How to Price Shrub Trimming Services Effectively

Knowing how to price shrub trimming in a way that’s profitable for your lawn care and landscaping business can be challenging.

It’s important to cover all of your costs in order to maximize profits and stay competitive.

When priced correctly shrub trimming can be a lucrative service for your business. However, when priced incorrectly, it can eat at your profits and leave money on the table.

When you know how to price shrub trimming, you can build trust with your clients while also adding another profitable service to your lawn care and landscaping business.

Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re looking to refine your pricing model, this guide will tell you everything you need to know to discover how to price shrub trimming services effectively.

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Factors to Consider

Before we get started on how to price shrub trimming, let’s talk about a few of the main factors you’ll want to consider.

Take a look at several factors that influence the price of shrub trimming services. These include:

• Shrub Size and Quantity: Larger shrubs and a greater number of shrubs will require more time and effort.
• Shrub Type: Some shrubs are more difficult to trim than others, requiring specialized tools or techniques.
• Accessibility: Shrubs in hard-to-reach areas will take longer to trim.
• Debris Removal: Removing and disposing of trimmings adds to the overall cost.
• Travel Time: The distance to the client's location impacts pricing.
• Local Market Rates: Understanding what competitors are charging is crucial.

Pricing Methods

Now, let’s talk about a few of the most common pricing methods.

In order to know how to price shrub trimming, you need to know how you’ll set prices.

These are a few of the most common pricing methods:

Hourly Rate

Charging an hourly rate is straightforward. Track your time and bill accordingly.

Who it’s for:

• Hourly rates work great for new businesses who are less skilled, take longer to perform tasks, and don’t yet know their average times.
• However, hourly rates don’t work well for experienced businesses because it penalizes your crews for efficiently performing their jobs and staying on task.

Pro Tip! Use the best landscaping software to effortlessly track your job times to easily calculate prices and invoice.

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Per-Shrub Rate

Charging a flat rate per shrub can be efficient, especially for similar-sized shrubs.

Who it’s for:

• Per-shrub rates are ideal for experienced landscape businesses. Unlike hourly rates, per-shrub rates don’t penalize your crews for working more efficiently.
• However, per-shrub rates don’t work well for inexperienced businesses because you need to be able to efficiently perform jobs, stay on task, and know your average times.

Pro Tip! Since per-shrub rates can be inaccurate if shrub sizes vary significantly, it’s difficult to adjust for different shrub types. For this reason, categorize shrubs by size and complexity. Create a price list for each category.

Job-Based Rate

Charging a fixed price for the entire job provides clarity for both you and the client.

Who it’s for:

• Per-shrub rates are ideal for experienced landscape businesses. Unlike hourly rates, job-based rates don’t penalize your crews for working more efficiently.
• However, job-based rates don’t work well for inexperienced businesses because you need to be able to efficiently perform jobs, stay on task, and know your average times.

Job-based rates provide a clear cost to the client, allowing for flexibility in how you manage your time. However, this pricing method requires accurate job assessment, risk of underestimating time or complexity.

Pro Tip! Visit the site beforehand to assess the job. Include all services (trimming, cleanup, disposal) in the quote.

Now that you know about the primary pricing methods, let’s dive into how to price shrub trimming.

1. Understand Your Costs

Before setting any price, you need to know your costs. These include:

• Labor Costs: How long does it take to trim a shrub, and what is the hourly rate you need to charge to cover wages, taxes, and benefits?
• Equipment Costs: Factor in the purchase, maintenance, and replacement of trimmers, ladders, gloves, safety glasses, and other tools.
• Travel Expenses: Gas, vehicle maintenance, and time spent traveling between jobs all add up.
• Overhead: Include business expenses like software, insurance, marketing, uniforms, and administrative tasks.

Knowing your total costs ensures you know how to price shrub trimming in a way that keeps your landscaping business sustainable.

2. Evaluate the Size and Type of Shrubs

Not all shrubs are created equal. Larger or denser shrubs take more time and effort to trim. Some factors to consider:

• Height and width: Taller and wider shrubs often require ladders or special equipment.
• Type of plant: Some shrubs, like boxwoods, are easy to shape, while others are thorny or delicate and need more care.
• Density and growth: Overgrown or neglected shrubs can take significantly longer to trim than regularly maintained ones.

A good rule of thumb is to group shrubs into size categories (small, medium, large) and create a base price for each.

3. Assess the Complexity of the Job

Simple shape maintenance is quicker than sculpting intricate designs or hard pruning. Other complexity factors:

• Accessibility: Are the shrubs easy to reach, or are they wedged between structures?
• Debris removal: Will you be responsible for cleanup and disposal, or is the client handling it?
• Volume of work: Trimming a single shrub is very different from handling an entire property full of greenery.

Offer standard pricing for simple jobs (especially in cookie cutter, HOA neighborhoods) and create custom quotes for more complex projects.

4. Check the Market

To maximize profits and know how to price shrub trimming effectively for your business, it’s important to check the market.

Research competitors in your area:

• What are other landscaping companies charging for similar services?
• Are they offering flat rates, hourly rates, or per-shrub pricing?
• What added services (like haul-away, fertilization, or pest treatment) are bundled into their offers?

Remember, being competitively priced doesn’t mean being the cheapest—it means offering the best value.

5. Choose a Pricing Method

You have a few options:

• Per Shrub: Easy for customers to understand (e.g., $10–$25 per small shrub, $30–$50 for larger shrubs).
• Hourly Rate: Good for unpredictable jobs. Make sure to estimate time accurately.
• Flat Project Fee: Useful for larger jobs with multiple shrubs where you can offer a discounted rate.

Whichever method you choose, communicate it clearly in your quotes and invoices.

6. Add Value, Not Just Cost

The right clients are willing to pay more for exceptional service. Consider adding:

• Same-day debris haul-away
• Seasonal care tips for their shrubs
• A discount for bundling shrub trimming with other services like mulching or tree pruning

Showing that you offer more than just "cutting back branches" helps justify your prices.

7. Review and Adjust Regularly

Material costs, labor rates, and customer expectations change over time. Make a habit of reviewing your pricing annually or biannually to stay profitable and competitive.

Competitive Analysis

Research what other local lawn and landscape businesses charge for similar services. This will help you stay competitive while ensuring you're not underpricing your work.

Providing Quotes

When providing quotes:

• Be detailed and transparent
• List all services included
• Clearly state the price
• Provide a deadline for acceptance

Example Pricing Table

• Rates may vary based on location and complexity.

Final Thoughts on How to Price Shrub Trimming

Knowing how to price shrub trimming in a way that’s effective and sustainable for your business is all about balancing profitability with fairness.

By understanding your costs, the job requirements, the market, and your value proposition, you’ll build a pricing model that satisfies both your landscape business and clients.

Remember, confident pricing signals professional service—and clients will often be willing to pay more for quality and reliability.

Related: Landscaping Pricing: How to Price Services for Profit

Originally published May 7, 2025 4:44 PM CT