The Best Lawn Care Services of 2022 - Bob Vila
Keep up your curb appeal and ensure healthy grass by hiring the best lawn care service for the job.
BobVila.com and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Photo: istockphoto.com
A lush green lawn is a thing of beauty, but the reality is all that beauty takes work. Mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and irrigating (not to mention regular treatment for weeds and pests) can be time-consuming. For some, caring for your lawn yourself can be a labor of love, but for many, hiring a lawn care company will save time, money, and provide peace of mind.
Whether it's weekly lawn maintenance or a seasonal cleanup, a lawn care company can keep your lawn healthy, weed-free, and full of curb appeal. If you're considering hiring a professional, this guide will help you determine the best lawn care service for your needs.
- BEST OVERALL: TruGreen
- RUNNER-UP: Lawn Love
- FULL-SERVICE LANDSCAPING: The Grounds Guys
- ECO-FRIENDLY PICK: Lawn Doctor
- ALSO CONSIDER: LawnStarter
Photo: istockphoto.com
What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Lawn Care Services
Before hiring any lawn care services, there are several factors to consider. These include aspects of the customer experience, like scheduling and pricing, as well as the lawn's needs.
Service Area
When considering hiring a lawn care company, a customer must determine if the company services their area. There's no benefit for customers to look into a company if it's not available to perform work in their area.
Scheduling
All companies require booking services in advance. Homeowners can call or email some companies to make an appointment. Other companies allow customers to manage an account, including scheduling, online. Before hiring a company for any recurring service, customers will want to find out how that company handles booking.
In addition, the time of year will factor into scheduling. Spring and fall typically require seasonal work, such as leaf cleanup and fertilizing. A lawn may grow faster in the late spring and summer and require more mowing. Ultimately, the frequency of lawn care services will be determined by the lawn's needs.
It is also important to find out if a company makes one-time visits or only offers recurring services. Because many customers opt for recurring appointments, it can be difficult for lawn care services to schedule one-time appointments.
Services Offered
Most lawn care services offer mowing, feeding, aerating, reseeding, and basic pest control. Some companies offer additional services like tree and shrub care, landscaping, or snow removal. These additional services can be a bonus for a customer who prefers to bundle their yard maintenance into one visit or stick with one company for various seasonal outdoor maintenance work.
Quotes and Pricing
As a customer, knowing what the costs are up front can be a deciding factor in whether or not to hire a service. Many lawn care professionals offer up-front pricing and free estimates or quotes. These quotes can be delivered instantly online or via phone or email.
In addition, companies that offer services outside of lawn maintenance may have different pricing tiers for a customer who bundles services or customers who have recurring services.
Guarantees
Customers want to know that a company stands by its work, so guarantees are important. Each lawn care service will have different criteria for its guarantee. For example, a company may stipulate that any complaint from the customer be filed within a 24-hour window after service, while another company may give the customer up to 2 weeks. In general, a satisfaction guarantee means that the service or professional will return to rectify whatever the issue is at no cost to the customer or offer a complete refund. Remember that any satisfaction guarantee is given at the lawn care company's discretion.
Our Top Picks
When evaluating the best lawn care services, we looked for parameters such as the number of locations or availability, range of services offered, ease of booking and scheduling, and what type of guarantees the company offered.
Best Overall
Why It Made the Cut: TruGreen has widespread availability, a range of service plans, and an easy-to-use scheduling and billing system.
TruGreen is a lawn care company located in 49 states and Washington, D.C. It offers an array of lawn care services, including mowing, lawn aeration, overseeding, pest control, and soil amendment. Additional services beyond maintenance include mosquito control and prevention as well as tree and shrub care, fertilization, disease treatment, and insect control. TruGreen offers customers a wide range of service plans, from the basic TruHealth package to the all-inclusive TruSignature option.
While the company offers a satisfaction guarantee, this only applies to annual customers on a maintenance plan. However, this signals that TruGreen stands behind its maintenance plans and schedules. The TruGreen website is user-friendly, and customers can manage their appointments and payments online. TruGreen also offers a mobile app. The scheduling process offers a brief question-and-answer section for customers about their lawn care needs to help them find a tailored maintenance schedule. Services can also be booked over the phone.
Specs
- Service area: 49 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online or phone
- Services offered: Mowing, lawn aeration, overseeding, pest control, soil amendment, tree and shrub
- Quotes: Instant online quote
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee for customers with annual plans
Pros
- Wide range of service plans available
- Straightforward instant quote, booking, and online payment
- Easy-to-use mobile app available to schedule services
- Service professionals available in 49 states and Washington, D.C.
Cons
- Satisfaction guarantee only applies to customers on a maintenance plan
Runner-Up
Why It Made the Cut: Lawn Love offers a transparent pricing guide and guarantees its lawn care professionals are bonded and insured.
