Launch League

Full guide · Ohio

How to start a lawn mowing business as a teenager

Lawn mowing is the most reliable first business there is. The demand is obvious, the customer is standing in front of the problem every week, and you can start with a mower you already have access to. The hard part isn't the mowing. It's asking.

Nothing to startFrom age 13First dollar: One weekend, if you borrow a mower.

What it costs

What you actually need

A mower
$0 to start

Borrow your family's before you buy anything. Ask permission properly, and put gas back in it.

Gas
$10–$20 a week

This is your main cost. Track it from day one or you won't know what you actually made.

A trimmer
$0–$120 used

Not needed for your first few jobs. Add it when a customer asks for edges.

Work gloves and ear protection
$20–$30

Not optional. Mowers are loud enough to damage hearing over a season.

Garbage bags or a tarp
$10

For clippings, if the customer wants them gone.

Borrow before you buy

Do your first three jobs with equipment you already have access to. Buy your own out of money a customer has already handed you, never out of money you are hoping to make.

What to charge

Pricing, honestly

Start at the lower end of each range. Raise it once five people have paid you without hesitating.

Small town lot, front and back
$25–$40

Most teens start at the bottom of this and raise it after five jobs.

Large or corner lot
$40–$60

Walk it first. If it takes more than an hour, it is not a small lot.

Trimming and edging added
+$10–$15

Price this separately so people can say yes to just the mow.

Weekly, booked for the season
10% less per cut

Cheaper for them, and booked in for you. This is the deal you actually want.

These are what people commonly charge, not what you will make, and they were first written for a Canadian market. Look up what adults near you charge for the same job, then start a little under it and raise your price once you have five happy customers.

Your first five

Exactly who to ask, in order

Warmest first. Your first attempt should be with someone who will be kind about it, because you will be bad at it.

  1. Person 1

    The neighbor on either side of you. They already see your lawn, so they already know whether you do it properly.

  2. Person 2

    Someone your parents know who has mentioned their yard, or complained about it.

  3. Person 3

    The house on your street that is visibly behind. Knock with an adult, and lead with a price, not a pitch.

  4. Person 4

    Anyone you already do something for — a coach, a teacher, someone from your church or team.

  5. Person 5

    The five houses either side of your first paying customer. Tell them you are already on the street on Thursdays.

Send this

“Hi Mrs. Bennett — it's Jordan from two doors down. I'm mowing lawns on our street this summer. I'd do yours for $30, front and back, same day every week so you don't have to think about it. Want me to do this week's and you can decide after?”

Change the names and the price. Keep the shape: who you are, how they know you, what you do, the price, and an easy way to say yes.

Not optional

Staying safe

  • Never mow a slope you would not walk down carrying something heavy.
  • Closed shoes always. Never sandals, never bare feet, no exceptions, not once.
  • Walk the lawn first and pick up rocks, sticks, toys and dog waste. A mower turns a stone into a projectile.
  • Stop the engine before you touch the blade or the underside. Every time, even for a second.
  • Tell someone which house you are at and when you expect to be done.

Tell a parent or guardian where you are working and when you expect to be finished, every time.

The actual business

Getting them to book you again

  • Same day every week. Being predictable is most of the product.
  • Text the night before. People like knowing you are coming.
  • Do one small thing you were not paid for — sweep the walk, put the bin back.
  • Ask once, at the end of a good job: "Do you know anyone else on the street who needs this?"
  • Raise your price on new customers first, not on the ones who took a chance on you.

Two things to know in Ohio

If someone hires you. Ohio generally requires a minor work permit (an age and schooling certificate) for ages 14 through 17 during the school year, and in summer break only for ages 14 and 15. It is not required in some common teen jobs, including snow shoveling, newspaper delivery and family farm work. See the Department of Commerce and the Legislative Service Commission.

If you work for yourself, that is a different situation, and the sources I read do not spell out how the permit rules treat a teenager running their own small business. If you are unsure, ask the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage and Hour.

Taxes. Money you earn counts. Net self-employment earnings of $400 or more usually mean self-employment tax, and in Ohio lawn care, landscaping and snow removal become taxable services once your sales reach $5,000 a year. The Ohio starting guide explains both.

Checked October 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change.

More ideas are on the full list. Ready to make it a real business? Read how to start a business in Ohio.

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