What Is One Less Mowing Worth? Pricing Low-Maintenance Lawn Traits
Ask homeowners what they want from their yard and the answer sounds simple: green, dense, and free of weeds. Many also want a lawn that asks less of them. For sod growers, the hard part is knowing which low-maintenance traits matter at the point of sale, when each comes in its own unit: mowings per week, levels of shade tolerance, inches of mowing height.
Surveys that ask homeowners to rate traits do not help much. Rating costs nothing, so nearly everything comes back as important. Willingness to pay (WTP) instead puts every trait on one scale: dollars per square foot of sod. Think of a coffee shop menu, where an extra shot, oat milk, and a flavor syrup are measured differently but each has its own price. WTP builds that menu for lawn traits.
To build it, homeowners choose among sod options that differ in traits and price, or choose not to buy. Each choice reveals a trade-off, such as how much more they would pay to mow once a week instead of twice. Econometric models turn those choices into a dollar value for each trait and show how much that value varies across homeowners.
Say a grower is weighing two cultivars that both cost more to produce than the current standard. Cultivar A needs less mowing; Cultivar B handles shade better. If the premium for reduced mowing clears its added cost by a wider margin, Cultivar A is the better bet for broad retail. Cultivar B may still win a niche with owners of shaded lots.
The lessons are practical. State expected mowing and watering needs on the label. Tailor products or messages to shaded lots, time-pressed owners, and water-restricted areas. Price on value, not production cost alone. Extension economists can help design short choice tasks for your own customers. Homeowners are not only buying a yard; they are buying the time and effort it will require.
J. Mario Munoz & Ariana Torres
Graduate Student; Associate Professor, Purdue UniversityJ. Mario Muñoz
J. Mario Munoz is an MS student at Purdue University, advised by Dr. Ariana Torres. His research examines homeowners’ preferences and willingness to pay for low-input sod. He can be reached at jmunozg@purdue.edu.
Ariana P. Torres
Associate Professor of Associate Professor in Horticulture & Landscape Architecture and Agricultural Economics at Purdue University
Dr. Torres’ research expertise lies in understanding decision-making processes across the specialty crop supply chain –from farmers to consumers. Her work encompasses economic modeling, development of decision-making tools like the HortCalculator, and economic impact analysis, all aimed at empowering growers’ decision-making with data-driven strategies. Currently, she leads projects promoting crop diversification in the Midwest, assessing biological control feasibility, and supporting market access for underrepresented farmers in the US and internationally. Her impactful Horticulture Business Extension program translates her extensive research output –including 38 research publications and 24 Extension articles, funded by over $22 million in grants– into practical trainings and resources for farmers, business owners, and policymakers.
