Landscaping Employee True Cost Calculator
That $18/hr crew member actually costs $34 to $42 per hour. See every line item here.
Employee Pay
What you pay this landscaping employee per hour, before any employer costs.
Country
Mandatory employer costs change by country. Select yours.
Mandatory Employer Costs
These are required by law. You pay them on top of every dollar of wages.
Benefits You Provide
Toggle on the benefits you offer. Only include what you actually pay for.
Productivity
Not every paid hour is productive landscaping work. Factor in drive time, paperwork, breaks, and downtime.
True Employee Cost
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per productive hour
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per paid hour
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fully loaded annual cost
Adjust the inputs on the left to see your numbers update in real time.
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True Employee Cost for Landscaping Companies
Landscaping crews look cheap on paper. You pay $16 to $20 per hour and the math seems simple. But when you add up FICA, workers comp, vehicle costs, equipment wear, and the hours your crew spends driving between properties instead of working, the real cost is almost double the wage rate.
A $18/hr crew member costs $34 to $42 per hour in total. Across a 3 person crew, that gap is $144 to $216 per day more than you thought you were paying. That is the money leaking out of your maintenance contracts.
This calculator shows you every cost so you can price jobs and contracts based on real numbers.
Mandatory Employer Costs for Landscaping
Mandatory employer costs for landscaping add 22% to 30% on top of wages. FICA is 7.65%, state unemployment runs 2% to 5%, and workers comp for landscaping is 4% to 6%. On a $18/hr crew member, mandatory costs add $3.96 to $5.40 per hour. For a 3 person crew working 2,080 hours each per year, that is $24,710 to $33,700 in mandatory costs beyond wages.
The Productivity Gap in Landscaping
Drive time is the landscaping industry biggest productivity problem. A crew visiting 6 properties per day with 25 to 35 minutes of drive time between each loses 2.5 to 3.5 hours per day to travel. That is paid time producing zero revenue. Your crew is on the clock for 8 hours but they are working on properties for 4.5 to 5.5 hours. The tighter your routes, the more productive hours you get from the same payroll dollars.
Tips for Landscaping Employee Costing
- Route density is everything. A crew driving 15 minutes between stops instead of 30 saves 1.5 hours per day. At $108/hr crew cost, that is $162/day or $3,400/month in recovered productive time.
- Equipment wear should be charged to labor cost. A mower running 6 hours/day costs $3 to $8/hr in fuel, maintenance, and depreciation. Divide annual equipment cost by hours of use and add it to your burdened rate.
- Seasonal labor makes the burden calculation harder. Hiring and firing costs money too. Unemployment insurance goes up with claims, and training a new crew member takes 2 to 4 weeks of lower productivity.
- Price maintenance contracts using cost per productive minute on property, not per hour. A 45 minute mow at $108/hr crew burden costs $81 in labor. Your contract price needs to cover that plus equipment, plus overhead, plus profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a landscaping employee really cost per hour?
A landscaping crew member making $18 per hour costs $34 to $42 per hour in total employer cost. Mandatory costs (FICA, unemployment, workers comp at 4% to 6%) add 22% to 30% on top of wages. Benefits, equipment share, and vehicle costs push the total to 1.9x to 2.3x base pay. On a 3 person crew, the gap between wages and true cost is $2,400 to $3,600 per month.
What is the labor burden rate for landscaping companies?
Landscaping labor burden runs 22% to 30% for mandatory costs. Workers comp for landscaping is 4% to 6%, lower than roofing but higher than office work. Total burden including equipment, vehicle share, and any benefits reaches 90% to 130% of base wages. A $18/hr crew member with full burden costs $34 to $42/hr. Track this per crew to price maintenance contracts correctly.
How do you calculate landscaping crew cost per property?
Take the fully burdened hourly cost per crew member (typically $34 to $42 for a $18/hr worker), multiply by crew size, then multiply by time on property. A 3 person crew at $36/hr burdened cost spending 45 minutes on a lawn costs $81 in labor per visit. Add equipment wear at $5 to $10 and your cost per mow is $86 to $91 before overhead and profit.
What is workers comp for landscaping employees?
Workers comp for landscaping runs 4% to 6% of gross payroll. Mowing and maintenance are on the lower end. Tree work and hardscaping are rated higher. A $18/hr crew member with 5% workers comp costs $0.90/hr for that item. On a 3 person crew, that is $5,616 per year just in workers comp premiums.
What percentage of landscaping labor hours are productive?
Landscaping crews are productive 60% to 70% of paid hours. Drive time between properties is the biggest productivity killer. A crew driving 30 minutes between each of 6 daily stops loses 3 hours per day to travel. That is 37% of their day producing zero revenue. Tight route scheduling can recover 1 to 2 hours per crew per day.
Knowing Your Numbers Is Step One
This calculator shows you one piece. The Growth Report shows you the full picture: where you're leaking revenue, what to fix first, and how contractors like you are growing past the ceiling.