The Ultimate Guide To Government Mowing Contracts

acreage mowing services

Obtaining government mowing contracts is, quite frankly, a lesson in patience and fortitude, especially for those just starting out in the commercial mowing services business.  This article will explain why it is so difficult, for those thinking of bidding on government mowing contracts.

We are Keith’s Tractor Mowing, serving the Greater Fort Worth area and most of Tarrant County. Call us for information about government mowing, or any other type of commercial lawn cutting or land clearing.

Why are government mowing contracts so difficult?

There is one simple reason why government mowing contracts are so difficult to navigate and ultimately win: they are all different in scope and requirements!

Take our business for example.  Keith’s Tractor Mowing services all towns and cities within a seventy-five-mile radius of Fort Worth. There are, conservative guess, dozens of small towns, medium-sized towns, and cities within that area of Tarrant County.  Each one has its own set of regulations regarding mowing and lot mowing.  Each one has its own bidding process, and each one has its own set or requirements regarding the actual mowing and the bidding procedure.

In other words, one size definitely does not fit all!

If we go to make a bid on acreage mowing in Irving, we must learn the requirements of Irving as opposed, say, to North Richland Hills or Watauga. And we aren’t even mentioning the requirements and procedures of the State of Texas, which has jurisdiction over state highways for highway mowing contracts.

Venturing a guess, it would not be an exaggeration to say that ninety-percent of government mowing contracts fail simply because of confusion over the bidding process.

How to approach government commercial lawn care bids

How, then, should you approach government lawn care bids? Very carefully! Do not rush. Sit down, read the regulations, and make sure 1) that you understand them and 2) that you are capable of meeting the requirements.  Nothing will give a black eye to your company faster than bidding on a job you are incapable of doing. Nothing will ruin the reputation of your company faster than failing to meet a city’s requirements.  You better believe city officials talk to city officials from other jurisdictions. You better believe they ask for recommendations regarding commercial lawn services.

Read the fine print!

Never set out to underbid

Yes, these government contracts are a bidding situation and yes, the tendency is to bid low in order to obtain the contract.  Our recommendation: do not do that!  Bidding low means very little profit for your company.  It means expelling energy and time on a job you are making very little money on, forsaking commercial jobs you could make more money on.  Bidding low is like shooting yourself in the foot and then signing up for a marathon race.  Submit a bid which is competitive and which gives you some profit.  If you don’t get that bid, try again somewhere else, but always remember, you are in business to make money.  Governments do not hire mowing services by low bids; governments hire by the trust factor. Can the company deliver on the promises made.

A word about Keith’s Tractor Mowing

We have been at this for over twenty years and we have submitted, and won, quite a few government mowing contracts. There is a right way, there is a wrong way, and we’ve learned over the years. Call us for more information about Keith’s Tractor Mowing, a trusted name in acreage mowing and lot mowing in the Tarrant County area.