages. For landscaping businesses, it typically includes:

FICA (Social Security + Medicare): 7.65% employer share (IRS Topic 751: 6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare)
Federal unemployment (FUTA): 0.6% on first $7,000/worker after the state credit (IRS Topic 759)
State unemployment (SUTA): 2-6% depending on your state and history
Workers compensation: 3-8% for landscaping (higher-risk trade)
General liability portion: Often calculated per $100 of payroll
Benefits if offered: Health, retirement, PTO

Total burden typically adds 25-35% on top of base wages. A $20/hr worker actually costs you $25-27/hr.

What Landscapers Charge Per Hour by Service Type

For market context, here are typical billed ranges by service type in 2026. Your own formula result overrides any range on this list:

Basic mowing/maintenance: $45-65/hr
Planting and bed work: $50-70/hr
Tree and shrub trimming: $55-80/hr
Irrigation installation: $65-90/hr
Hardscaping (patios, walls): $75-100+/hr
Design and consultation: $75-150/hr

Note: Rates vary significantly by region. Metropolitan areas often command 30-50% higher rates than rural markets. Research local competitors.

5 Signs You're Undercharging

Every customer says yes immediately: If no one ever pushes back on price, you're probably too cheap.
Tight on cash despite being busy: Full schedule but can't make payroll? Your rate isn't covering costs.
Haven't raised rates in 2+ years: Costs increase 3-5% annually. Your rate should too.
Working more hours than planned: If jobs always take longer, your rate needs to compensate.
Competitors charge significantly more: If you're the cheapest by far, you may be the only one losing money.

Fixing an undercharging problem starts at the quote, not the invoice. See how to price landscaping jobs without losing money for the five-step formula that builds each price from your costs up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should landscapers charge per hour?

There is no single right number. The rate has to be built from your own costs: hourly wage times roughly 1.3 for labor burden, plus overhead per billable hour, plus a real profit margin. The full formula, a worked two-person crew example, and a live calculator to find your exact rate are on this page.

How do I calculate my landscaping hourly rate?

Use this formula: Hourly Rate = ((Base Wage × 1.25-1.35 burden multiplier) + (Monthly Overhead ÷ Billable Hours)) × (1 + profit margin). The worked example on this page runs it for a two-person crew: $38 combined wages × 1.30 burden = $49.40 loaded labor, plus $15/hr overhead ($4,200 monthly overhead ÷ 280 billable crew hours) = $64.40/hr break-even, × 1.20 for a 20% margin = $77.28/hr for the crew, or $38.64 per worker.

What's included in labor burden for landscapers?

Labor burden includes employer payroll taxes (FICA at 7.65%, plus FUTA and SUTA, together totaling about 10-12%), workers compensation insurance (typically 3-8% of wages for landscaping due to the physical nature of work), general liability insurance allocated per payroll dollar, health benefits if offered, and paid time off accrual. Total burden typically adds 25-35% on top of base wages.

Why do landscaping companies charge so much more per hour than workers earn?

The gap between worker wages and billing rates covers several real costs: labor burden adds 25-35% on top of wages (taxes, insurance, benefits), and overhead allocation covers trucks, trailers, equipment, fuel, maintenance, office costs, and administrative time. A worker paid $18/hr actually costs $23-24/hr with burden. Add $10-15/hr of overhead and that worker's break-even is $33-39/hr before any profit; a 20% margin puts the billed rate at $40-47/hr. The margin is what pays for the next truck and the owner's own paycheck.

Should I charge the same hourly rate for all services?

Not necessarily. Many successful landscapers charge different rates based on equipment used, skill level required, and market rates for specific services. Mowing might be $50/hr while hardscaping is $75-100/hr because it requires more expensive equipment and specialized skills. However, using one consistent rate simplifies quoting and ensures every job covers your true costs. The key is that your lowest rate must still be profitable.

How do I raise my hourly rate without losing customers?

Raise rates 5-10% annually with 30-day written notice. Explain the rising costs behind it (fuel, insurance, labor market pressures). Some customers will leave, and that is okay if your remaining customers are more profitable at the higher rate. Showing up when you said you would is what earns the premium. Consider grandfathering long-term loyal customers at a smaller increase.

Know Your True Hourly Cost

GreenMargins, job costing and margin software for landscaping contractors, calculates your real labor cost per job, including burden, overhead, and profit margin, before the quote goes out.

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How Much Should Landscapers Charge Per Hour?

Quick Answer

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