Use past jobs as your baseline, then add the time people forget: travel, setup, pack-down, and disposal.
Fast estimating method (works well for staff)
- Travel: door-to-door time (include parking and walking gear in).
- On-site work: mow, edge, prune, blow down, tidy.
- Extras: green waste, dump run, gate access issues, pets, steep blocks.
Time blocks (write these once and reuse)
- Small lawn: 30–60 min (plus travel)
- Medium lawn: 60–90 min (plus travel)
- Large or overgrown: 90–150 min (plus travel)
- Hedge trim: add 15–45 min depending on length and height
- Green waste removal: add 10–30 min + dump time if needed
Make it accurate over time
- After each job, record actual minutes (staff notes + photos help).
- After 10 similar jobs, set a standard time for that service level.
- Always add a small buffer so one delay does not break the whole run.