Test whether completed recurring visits, route density and the realized visit price can support every paid hour, vehicle, equipment item and seasonal operating gap. This Delaware profile connects official wage and population benchmarks to a defined operating scenario.
Two two-person crews providing recurring residential landscape maintenance on compact local routes
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared September 10, 2026
We examined the available wage records for this two two-person crews providing recurring residential landscape maintenance on compact local routes, checked the Census population observations and calculated the staffing implications using the stated wage benchmarks. The results below show what that completed analysis establishes.
The same roster costs $18,968 at the selected Delaware wage benchmarks versus $18,816 at national medians, including the stated employer-cost allowance. This isolates wage differences; it does not compare local rent or customer spending.
Inspect the roles and source rows →The reference operating month exceeds EBIT break-even by 1.5 completed property-service visits per route day. That is the sales margin available before the modeled operating profit disappears.
See the calculation and cash results →| Component | What the evidence establishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wage records and state population | Selected May 2025 occupational records and July 2024/2025 Census estimates, with exact fields and source rows. | Source records checked |
| Paid payroll and break-even | Calculated from observed wage benchmarks and the explicitly modeled roster, employer allowance, price and costs. | Derived result |
| Opening budget and commercial costs | Published fit-out, equipment, occupancy and other allowances define this comparison scenario. State-specific commercial quotes have not yet replaced them. | Reference assumptions |
| Revenue | $32,340 per mature month follows 14 completed property-service visits per route day at the stated price. It is not observed sales or a researched state revenue average. | Modeled sales assumptions |
Each test changes one input from the published reference. These are sensitivity tests, not local market forecasts or probability ranges.
| Test | Monthly EBIT | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Published reference | $3,108 | The stated inputs on this page |
| 20% fewer sales units | -$2,584 | 11.2 completed property-service visits per route day; other inputs unchanged |
| 25% higher occupancy cost | $2,858 | $1,250 per month; other inputs unchanged |
| 10% higher wage rates | $1,211 | Same paid roster; employer allowance unchanged |
The completed research covers the source observations and analysis described here. The funding and revenue scenarios still contain commercial assumptions; they are not a completed local feasibility study. Read the evidence and its limits.
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.
The methodology was approved on September 6, 2026. The completed work on this page covers wage and population analysis. The opening costs, operating costs and revenue below remain a reference scenario while local commercial evidence is collected.
| Evidence family | Current status | Required work |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Local evidence incomplete | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Local evidence incomplete | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | Wage benchmark available; employer costs unresolved | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Local evidence incomplete | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Local evidence incomplete | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
A national equipment price may be reused where its configuration, delivery and taxes apply. Missing rent, selling-price or demand evidence cannot be filled with a shared state default. Until that evidence exists, no researched state funding or revenue total is claimed.
The Census estimate for Delaware is 1,059,952 people. It grew by 9,829 between July 2024 and July 2025 (+0.94%). This statewide movement cannot identify a viable route, completed-visit mix or realized service price.
Using the same paid roster, Delaware occupational wages produce $18,968 of monthly loaded payroll. That is +0.81% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($18,816). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows
Two two-person crews providing recurring residential landscape maintenance on compact local routes. A route-based residential landscape maintenance company with two paid two-person crews, separately paid route supervision and a defined recurring visit scope.
Each crew has eight paid hours. At 90% route availability, 432 minutes remain for a 54-minute stop cycle, supporting eight whole visits per crew or 16 visits across two crews per route day. The authored stop cycle uses 45 on-property minutes plus nine minutes between properties. Four field workers therefore provide 32 paid person-hours per day, while one completed visit uses 1.5 on-property person-hours. Loading, breaks, estimates, equipment care, route imbalance, property variation, traffic, weather, cancellations and rework can reduce the ceiling. These values are planning assumptions, not observed route performance or demand.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| completed property-service visits per route day | 14 |
| Net selling price per completed property-service visit | $105.00 |
| Trading days / month | 22 |
| Variable cost share | 12% |
| Occupancy / month | $1,000 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $3,400 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
5% fuel and visit-driven equipment use, 3% trimmer line, blades, bags, green-waste and other consumables, and 4% payment fees, callbacks and other costs that move with completed visits; all employee compensation remains in payroll. Commercial auto and general insurance $1,000; yard utilities, waste and security $500; route, scheduling and communication systems $400; marketing $650; accounting, administration and professional costs $450; non-visit vehicle and equipment standing costs $400 per month. Maintenance investment is modeled separately at $1,000 per month.
