Updated November 2026 US, UK, Canada and Australia Free calculator
Leaf removal is short-season work that pays well if you price the leaves, not just the lawn. Two yards of the same size can differ by hours: one has a single young maple, the other sits under three old oaks. Disposal is the other trap, because bagged leaves are bulky and someone has to pay to get rid of them.
A typical quarter-acre yard goes for $150–$320 in the US, and a typical city lot C$145–C$260 in Canada. A UK garden runs £70–£140 and an Australian block A$170–A$370, where leaf work is usually sold as part of a wider garden tidy-up.
Set the job details to get a price to quote, then check what that price leaves you per hour once driving, supplies and tax are counted.
sq ft
Lawn and beds together. A quarter acre is about 10,900 sq ft.Lawn and beds together. A typical semi has 60 to 150 m² of garden.Lawn and beds together. A typical city lot has 4,000 to 7,000 sq ft of yard.Lawn and garden beds together. A typical block has 150 to 300 m² of garden.
We only publish going rates for the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Enter the price you plan to charge and the calculator shows what it pays you per hour, and the lowest price you should accept.
Charge about
$220
per visit, for 10,000 sq ft
Budget$150Typical$220Premium$320
$
per visit, in your own currency
What you really keep
$45an hour in your pocket at the typical price
Adjust the numbers above to match your job.
The price is built as a base fee plus a rate for the size of the job, then adjusted for the options you pick. Time is an estimate for one person working alone; change it if you know your own pace.
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Price list
Leaf Removal prices by job size
Job
United States (USD)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Small yard
$100–$185about 5,000 sq ft
£50–£85about 50 m²
$115–$195about 4,000 sq ft
$110–$210about 100 m²
Average yard
$150–$320quarter acre, about 10,000 sq ft
£70–£140about 100 m²
$145–$260about 6,000 sq ft
$170–$370about 200 m²
Large yard
$270–$640half an acre, about 22,000 sq ft
£150–£360about 300 m²
$230–$470about 12,000 sq ft
$350–$850about 500 m²
Acre lot
$480–$1,210about 43,000 sq ft
£430–£1,130about 1,000 m²
$660–$1,520about 43,000 sq ft
$650–$1,650about 1,000 m²
Hourly rate
$25–$60what working pros bill
£25–£45what working pros bill
$35–$70what working pros bill
$45–$85what working pros bill
Minimum charge
$80smallest job worth the trip
£50smallest job worth the trip
$90smallest job worth the trip
$100smallest job worth the trip
Prices are per visit in local currency, from a fair budget price to an established operator in a higher-cost area.
United States: Many cities collect leaves at the curb in fall, in bags or loose piles, which can save you most of the disposal cost. Check your town's rules before you quote haul-away.
United Kingdom: Leaf clearance is usually sold by gardeners as an autumn tidy-up, priced by the job or the hour. Garden waste can go in council brown bins only up to their capacity; beyond that you need a waste carrier registration to take it away.
Canada: The season is short and early snow can end it overnight, so book fall cleanups from early September. Most are sold together with the last mow and gutter cleaning.
Australia: Many native trees shed leaves and bark all year, so leaf work is usually part of a regular garden tidy-up rather than a single autumn job. Green waste tipping fees are high in Sydney, so price disposal carefully.
Method
Ways to price leaf removal
01By yard size and leaf load
A base fee plus a rate for the area, adjusted for how many leaves there are. This is how the calculator works. Look at the trees before you quote, not just the lawn.
02Flat price per visit
One price for the whole cleanup after you have seen the yard. Customers like it, and you earn more as you get faster with a backpack blower and tarps.
03Hourly
Fair for heavily wooded lots or cleanups that also include beds, gutters and branches. Give the customer an estimate of the hours and a cap.
04Season package
Two or three visits through the fall at a set price. Leaves come down over weeks, and a single late visit means wet, matted leaves that take twice as long to move.
Price factors
What changes the price
01The trees, more than the lawn
Yard size sets the base, but the number and size of trees decide the work. A big oak or maple can drop more leaves than ten young ornamentals. Look up as well as across when you quote.
02When you come
Dry leaves blow into piles in minutes. Leaves left for weeks get wet, matted and heavy, and have to be raked and lifted. A first visit early and a second at the end of the drop is quicker overall than one late visit.
03Disposal
A quarter acre under big trees can fill dozens of bags or several trailer loads. Find out whether the city collects leaves at the curb, whether the customer has a compost area, or whether you pay to tip them, and price accordingly.
04Beds, borders and hard surfaces
Leaves caught in shrubs, flower beds and gravel are slow to clear by hand and easy to damage with a blower. Price bed clearing as its own line.
