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Last updated: 28 July 2025
How to start a lawn mowing business
Starting a lawn mowing business in the UK can prove to be a rewarding career. With homeowners looking to save time on practical jobs, knowing how to start a lawn mowing business could be the right next step for you.
So, how do you start a lawn mowing business? Whether you've worked as a landscaper or gardener before, you're likely to be aware of how fast grass grows.
That means homeowners regularly need to cut the grass to keep their gardens looking their best. And that's especially true during spring and summer.
Therefore, if you start a lawn mowing business in the UK, it can be incredibly rewarding. So, let's look at how you do it...
Is lawn mowing a good business to start?
While employment can offer a safety net to tradespeople with grass cutting skills, branching out on your own means you benefit from the hard work you put in.
Lawn mowing is generally considered to be a good business opportunity in the UK for several reasons:
There's a high demand for lawn mowing services – in 2024, we had over 29,000 searches for lawn care and lawn mowing jobs on the Checkatrade website*
Spring and summer bring a boost in demand for lawn mowing
It's relatively easy to scale a lawn mowing business as it grows
There's a lot of potential for repeat business with local customers
That said, you should also consider the challenges, such as seasonality, weather dependency, competition, physical demand, and local regulations.
As with any new business, do your homework and create a thorough business plan before you start.
Want to get more work coming your way this year?
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Creating a plan for your lawn mowing business
Before any new business is launched, there should be a business plan in place.
A business plan will:
Outline your goals
Plot how you plan to achieve them
Help you remain focused on your business activity
Allow you to make informed decisions
Support applications for financing
When setting out a business plan, it is important to include detailed financial information. Even for a hands-on profession such as grass cutting.
For example, how do you plan to cover your start-up costs?
If you don't have enough savings set aside for setting up, you could consider a business loan. But make sure you understand the interest charges and that you can afford the repayments.
We have put together a guide for tradespeople on how to write a business plan. You can even use our free business plan template below:
Are there qualifications or training for lawn mowing?
You don't need any formal qualifications to become a grass cutter. But there are training courses that can be considered to bolster your skills
However, if you want to start a grass cutting business, you can choose to strengthen your skills with formal qualifications.
There are a variety of college courses you can undertake as a grass cutter, landscaper or gardener, including:
NPORS 604 Grass Cutter & Lawn Mower training
Lawn mowing and turf care ACS certificate
Grounds maintenance courses
Level 1 Diploma in Skills for Working in Horticulture Industries
Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Brush-cutters and Trimmers
Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture
Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Horticulture
You may also wish to enhance your horticultural knowledge through a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) course.
Give your new lawn mowing business the best chance of success
Get noticed and find more work through Checkatrade
Other useful skills and attributes
If you've already been cutting grass for a living, you may already have excellent knowledge in your field of work.
However, to set up and run your own trade business, it's important to have a variety of attributes, including:
Horticultural and landscaping knowledge
Ground working skills
Knowledge about different grass types
Attention to detail
Ability to be highly organised
Interpersonal skills and great customer service
Conviction in your decisions
Team management skills (if you choose to grow)
Enthusiasm and creativity to find solutions
Something else to consider as an attribute is whether or not you're someone who suffers from hay fever.
If being outside and working with pollen could be a problem, then running your own grass cutting business is possibly not the best avenue to explore.
The step-by-step guide for starting a grass-cutting business
Grass cutting is a good business throughout the year, and can prove to be lucrative if done well. Setting up, therefore, requires a great deal of thought and organisation.
Below we've included a few of the key steps to take when you're setting out on your own:
Step 1: Register your new business
One of the earliest steps will be to decide on a name for your lawn mowing business.
Having a business name means you can register your business with HMRC and get familiar with your tax liabilities and national insurance contributions.
As well as a name, you'll also need to think about a company structure - will you be a sole trader, work as part of an LLP, or form a limited company?
You'll need to weigh up the different regulations and taxes that apply to each, to work out which best suits your circumstances.
Step 2: Get business insurance for lawn mowing
Sourcing business insurance for lawn mowing is an important step. You don't want to be caught out in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.
It's a good idea to consider insurance for:
Your work vehicle
Tools and equipment
Any stock you wish to cover (such as seed, replacement rotor blades, motor oil, etc)
Professional indemnity insurance to help provide cover in claims of alleged negligence
Public liability insurance (PLI) can help cover you with customers, members of the public, and third-party property
Employers' liability insurance is also needed if you employ others
We've partnered with Superscript to offer our members 20% off PLI. Log in to our Member's Area to see the latest deals!
How to pick the right tradesperson insurance
It’s worth making sure you’ve got the cover you need, as having the right tradesperson insurance will be an essential lifeline for your business if things go wrong. So, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about finding the right insurance for your trade business.
Step 3: Sort your finances
Managing your cash flow, understanding your tax liabilities, and keeping your books in good order are crucial for success.
But before you get going with everyday running, you'll need to think about how you will finance your new business.
