How to Start a Lawn Care Side Hustle With Just $300 in Gear

I’ve had a heck of a time finding someone to mow my lawn this summer. We would have people agree, and then for one reason or another they just couldn’t complete the task. This got me thinking what would you need to start up your own lawn care service.

You wouldn’t need a landscaping truck or commercial mower to start making real money in lawn care. If you like the outdoors, have a good work ethic, capable of talking to people, a basic lawn mower, and a few hours to spare, you can start earning $60 per yard and scale to $700+ a day.

Here’s exactly how I would start, market, price, and scale a lawn care business — plus this is how I would use social media to stand out.

👟 Step 1: Get the Gear — Keep It Simple

To start, you only need three tools:

Push lawn mower – $200
Weed eater (string trimmer) – $60–100
Leaf blower – $40–100
Gas can, gloves, safety glasses – $20

💡 Tip: Buy used equipment from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to keep costs low.

💡 Tip: You can upgrade your equipment once you a steady customer base. Save a percentage from each job to invest in better equipment, magnetic signs for your truck or car, or various trailers for your equipment.

🛠️ Total Startup Cost: ~$300

💡 Step 2: Set Your Price and Daily Goal

Set your base rate at $60 per lawn, which includes mowing, trimming, and cleanup.

A solo operator can reasonably aim for:

12 lawns per day x $60 = $720/day
Even part-time: 3 lawns/day = $180/day, or $900/week

This is a volume-based hustle — speed and consistency are your moneymakers.

🧭 Step 3: Pick the Right Neighborhoods

Look for middle-income suburban neighborhoods where:

Yards are too big to mow by hand
Homeowners are busy or elderly
HOA contracts aren’t in place

Drive around your area and take notes. The best leads are often the slightly overgrown lawns in otherwise clean neighborhoods.

📢 Step 4: Local Marketing That Works

Here’s how to land your first clients fast — without paying for ads:

📝 Door Flyers or Hangers

Simple, clean flyer
Offer: “$60 Lawn Service — Mow, Trim, Blow”
Include your name, phone, and town

💬 Facebook Groups

Post in neighborhood or “Buy/Sell/Trade” groups
Share before/after pics and offer first-mow discounts

📍 Google Business Profile

Create a free listing
Add keywords like “Lawn mowing in [Your City]”
Ask every client to leave a review

🧠 Word of Mouth

Tell your family, barbershop, or church group — referrals can scale you faster than any ad.

🧾 Step 5: Onboarding, Estimates & Billing

Make it easy for clients to hire you and pay you. Here’s how:

✉️ Quick Estimate Template (Email/Text)

Hi [Client Name],

Thanks for reaching out! I offer lawn mowing, trimming, and blowing for $60 per visit.

No contracts required — just let me know your address and preferred day, and I’ll get you on the schedule.

Thanks!  
[Your Name]  
[Your Number or IG Link]

💵 Payment Options:

Cash – Reliable, no fees
Check – Good for older clients
Venmo / CashApp / Zelle – Instant, free
PayPal – Trusted but includes small fees
Square – For credit/debit cards

🧾 Invoice Methods:

Leave a paper invoice at the door
Use free apps like Wave or Invoice Simple
Email invoices via Google Docs template

🛠️ Step 6: Deliver 5-Star Service

Quality service = repeat business and referrals.

Focus on:

Crisp mow lines
Clean edging
Clear walkways
Showing up on time
Sending a follow-up thank-you text or message

📸 Pro Tip: Take before/after photos for marketing!

🎥 Bonus Step: Record Your Lawn Care Journey for Social Media

Documenting your work is a great way to build trust, land clients, and grow a loyal audience.

It can also be a source of income as well, yard work videos are popular – the crazier the yard, the more views you will most likely get.

Start accounts on:

Instagram
TikTok
YouTube Shorts
Facebook Business Page

🎬 Suggested Video Structure:

Quick Intro Voiceover:
“Today I’m cleaning up an overgrown yard in [City]. Let’s get to it.”
Before Walkthrough:

Pan the yard
Describe the challenge: tall grass, overgrown edges

Action Footage:

Mowing in patterns
Trimming edges
Blowing off debris
Bagging clippings

After Walkthrough:

Show clean mow lines and walkways
Add voiceover: “Took 45 mins. Another happy customer!”

🎥 Example video: Watch on YouTube

Use captions, trending music, and hashtags like #lawncare #beforeandafter #smallbusiness.

🔁 Final Thoughts: From Side Hustle to Full-Time Gig

Lawn care is one of the most underrated side hustles out there. It’s physical, honest work — and highly profitable if you systemize your routes, pricing, and service.

Start small. Be consistent. Market smart. And who knows — your weekend hustle might become your full-time freedom. Let me know if you start one, I could use a reliable lawn service.

Planet Tash

All Tash, all the time