As far as I can tell there are two ways people make money in maintenance.
1. Mow a lot of stuff fast. Low prices but lot's of work. Quantity over quality for customers who care less about how well it's done then the fact that they don't have to do it themselves.
2. Full service, high quality work. Mowing, pesticides apps, gardening, tree work, etc. Focus on clients who appreciate superior service and are willing to pay for it. Fewer clients, high margins and minimum job sizes so you don't lose time driving around all day. That is what we TRY to do and it is nice to go into spring with 30-40% of your target revenue covered by long time clients.
Everything in between seems like a waste of time to me. Too much competition.
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I just don't think a 3 man mowing crew will ever generate as much money as a 3 man hardscape crew.
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Maybe...maybe not, but there is something to be said for having those three guys scheduled everyday from April through November without you having to worry about selling more work for them to do. Maintenance has its share of headaches but compared to construction once you are set up with some decent equipment and a decent foreman a maintenance crew can almost run on autopilot when you need it to.