Lawn care business glossary
59 plain-English definitions for terms every operator should know. No academic fluff. No marketing-speak.
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- CAC (customer acquisition cost) Billing & pricingThe total cost to acquire one new customer — marketing spend plus sales time, divided by new customers gained.
- Churn Billing & pricingThe rate at which customers stop using your service — usually expressed as a percentage per year.
- Cool-season grass TurfGrass varieties (fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass) that grow most actively in spring and fall, dormant or stressed in summer heat.
- Customer portal Customer operationsA web page where customers can view invoices, schedule, and payment history without needing a login.
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- Edging TurfCreating a clean vertical line between the lawn and a hard surface like a sidewalk or driveway.
- EIN (employer identification number) Legal & taxA federal tax ID issued by the IRS — like a Social Security number, but for your business.
- Estimate Billing & pricingA written quote for proposed work, usually given before service starts.
F
- Fertilizer N-P-K ratio TurfThe three numbers on a fertilizer bag, representing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium percentages.
- Fescue TurfA common cool-season grass species — tall fescue is dominant in the transition zone of the US.
- FSM (field service management) SoftwareSoftware for businesses that send technicians to customer locations — scheduling, dispatch, work orders, billing, and reporting.
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- Late fee Billing & pricingAn additional charge applied to invoices not paid by their due date.
- LLC (limited liability company) Legal & taxA US business structure that separates personal assets from business liabilities while remaining simple to operate.
- LTV (customer lifetime value) Billing & pricingThe total revenue a customer is expected to generate over the entire time they're with you.
M
- Mowing height TurfHow tall the grass is left after mowing, measured at the deck setting.
- MRR (monthly recurring revenue) Billing & pricingThe predictable revenue your business generates every month from recurring service contracts.
- Mulching (mowing) TurfA mowing technique where clippings are chopped fine and dropped on the lawn instead of bagged.
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- Pesticide certification Legal & taxA state-issued license required to apply herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers commercially.
- Post-emergent herbicide TurfA chemical that kills weeds after they've already emerged from the soil.
- Pre-emergent herbicide TurfA chemical applied before weed seeds germinate that prevents them from sprouting.
- Proof of service Customer operationsDocumentation that a service was performed — typically a timestamped GPS check-in plus before/after photos.
- PTO (power take-off) EquipmentThe mechanism on a mower that engages the blade(s), separately from the wheels.
- PWA (progressive web app) SoftwareA website that behaves like a native app — installable on the home screen, works offline, gets push notifications.
R
- Recurring billing Billing & pricingCharging a customer automatically on a regular schedule (weekly, monthly, etc.) without invoicing each time.
- Reschedule policy Customer operationsYour rule for when a missed visit gets made up vs skipped, and what notice the customer needs to give.
- Route density RoutesThe number of customers per square mile on a service route. Higher density means lower drive time per stop and better profitability.
- Route optimization RoutesRe-ordering stops on a route to minimize total drive time, considering traffic, geography, and time windows.
S
- S-Corp election Legal & taxA tax election (filed via Form 2553) that lets an LLC pay the owner part wages, part distribution — saving on self-employment tax.
- SaaS (software as a service) SoftwareSoftware you rent monthly instead of buy outright — accessed in the browser, updated continuously, no install.
- Sales tax (on lawn care) Legal & taxSome US states tax lawn care services, others don't. The map is inconsistent — check your specific state.
- Scalping TurfCutting grass too short, exposing brown stems and stressing the lawn.
- Service history Customer operationsA chronological log of every visit performed at a customer's property.
- Side-hustle operator IndustryA part-time lawn care operator who has a day job and runs 10–40 customers on evenings and weekends.
- Skip Customer operationsA scheduled visit that's intentionally not performed — by request or by your decision (e.g., grass too short).
- Soil compaction TurfWhen soil particles are pressed tightly together, leaving little air space for roots, water, or microbes.
- Sole proprietor Legal & taxThe default business structure when you operate without forming an LLC or corporation — you and the business are legally one entity.
- Stand-on mower EquipmentA commercial mower the operator stands on at the back, combining riding speed with walk-behind agility.
- String trimmer EquipmentA handheld machine that cuts grass and weeds using a spinning nylon line — also called a "weed eater."
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- Walk-behind mower EquipmentA mower the operator walks behind, either self-propelled or push.
- Warm-season grass TurfGrass varieties (Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede) that thrive in summer heat and go dormant in winter.
- Work order Billing & pricingA specific instruction for a job to be performed — what service, where, when, for whom, and at what price.
- Worker's compensation insurance Legal & taxState-mandated insurance covering medical expenses and lost wages for employees injured on the job.