Plans and pricing
Every price James charges is on this page, in full, with no GST added to any of it. You should not have to book a stranger into your backyard just to learn a number. Read the tables, pick the job that matches yours, and when you ring, the figure you saw is the figure you get.
The only jobs marked as quoted are the ones where the state of the garden genuinely decides the work, and even those get a firm figure before anything starts. Every visit carries a $95 minimum.
Fortnightly plans, billed monthly
The monthly figure covers two visits a month, the fuel, the edges and the tip runs. Mow and go is $160, Full maintenance is $190, Large block is $290 for anything over 700 square metres. There is no joining fee, no exit fee and no contract. Stopping the plan is one phone call.
Mow and go
$160 a month
Fortnightly visits
- Lawns mown front and back
- Edges done every visit
- Paths and driveway blown down
- Clippings taken away
- Can pause over winter
Full maintenance
$190 a month
Fortnightly visits
- Everything in Mow and go
- Weeding as it appears
- Garden beds kept tidy
- Hedge touch-ups between trims
- Winter visits switch to garden work
Large block
$290 a month
Fortnightly visits
- Full maintenance, sized up
- For blocks over 700 square metres
- Acreage frontages and corner blocks
- Everything still taken away
James suggests Full maintenance on most calls, because $30 a month over Mow and go keeps the weeds and hedges from ever reaching the point where a $380 clean-up is needed. The garden stays flat, tidy and boring, which is the goal.
If James is on a mower when you ring, leave a message. He calls back the same day.
Which plan fits your block
Block size decides most of the price. Newer estate blocks in Tarneit, Truganina and Manor Lakes commonly sit around 350 to 450 square metres, established streets in Hoppers Crossing and Werribee mostly run 550 to 650, and anything over 700 square metres is a large block. If you do not know your block size, your council rates notice lists it.
| Block size | One-off mow | Best plan | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 400 square metres | $95 | Mow and go | $160 |
| 400 to 700 square metres | $95 | Full maintenance | $190 |
| Over 700 square metres | Agreed before he starts | Large block | $290 |
A one-off mow on an overgrown lawn is from $150 rather than $95, because long wet grass means multiple passes and a heavier tip load.
One-off jobs
Nothing on this table needs a plan, a follow-up visit or a commitment of any kind. Ring, agree the figure, and James turns up once. Clippings and cuttings leave with him on the trailer every time, which is included in these prices rather than added on top of them.
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| One-off mow, maintained lawn | $95 |
| One-off mow, overgrown lawn | from $150 |
| Hedge trimming | from $180 |
| Pruning | from $180 |
| Weeding | from $95 |
| Mulching | Quoted, mulch at cost plus labour |
| End of lease or pre-sale tidy | from $380 |
Clean-ups and green waste removal
Clean-up prices include the cutting, the loading and the tip fees, so the number in the table is the whole cost of the job. Removal only means James loads a pile you have already made. A clean-up means he makes the pile too, then takes it away in the same visit.
| Job | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Green waste removal, half trailer | James loads it, tip fees included | $190 |
| Green waste removal, full trailer | James loads it, tip fees included | $320 |
| Half day tidy | Cutting plus up to half a trailer removed | $380 |
| Full day clean-up | Cutting plus one full trailer removed | $680 |
| Additional trailer loads | Loaded and taken away | $180 each |
| Overgrown property reset | Quoted on site before he starts | from $950 |
For scale, a 2 cubic metre green waste skip generally costs $200 to $250 in Melbourne, and with a skip you do the cutting and the loading yourself. James at $320 for a full trailer includes his labour to load it and the tip fee at the other end.
If James is on a mower when you ring, leave a message. He calls back the same day.
The winter question, answered properly
Melbourne grass more or less stops growing from June to August, so it is fair to ask what a monthly plan pays for in July. On Full maintenance, winter visits shift to weeding, garden beds, hedge touch-ups, edges and leaves. On Mow and go, James still turns up, and if you would rather pause over winter, you can. There is no lock-in either way.
The honest version is that winter is when Full maintenance earns its keep. Weeds do not stop for the cold, wattles drop, gutters and beds fill with leaves, and hedges keep pushing. A fortnightly visit through winter is why James’ gardens come into spring needing a mow instead of a rescue.
Questions people ask before ringing
- Why is there no GST?
- James is not registered for GST, so none is charged. The price listed is the full amount you pay, with nothing added on the bill.
- Is there a minimum charge?
- Yes, $95 for any visit. It covers the travel, the loading and unloading of gear, and the tip run that follows most jobs. Small jobs are welcome inside that minimum.
- What happens to the plans in winter?
- Grass barely grows in Melbourne from June to August. Full maintenance visits shift to weeding, garden beds, hedge touch-ups, edges and leaves. Mow and go customers can keep their visits or pause over winter. There is no lock-in contract, so pausing is a phone call, not a negotiation.
- Where does the green waste go?
- To the waste facility at Wests Road in Werribee. Tip fees are already included in every removal and clean-up price, so the figure you agree is the figure you pay.
- How is this different from hiring a skip bin?
- A 2 cubic metre green waste skip generally costs $200 to $250, you cut and load everything yourself, and it sits on the driveway until collection. James charges $190 for a half trailer or $320 for a full one, does the loading himself, and the waste is gone the same visit.
- Can the price change once the job starts?
- No. The price is agreed before James starts and that is what you pay. If a job turns out bigger than the photo suggested, he says so before doing the extra, not after.
- Do I need to be home?
- Not if James can get to the garden. An unlocked side gate is enough for most jobs. Agree the price on the phone, leave the gate open, and come home to a mown lawn.
Get your price
Ring James and most jobs get a firm figure inside two minutes. For clean-ups, a photo does the work of a site visit.
If James is on a mower when you ring, leave a message. He calls back the same day.
Prefer not to call? Leave your details and James will ring you back.
Once it sends, you can text James a photo of the job straight from the confirmation screen. A photo usually gets you a firm price with no visit needed.