One of the first signs of spring is the sound of lawn equipment roaring through neighborhoods. These lawn-maintenance crews represent a simplistic yet highly profitable business.
Key Details
- The landscaping industry commands a $129-billion market and employs more than 1.2 million people, IBIS World found.
- These seasonal industries are mostly dormant during the winter, but when spring comes, they represent significant revenue and employment.
- Jobs in lawn maintenance range from landscaping to mowing to pest prevention and treatment options.
- Lawn maintenance is a steadily growing industry with millions of potential job opportunities.
Why it’s news
Landscaping services may be something often taken for granted, but the industry has steadily grown over the last five years. From 2017 to 2022, the sector averaged a 5.3% yearly growth, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP).
Florida, California, and New York have the most landscaping businesses.
A 2021 Financial Benchmark Study found that the average landscaping company has a median of 305 customers. Typically, they earn more than $12,000 from each customer. The average company has seen a 5% growth, but the most profitable companies have grown as much as 9.5%, according to NALP.
These businesses anticipate continued growth in the coming year, but higher fuel prices and labor shortages pose some challenges for the industry. While labor shortages have affected many industries, seasonal, labor-intensive jobs like lawn maintenance are particularly affected.
Like most businesses, the pandemic affected landscapers’ ability to work. However, many homeowners found renewed interest in gardening and lawn maintenance during the pandemic shutdowns. An Axiom Gardening Insights Survey found that around 80% of respondents plan to continue maintaining their lawns and gardens.
While some of these new gardeners may do parts of the maintenance themselves, the reopened business world means they will likely have less time to do the work and may choose to hire professionals to help maintain the pristine garden they worked so hard for.
Landscapers selling supplies like stone and mulch may also benefit from the renewed interest in lawn maintenance.