05Your equipment
A backpack blower and large tarps are the biggest speed gain. A leaf vacuum or mulching mower cuts bulk and disposal cost. Faster gear raises your hourly earnings without raising the price.
Worked examples
Real quotes, step by step
United States
Quarter-acre yard, leaves hauled away
A 10,000 sq ft yard with two large maples and a normal fall drop. The customer has no curbside collection and wants the leaves taken away.
Haul-away is where leaf jobs make or lose money. Know what your local green waste site charges per load before you quote it.
Base price, 10,000 sq ft
$220
Haul away the leaves
+ $60
Quote, rounded
$280
Going range
$210–$380
Time, with 15 min driving
4 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $12
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $67
You keep
$50 an hour
Canada
Wooded half-acre, wet leaves
A half-acre lot under mature oaks, left until November. Leaves are wet and matted on the lawn and in the beds.
Heavy, wet leaves can triple the time. Price them high, and sell the customer an earlier visit next year.
Base price, 22,000 sq ft
$544
Heavy, large mature trees
× 1.5
Wet, matted or left for weeks
× 1.25
Clear leaves out of beds and borders
+ $40
Quote, rounded
$1,060
Going range
$730–$1,560
Time, with 15 min driving
15.75 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $14
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $262
You keep
$50 an hour
United Kingdom
Autumn garden tidy
A 120 m² back garden with a birch and a hedge, leaves on the lawn and in the borders. Waste goes into the customer's brown bins.
Small UK gardens are quick. Book three or four on the same street and the day pays well even at modest prices.
Base price, 120 m²
£114
Clear leaves out of beds and borders
+ £25
Quote, rounded
£140
Going range
£105–£185
Time, with 15 min driving
3.5 hours
Supplies and fuel
− £8
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− £33
You keep
£28 an hour
Your costs
What it costs you to do the work
A rake and bags will do for a few neighbours. To run a fall route you need a good blower and a way to move leaves fast.
Item
USA (USD)
UK (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Backpack leaf blower
$250–$600
£200–£500
$320–$800
$350–$850
Rakes, tarps and leaf bags for a season
$80–$200
£60–£160
$100–$260
$110–$280
Leaf vacuum or mulcherOptional. Cuts the volume of leaves to haul by up to ten times.
$300–$1,500
£250–£1,200
$400–$2,000
$450–$2,200
Green waste disposal, per load
$20–$60
£15–£60
$20–$70
$30–$100
Liability insurance, per year
$400–$1,200
£60–£200
$500–$1,300
$400–$900
Avoid these
Pricing mistakes that cost beginners money
Quoting the lawn and ignoring the trees
A small yard under one giant oak can take longer than a big open one. Count the mature trees and adjust the price before you give a number.
Free disposal
Leaves are light but bulky. Driving three trailer loads to the tip on your own time and money wipes out the profit. Haul-away is always a separate line.
One visit at the very end
Waiting until every leaf has dropped means wet, heavy, matted work. Offer two visits and you will finish both faster than one late one.
Blowing leaves onto the neighbour's side
It is the fastest way to lose a customer and start a dispute. Collect onto tarps and keep everything on the property you are paid for.
Questions
Common questions about leaf removal prices
How much should I charge for leaf removal?
For an average yard with a normal leaf drop, charge $150–$320 in the US, £70–£140 in the UK, C$145–C$260 in Canada and A$170–A$370 in Australia. Charge about half as much again under large mature trees, and extra for haul-away.
How much should I charge per hour for leaf removal?
Leaf raking and blowing run about $25–$60 an hour in the US, £25–£45 in the UK, C$35–C$70 in Canada and A$45–A$85 in Australia. A two-person crew with blowers and a vacuum bills more.
How long does leaf removal take?
One person with a backpack blower takes about three to four hours to clear a quarter-acre yard with a normal leaf drop, including blowing onto tarps and bagging. Heavy or wet leaves can double that, and hauling adds time.
Should I charge extra to take the leaves away?
Yes. Disposal costs you tip fees and driving time. Many operators bag leaves for curbside pickup at the base price and charge a set fee per load to haul them away.
How much should a teenager charge to rake leaves?
A teenager with a rake and the customer's bags usually charges $15 to $25 an hour in the US, or a flat $40 to $80 for an average yard, less than a pro with equipment and insurance.
When should I book fall cleanups?
Start taking bookings in early September and fill October and November. Offer a two-visit package so you are not trying to clear every yard in the same rainy week.
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Where these numbers come from
The rates on this page were set in November 2026 from the published price guides below, then checked so that the calculator, the price list and the examples all agree. How we work out prices.