This New Zealand calculator compares doing your own lawn care against a contractor over a season. Mowing yourself is usually cheaper in cash, but a contractor saves your time, so the right answer depends on what that time is worth to you. You enter the mows per season, the contractor's price, and your own fuel, upkeep and time per mow, and the tool compares the cash cost and the cost including your time.
If you would happily spend the time, the cash cost is what counts and DIY usually wins. If your time is scarce, valuing it shows whether a contractor is good value for you. Estimate only.
The calculator totals the contractor's price across the season, and your own cash cost from fuel and upkeep per mow. It also values your time by multiplying the hours each mow takes by your chosen hourly value, to give a DIY cost including time. Comparing the contractor total with the DIY cost including time shows which is better value once your time is part of the picture, not just the out-of-pocket cash.
Over 20 mows, a contractor at $45 is $900 a season. Your own cost at $4 a mow is just $80 in cash. But valuing an hour per mow at $30 adds $600, for a DIY-with-time cost of $680, still less than the contractor, so doing it yourself wins unless your time is worth more.
If you've found a bug, or would like to contact us, or learn more about James Graham and Calculate.co.nz.
Calculate.co.nz is partnered with Interest.co.nz for New Zealand's highest quality calculators and financial analysis.
All calculators and tools are provided for educational and indicative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.
Calculate.co.nz is proudly part of the Realtor.co.nz group, New Zealand's leading property transaction literacy platform, helping Kiwis understand the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Whether you're a first home buyer navigating your first property purchase, an investor evaluating your next acquisition, or a homeowner planning to sell, Realtor.co.nz provides clear, independent, and trustworthy guidance on every step of the New Zealand property transaction journey.
Calculate.co.nz is also partnered with Health Based Building and Premium Homes to promote informed choices that lead to better long-term outcomes for Kiwi households.
Calculate.co.nz is hosted in Auckland via SiteHost new Zealand.
All content on this website, including calculators, tools, source code, and design, is protected under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). No part of this site may be reproduced, copied, distributed, stored, or used in any form without prior written permission from the owner.
© 2019 to 2026 Calculate.co.nz. All rights reserved.