Chris Watkins, who will be a junior at Free State High School this fall, mows a yard in a Lawrence neighborhood Wednesday. Watkins mows about 20 yards a week for a summer job, but higher gas costs are eating into his earnings.

Chris Watkins has been mowing lawns for four years, and while his prices are steady, gas and oil costs are not.

“It’s affected me quite a bit,” the 16-year-old Lawrence resident said. “Most of my yards are $20. You can’t raise prices in the middle of the season, so that hurts.”

Dealing with rising maintenance costs is causing him to rethink how he does his job.

“My truck gets pretty good gas mileage, but every week it costs more and more to fill up to drive to the job,” he said. “I do try and save gas by finding yards that are closer to my house and doing my own maintenance.”

Chris’ father, John, is the bookkeeper for the mowing business. He said that gassing up the mower

wasn’t the issue. It’s the transportation costs for products like spark plugs that affect his son’s work.

“It’s not just the direct pump cost,” he said. “It’s everything across the board.”

And it’s not just the teen trying to make a summer buck who’s dealing with rising costs.

Lawrence Parks and Recreation has more than 3,000 acres among 52 parks. The department has been hiring more contractors to do maintenance on its expansive lawns.

“That saves on labor, saves on fuel, saves on equipment,” said parks and maintenance superintendent Mark Hecker.

He says rising fuel costs are just a part of doing business. A few of the larger parks, like Riverfront Park, have gone to more native grass that requires less attention.

Citywide, Hecker said 40 percent had been added for fuel costs in 2009, compared to the 2007 budget.

“We’re not sure that’s going to be enough. That’s kind of a scary number,” he said.

As for the one-man business, John Watkins is trying to teach his son how the business world works – and makes him save 90 percent of what he makes for college.

“I’m trying to introduce him to the world of business, and that revolves around good bookkeeping and record keeping,” he said. “You have to get over this desire to mow a yard, get paid and go out and spend it.”

Chris also tried to save in other ways. He sharpens his own blades, changes his own spark plugs and uses an electrical blower.

And even when he’s not on the job, he watches his gas usage.

“Whenever I’m going somewhere, I try to ride my bike or walk and my friends carpool a lot,” he said.