commercial
Commercial grounds maintenance
£800 to £1,800 a year covers a small office plot under half an acre, while £3,500 to £7,500 buys a business park of one to two acres. Single ad hoc visits are £50 to £150. Contract rates typically run 15 to 25 per cent below ad hoc hourly.
What this covers
What it costs. £800 to £8,000 a year covers most commercial grounds contracts, with the spread set by site type as much as by acreage. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Grass cutting to a written schedule
- Hedge, shrub and border maintenance
- Litter picking and hard surface clearance
- Seasonal works agreed at the start of the year
- Reporting and site records for the client
What is involved
Commercial contracts are specified by schedule, not by job. A tender sets the cutting cycle, typically 16 to 20 cuts from March to October on amenity grass, then lists shrub beds, hedges, hard surfaces, litter and winter work against frequencies. Amenity mowing on open ground runs £28 to £55 a hectare a cut with gang or ride-on machinery. Hedges are measured in linear metres, at £0.45 to £1.20 a metre a cut. Litter picking is £15 to £35 a hectare a visit, and a spray operator visit £60 to £120 before chemicals.
Site type moves the annual figure more than acreage does. A school or academy sits at £4,000 to £9,000 because term time access compresses the work into narrow windows. Healthcare sites reach £5,000 to £12,000 on comparable grass area, since wards and access routes dictate when machinery may run. Retail parks come in at £2,500 to £6,000 and business parks at £3,500 to £7,500. Multi-site estates buy the rate down: three retail sites on monthly visits total £3,000 to £5,000.
Compliance is where commercial work parts from domestic. Weed control on paths and car parks needs an operator holding PA1 and PA6, and the specification will ask for the numbers. Public liability of £5 million or £10 million is standard on tenders. Anyone taking arisings off site needs the right carrier registration, upper tier once soil or hard materials go in. A Tree Preservation Order stops work without consent, and on an English site in a conservation area six weeks of notice goes in first.
Choosing someone for the job
A written schedule carrying cut counts and frequencies beats a monthly figure every time. Is the rate fixed for the term or indexed, and indexed against what? Weather disruption needs an owner and a missed cycle needs a rule, both written down. PA certificate numbers, waste carrier tier and public liability sum all belong in the tender return. What is the actual crew size on site, and is supervision billed or included?
Common questions
How is commercial grass cutting priced?
By hectare per cut on open amenity land, at roughly £28 to £55, or per visit on smaller sites at £40 to £120. Contracts name a cycle count rather than dates, usually 16 to 20 cuts from March to October. Fine turf and sports pitches are priced apart at £3,500 to £8,500 a pitch a year.
What does a small commercial site cost?
£800 to £1,800 a year for an office plot under half an acre on monthly or fortnightly visits. Single ad hoc visits come in at £50 to £150. Monthly retainers for a small site sit at £150 to £400.