DETROIT – Rising gas prices are hitting Detroit’s neighborhood lawn crews where it hurts — at the pump. With Metro Detroit averaging nearly $4.78 a gallon, some small business owners are adding more clients and routes to offset costs, while others have introduced fuel surcharges just to keep their operations running.
Richard Taylor, owner of TaylorMade Lawn and Fence, says what he pays to fuel his equipment has more than doubled this season — now running him about $375 a week.
“I just got to watch my spending, control my overhead, and have to adjust with the pricing of the gas,” Taylor said.
Taylor and his wife, Tonesha Taylor — the self-described “boss lady” behind the business — have run TaylorMade Lawn and Fence for over two years. The crew maintains roughly 90 properties across the Detroit area on a daily basis.
Taylor says the math gets complicated quickly if prices keep climbing.
“If I go and it says $5-something, then yeah, I’ll have to sit down with the boss lady and see if we have to make that decision to go up,” he said.
The rising costs have painted a stark picture of the gap between larger, established crews and solo operators. Taylor recalled a recent encounter that drove that point home.
“I saw one guy walking down the street the other day and all he had was the mower and the weed wacker, so I asked him, ‘You do this every day? How much do you charge?’ He said $15. I said, ‘Even with the gas?’” Taylor said.
Crews cut back, add surcharges
Other companies say they are responding by adding fuel surcharges or limiting travel to jobs that are worth the trip. Fuel costs are forcing hard choices across the industry — but Taylor says folding isn’t an option.
“I’m just looking to grow,” Taylor said.
When asked whether gas prices could slow him down, Taylor didn’t hesitate.
“No, where I come from, it’s not going to stop me. If that means we have to go out and get 20 more lawns to supplement the gas price, then we’ll just do it,” he said.
Beyond lawn care
Lawn companies aren’t the only small businesses feeling the strain. Food truck owners, nonprofits and food delivery drivers are also absorbing the impact of elevated fuel prices.
According to AAA, the average price for gas in Metro Detroit sits at $4.78 a gallon — down slightly from $4.81 the previous week. The relief, however small, offers little comfort for crews still watching every dollar at the pump.