MarginShock

Landscaping
fuel surcharge calculator

Trucks, trailers, mowers, blowers and trimmers all burn fuel, and route-based lawn care spreads that cost across a lot of small tickets. When fuel jumps, a few cents per gallon turns into real money by the end of the month. Work out what it costs you per visit before you decide what to charge.

Worked example

Gasoline $3.20 → $4.10

$1.80

surcharge per visit

Extra / month
$468
Of avg ticket
2.1%

Illustrative · enter your own below

Surcharge engine · inputs

Example numbers — replace with yours

Example: 3 maintenance crews, ~260 visits a month, $85 average visit

The cost that changed
$
$
How much you use

From fuel cards, receipts, or supplier invoices.

How many visits the cost is spread across.

Your pricing
$

Used to express the surcharge as a %.

%

e.g. 20 for 20%.

Gallon change

▲ 28.1%

Extra / month

$468

Extra / visit

$1.80

No account needed. Inputs are saved anonymously to build industry benchmarks — never shown individually. Privacy

(What drives the cost)

Where the fuel goes in landscaping.

  1. 01Truck and trailer miles between properties — usually the biggest share of fuel.
  2. 02Mowers and handheld equipment running all day during peak season.
  3. 03Route density: spread-out routes burn more fuel per visit than tight ones.
  4. 04Seasonality: fuel use peaks with mowing season, so a per-visit surcharge tracks usage better than a flat monthly fee.

(Pricing it)

How to add a surcharge customers accept.

01

Charge per visit, not per month

Fuel use scales with visits and miles. A small per-visit surcharge matches the cost more fairly than a flat add-on to seasonal contracts.

02

Keep it small and explained

Lawn care tickets are small, so customers notice percentages. A clearly labeled fuel line item that recovers only the added cost is easier to accept than a vague price hike.

03

Set a review trigger

Tie the surcharge to a fuel price threshold and say when you'll remove or reduce it. Customers trust surcharges that come with an exit.

(Sample customer notice)

A surcharge letter you can adapt.

Built from the example numbers. Create a free account to generate one from your own numbers as an email, SMS, invoice note, or contract clause — then review it before sending.

Generate mine free

Email · friendly · draft

Review before sending

Subject: A small fuel surcharge on upcoming visits

Hi [Customer name],

Fuel prices have risen sharply, and fuel is one of the biggest costs of every visit we do for you. Rather than raise our base prices, we're adding a temporary fuel surcharge of $1.80 per visit, starting [date].

This covers only the added fuel cost — nothing more. We'll review it regularly and reduce or remove it when fuel prices come back down.

Thank you for your business. If you have any questions, just reply to this message.

[Your name]
[Company]

(FAQ)

Landscaping fuel surcharge questions

01Should a landscaping company add a fuel surcharge or raise prices?

If you expect fuel to come back down, a temporary, clearly labeled surcharge is easier to remove later. If the cost increase looks permanent, folding it into your base price is usually cleaner. The calculator shows both numbers.

02How do I estimate my monthly fuel use?

Add up fuel card or receipt totals for a normal month and divide by the price you paid per gallon. Include both vehicles and equipment if they share a budget.

03Can I add a surcharge to existing maintenance contracts?

Check your contract terms first. Many agreements allow price changes with notice; some don't. When in doubt, give written notice before the next billing cycle.

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