Mowing time calculator

Speeds are typical, not fixed. Put your own deck width and speed under "Your numbers" – a 52" deck at 8 mph is not the same as 60" at 7. Rates last updated: September 2026.

A typical 10,000 sq ft lawn takes about 13 minutes to mow with a 48-inch mower, and 39 minutes on site once you add trimming, edging, blowing, and unloading for a crew of two. A 5,000 sq ft lot with a push mower is about 22 minutes of mowing; an acre with a zero-turn about 28.

To calculate acres per hour, multiply mower speed in mph by deck width in inches and divide by 124 – real-world output at 80% efficiency. Divide by 99 for the 100% figure on the brochure. A 60-inch mower cuts about 3.4 acres an hour at 7 mph in the field, or 4.2 on paper. Pick a mower above and the figure appears in the results – change speed or efficiency under "Your numbers" to match your machine.

Mowing an acre takes about 2 hours with a 21-inch push mower, 40 minutes with a 48-inch rider, 20 minutes with a 60-inch zero-turn, and 15 minutes with a 72-inch deck – on an open lawn, mowing only. Trees, beds, and fences add 30–80%, and trimming and edging add another 30–60 minutes on an acre.

What size mower do you need? Size it to the time you can spend:

• Up to ¼ acre: a 21–30" walk-behind keeps mowing under 25 minutes
• ½ to 1 acre: a 42–48" rider or walk-behind keeps it under 30 minutes
• 1 acre and up: a 54–60" zero-turn does an acre in about 20 minutes
• 5 acres and up: a 72" deck saves roughly half an hour per visit over a 60"
• On a route: pick the deck that fits the gates – a 36" walk-behind clears most residential gates, a 60" zero-turn does not

To see your own acre, select the mower and Open lawn above and enter the size in acres – then switch to "Some trees and beds" to see what obstacles cost you.

At 39 minutes on site and 15 minutes between stops, a two-person crew fits 8 lawns of 10,000 sq ft into an 8-hour day. Cut driving to 10 minutes and it is 9; stretch it to 25 and it drops to 7.

Drive time is the number that decides your day, not mower speed. Set drive time and workday length under "Your numbers" and the calculator shows lawns per day for your route.

Three things that move the count:

1. Route density. Lawns on the same street share one unload and one drive – tight weekly routes pay more per hour than scattered one-offs.
2. Trimming and blowing. On a 10,000 sq ft lawn they take three times longer than the mowing itself – 41 minutes against 13. That is where a second person earns their place.
3. Crew size. Two people halve time on site but not labor hours – the day plan counts both.

Then book the route: Tofu's recurring jobs and drag-and-drop schedule put it on the calendar once and repeat it every week.

Time is the price. Multiply labor hours by your hourly rate per crew member and you have the visit price. At $60 per hour per crew member and a crew of two:

The lawn mowing cost calculator does this math with the same presets, and the guide on how to price lawn care jobs covers rates, minimum charges, and recurring plans – both are linked below.