Drought Reduces Lawn Care
Widespread Drought Slows Grass Growth and Reduces Lawn Mowing Visits Across Markets
Anonymous
Key Points
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Drought.gov reported that drought covered 59.05% of the Lower 48 from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, an increase of 4.1 percentage points in a week.
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NOAA’s Sept. 7 outlook warned of rapid-onset drought across the Central and Southern Plains, the Mississippi Valley, and parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys.
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Despite fewer completed mowings, the on-time completion rate improved from 75.6% to 81.9%, further suggesting the decline was not caused by service capacity problems.
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GreenPal CEO Bryan Clayton said, “When the grass stops growing, homeowners should not have to pay for a mow they do not need.”
Drought is giving homeowners an unexpected break on lawn care costs. Across 14 markets, paid mowing visits dropped 6.8%—or 259 jobs—over two weeks as dry grass stopped growing, according to GreenPal. Homeowners are skipping unnecessary mows and saving $47 to $51 per visit, with drought now covering nearly 59% of the Lower 48 states.
The decline reflects homeowner choices, not worker shortages. Drought.gov reported that drought coverage jumped from 54.95% to 59.05% of the Lower 48 between August 26 and September 1. On-time completion rates actually improved to 81.9%, suggesting lawn-care companies had plenty of capacity—homeowners simply canceled mows they did not need.
Drought Spreads Across Nearly 60% of Continental US
Severe drought now blankets nearly three-fifths of the continental United States. Drought.gov data showed coverage jumped 4.1 percentage points in a single week, rising to 59.05% by early September. NOAA's September 7 outlook warned of rapid-onset drought spreading across the Central and Southern Plains, the Mississippi Valley, and parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys.
Columbus and Memphis See Sharpest Mowing Declines
The impact hit some cities harder than others. Columbus and Memphis experienced especially steep drops in scheduled lawn mowing, according to GreenPal's data tracking 14 major markets over two weeks. The declines point to a simple cause: when grass stops growing in drought conditions, homeowners rationally postpone service rather than pay for unnecessary work.
Service Quality Stays Strong Despite Fewer Jobs
Lawn-care companies maintained performance despite the workload drop. On-time completion rates climbed from 75.6% to 81.9%, a clear signal that the 6.8% decline in mowing visits was driven by customer cancellations, not labor constraints. GreenPal CEO Bryan Clayton said: "When the grass stops growing, homeowners should not have to pay for a mow they do not need." The data proves homeowners are making smart financial calls during drought.
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