Personal savings
A loan from friends or family
Partnership
Business loan
Once started, you'll need to be aware that poor cash flow management can be one of the key reasons that new trade businesses fail. Don't be tempted to hide from it!
Keeping a good eye on your income and expenditure will help your grass-cutting business maintain a firm footing for years to come.
Want to get more work coming your way this year?
Tap into customers looking for lawn mowing work near you
Step 4: Sourcing tools and equipment
As a tradesperson operating in a hands-on profession like grass cutting, you'll know that the right tools of the best quality will make your job easier.
Here's an outline of some of the tools you'll need:
Power tools including strimmer, lawn mower, and ride-on mower (for larger jobs)
Finishing tools, including a lawn edger, hedge trimmer, and leaf blower
Basic equipment such as protective safety gear, a wheelbarrow, rakes, brushes, ladders, and buckets
A selection of spares - such as cutting blades, oil, and garden waste bags
As a Checkatrade member, you could get more for less. Sign up today, pass our checks, and you could benefit from our exclusive partnerships with suppliers such as Tradepoint, Wickes and Selco.
Get great member savings with our exclusive Selco rates
Save money on your tools and materials Here at Checkatrade, we know how hard it can be to find discounts on tools and materials. This is especially true for smaller businesses, who might not be able to afford buying parts in bulk. That’s why, here at Checkatrade, we’ve teamed up with Selco to bring
Boost your business marketing with Checkatrade
Investing in marketing will cost you time and money. As a result, you'll need to decide on the most effective strategy for your business.
With our digital marketing strategy and online presence, becoming a Checkatrade member makes it easy for customers to find you.
Plus, with over 29,000 job searches on our website in 2024 for lawn care and grass cutting jobs,* there is already interest in services like yours.
With Checkatrade:
You get a unique business profile
Your profile will help you be listed on Google
You can display customer reviews
You can highlight testimonials
You can show off examples of your work and its transformative powers
You can also manage customer enquiries on the go, directly from the Checkatrade app, keeping everything in one handy place.
We’ll also help our members get exclusive discounts on business essentials. This includes workwear, tools, equipment, insurance, van leasing, fuel, and more.
How to get landscaping leads
Why you need leads for landscaping When it comes to growing your business, it goes without saying that gaining new leads is important. This is especially true for landscapers. After all, you might find repeat business only comes around once or twice a year. You could be starting a new landscaping
Lawn mowing business ideas for growth
Want to expand on the grass cutting services you offer? Your lawn mowing business can also succeed by:
Offering a variety of services
Developing existing services
Specialising in niche areas
For example, you might offer a bespoke service for additional needs, such as sensory gardens for those with dementia.
Or perhaps you're passionate about developing environmentally friendly services, using only sustainable products.
With so many different considerations to starting a grass cutting business in the UK, it is important to make a plan, sort your finances and get tooled up before you begin.
Setting out on any new business venture can be daunting, but if done well, you could benefit for years to come, in a rewarding career where you have become your own boss.
FAQs
What are good names for a lawn mowing business?
When choosing a name for your lawn mowing business, consider making it:
Clear and relevant, including words like lawn, grass, mowing, or gardens
Locally appealing by referencing your local town, city or region’s name
Memorable and catchy so that it’s easy for customers to remember
Professional - to show that you offer a reliable lawn mowing service
Short and simple, and easy to pronounce
Some examples of strong lawn mowing business names include “The Lawn Experts of Leicester”, “The Great British Grass Cutters”, “Premier Lawn Services”.
Top tip – Test the name with your friends, family and potential clients to see their reaction. And then check if a suitable domain is available for your new business name (so you can set up a website).
How much does it cost to start a lawn mowing business?
There's no fixed cost of starting a lawn mowing business, but there are multiple costs that you need to factor in. They include:
Equipment
Vehicle and transport
Insurance
Marketing and advertising
Licenses and permits (if needed)
Business costs, admin, and accounting
Ongoing supplies and maintenance
Labour and payroll (if you plan on hiring a team)
One of the key parts of creating a business plan for your lawn mowing business is to research the above costs and create a budget for your business.
How much should I charge per hour for lawn mowing?
The best way to price your lawn mowing services is to see what other similar businesses are charging in your area.
As a rough guide, the average hourly costs for lawn mowing in the UK are:
Residential lawn mowing – £30 per hour
Commercial lawn mowing – £40 per hour
However, lawn mowing charges will vary from business to business and in different parts of the country.
What is another name for lawn care?
Lawn care is also often referred to as "garden maintenance", "groundskeeping", "grass cutting" and "lawn services" – among various other terms.
What is the best vehicle for a lawn mowing business?
Depending on the size of your lawn mowing business and the equipment you'll be regularly transporting, you might want to consider one of the following vehicles:
Cargo van
Pickup truck
Trailer
Utility vehicle
Minivan or MPV (multi-purpose vehicle)
Do your research on the capacity and features that you need. Then speak to local commercial vehicle suppliers for their professional advice and guidance.
Want to get more work coming your way this year?
Tap into customers looking for lawn mowing work near you
* Internal search data for users of the Checkatrade.com website in 2024
