TEXAS — While some of the state is still in drought, the impacts of recent rainfall are very visible, especially when it comes to many Texas lawns.
Experts say the rainfall is helping with more growth.
“We have been seeing customers and clients requesting us to stay on longer or putting off stopping service during the summer,” said Ford Winchester, commercial business developer at Top Choice Lawn Care.
The longer mowing season and increased demand from customers helps offset the increased operating costs many landscaping companies are facing.
Even with additional business, there are other challenges. Joesph Thompson, operations manager for Top Choice Lawn Care, said despite planning routes more efficiently, limiting stops and tracking every gallon from their on-site fuel tank, absorbing that extra cost in gas is unavoidable.
“Your everyday push mowers, weed eaters, trimmers and things like that are all gas powered,” Thompson explains. “Even some other tools we use, like aerators and things like that, sod cutters, they’re all gas powered. So just about every tool we use uses gas.”
Industry and regional data point to broader pressures. According to a recent report by Lawn Love, water bills are on the rise across the country. Data found many Texans are spending more than 1% of their annual income on water bills. Study editor Sav Maive said the highest percentage for the Lone Star State is in Mission.
Maive said residents are paying “almost one and a half percent of their annual income, and the bill on that is over $900 a year.” Other Texas cities ranked in the study include Brownsville, Midland and El Paso at 22nd, 32nd and 35th, respectively.