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four field workers across two two-person crews37-3011 · Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers · State observation | 704 | $17.96 | $17.45–$21.62 | $12,644 |
| Route supervision, estimating and client coordination37-1012 · First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers · State observation | 96 | $35.74 | $30.04–$38.00 | $3,431 |
Base wages total $16,075 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $2,893, giving $18,968 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a state-specific payroll tax calculation or benefits quote for Delaware.
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers is the primary field-work benchmark; First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers is the route-supervision benchmark. These broad occupations do not establish local hiring quotes, crew skill, overtime, employer obligations or a lawful compensation arrangement. The four field positions and all supervision, estimating and client coordination are paid; the supervisor hours do not add field-crew capacity unless the actual schedule assigns that person to a crew and removes the simultaneous office duty. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| Two used truck-and-trailer combinations | $65,000 |
| Commercial mowers, handheld equipment and field tools | $48,000 |
| Secure yard, storage and small-office setup | $6,000 |
| Scheduling, communications, branding and setup | $3,500 |
| Professional and registration allowance | $3,000 |
| Opening fuel, parts, PPE and consumables | $2,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $2,000 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $2,276 |
| Total payments before opening | $131,776 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 96 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
The reference assumes residential invoices are collected within seven days of each completed visit. Monthly billing, failed cards, disputes, customer deposits, prepaid seasonal plans and longer collection terms need their own receivables and deferred-revenue treatment. Opening fuel, parts and consumables are funded upfront; replenishment is represented in variable expenses. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
At the assumed 14 completed property-service visits per route day, the reference scenario produces $3,108 of mature monthly EBIT, a 9.6% operating margin. It requires 12.5 completed property-service visits per route day for EBIT break-even. This result depends on unverified selling price, demand and premises inputs.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $32,340 |
| Variable operating costs | $3,881 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $18,968 |
| Occupancy assumption | $1,000 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $3,400 |
| EBITDA | $5,091 |
| Depreciation | $1,983 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | $3,108 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $1,000 |
| Mature project cash flow | $4,091 |
EBIT break-even revenue is $28,809 per month: $25,352 of fixed costs plus depreciation divided by a 88% contribution margin. At $105.00 per completed property-service visit, that means 12.5 completed property-service visits per route day and 77.9% of the stated capacity.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $334,072 | $32,340 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$10,237 | $3,108 |
| Project cash flow | -$5,983 | $4,091 |
Project payback occurs in month 46 in this reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
A service area can look compact on a map while traffic, gates, parking, loading and uneven route days consume the paid hours needed for completions.
A deferred visit can collide with the next route day, require overtime or be lost under the service agreement. Count the actual recovery rather than shifting every visit on paper.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. The full setup and data can be downloaded below.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
308 completed property-service visits per month × $105.00 = $32,340 revenue. Loaded payroll: $18,968 per month. Break-even uses 77.9% of capacity.
Download published inputs, sources and calculations (JSON). The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
Describe the residential maintenance menu, excluded application, tree and construction work, crew employment, yard and storage, vehicles and trailers, operating hours, noise, fuel or other stored materials, green waste and disposal. Ask the responsible state and local agencies which business, employer, land-use, parking, vehicle, waste, environmental, occupational or activity-specific requirements apply to the actual locations and services.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS Delaware directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full Delaware opening checklist →
Fix the residential maintenance scope, property boundaries, visit frequency, quality standard, exclusions, weather and cancellation policy, and price-change trigger. Test complete route days before filling both crews.
Match two truck-and-trailer combinations, mowers, handheld tools, storage, loading, fuel, waste and maintenance access to the service. Verify registration, land use, parking, vehicle, employer, noise, waste and any activity-specific requirements with the responsible agencies.
Build both crew schedules with supervision, estimates, breaks, training, absence coverage and maintenance. Fund payroll, standing vehicle costs and the weaker seasonal period without assuming every deferred visit can be recovered.
Larger properties, extra edging, bed work, debris or difficult access can raise price while reducing daily capacity. Re-time the scope before treating the higher ticket as better contribution.
A fully researched city case for this business in Delaware has not been prepared. The next content improvement is an address-specific evidence pack covering quotes, demand, staffing, collection terms and responsible authorities.
State: Delaware, FIPS 10. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 37-3011 (Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers), state workbook row 5367; 37-1012 (First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers), state workbook row 5362. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 37-3011, national workbook row 727; 37-1012, national workbook row 717. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
SUMLEV 040; STATE 10; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
A business format and a state record are joined by stable IDs. The shared calculation computes the outputs, and the template publishes static HTML with the source fields and original inputs. A change to evidence or a format triggers recalculation and review before republication.
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