Unlike some of the other companies on this list, Lawn Love is a site that will source vetted, local lawn care services. These professionals are certified to be bonded and insured so customers can have extra peace of mind. Lawn Love's booking process takes place online and delivers an instant quote. Lawn Love also has a transparent pricing guide, so customers know that pricing is consistent. Customers can easily pay for and manage their services online. Lawn Love offers a satisfaction guarantee, but customers must file complaints within 24 hours.
Lawn Love offers mowing, fertilization, aeration, weed control, yard cleanup, and tree and shrub care. Customers can also book gardening services through the website as well as additional seasonal services such as gutter cleaning and leaf cleanup. Lawn Love offers up to a 30 percent discount for customers who bundle services.
Specs
- Service area: 40 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online
- Services offered: Mowing, fertilization, aeration, weed control, yard cleanup, tree and shrub
- Quotes: Instant online quote
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 24 hours
Pros
- All service professionals are certified to be bonded and insured
- Straightforward instant quote, booking, and online payment
- Transparent pricing guide available
- Customers can save up to 30 percent by bundling services
Cons
- Customers must file any complaints within 24 hours
Full-Service Landscaping
Why It Made the Cut: The Grounds Guys is a full-service landscaping company that offers a wide range of lawn and landscaping services with a 14-day satisfaction guarantee.
The Grounds Guys have locations in 46 states and Washington, D.C., and customers can schedule services via email or over the phone. The company does not currently offer online account management.
The Grounds Guys have a full range of services, including lawn mowing, fertilization, sod installation, and reseeding. The company also offers irrigation, gutter cleaning, tree and shrub care, hardscaping, and landscaping. Snow and ice management is available in the winter, and they'll even install your holiday lights for you. In addition to offering a 2-week satisfaction guarantee, the company provides yard status and quality reports after each visit.
Specs
- Service area: 46 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online or phone
- Services offered: Mowing, pest control, fertilization, snow management, irrigation, gutters, tree and shrub
- Quotes: Email or phone
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 14 days
Pros
- Full-service landscaping company
- Wide range of lawn and yard care services available
- Yard status and quality reports delivered to homeowners
Cons
- No option for online account management
Eco-Friendly Pick
Why It Made the Cut: Lawn Doctor offers a full range of lawn care services, including conventional and organic lawn care treatment plans.
Lawn Doctor has a presence in 38 states and Washington, D.C. Its lawn care maintenance services include mowing, fertilization, seeding, and aeration. The company also offers pest control, including mosquito and tick treatments, along with general tree and shrub care. Lawn Doctor has options for organic lawn treatments, which many customers with pets and children may prefer.
While the company offers online account management, customers can only schedule appointments over the phone. Lawn Doctor's satisfaction guarantee comes with no specific time frame, so customers don't have to rush to make any complaints following a service.
Specs
- Service area: 38 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Phone
- Services offered: Mowing, fertilization, seeding, aeration, pest control, tree and shrub
- Quotes: Email or phone
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee with no specified time frame
Pros
- Preset or custom annual maintenance plans available
- Organic lawn treatments available
- Comprehensive lawn and perimeter pest control system
Cons
- Scheduling only available over the phone
Also Consider
Why It Made the Cut: LawnStarter offers customers comprehensive lawn care maintenance through a convenient app.
LawnStarter offers mowing, aeration, sodding, and fertilization of your lawn, as well as yard cleanup, pressure washing, and other general landscaping services. Customers can only view the full service list once they are in the process of booking, and LawnStarter is only available in 26 states and Washington, D.C.
LawnStarter is an aggregator that sources local certified, insured lawn care professionals. LawnStarter offers a convenient way to maintain and schedule services via its easy-to-use mobile app; however, it does not offer one-time service visits. The company offers instant online quotes and has a satisfaction guarantee with no specified time frame.
Specs
- Service area: 26 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online
- Services offered: Mowing, yard cleanup, aeration, fertilization, leaf removal, pressure washing
- Quotes: Instant online quote
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee with no specified time frame
Pros
- All service professionals are certified to be insured
- Easy-to-use mobile app available to schedule services
- Additional services like pressure washing available
Cons
- Not available in 24 states
- Customers cannot schedule one-time services
- Service list is only visible once customer is in the booking process
Our Verdict
Because of the availability in nearly every state and its comprehensive range of services, TruGreen is the top pick for the best lawn care services overall. Lawn Love is the runner-up for its transparent pricing and discounts for bundling services.
How We Chose the Best Lawn Care Services
We researched dozens of lawn service companies across the U.S. and focused on companies with a multi-state presence. The final list was selected after evaluating relevant factors for each lawn care service company, including the range of lawn care services, additional services, pricing, scheduling, account management, and satisfaction guarantees.
Before You Hire One of the Best Lawn Care Services
Before searching for "best lawn care service near me" or "lawn care near me," it's important for customers to know what to expect when hiring a lawn care service. These companies offer a specialized service with a focus on lawn care. A homeowner may be looking for landscaping, which involves more planting and construction. In that case, they should verify that a lawn care service offers landscaping, or they will need to hire a separate company. Homeowners with extensive gardens may want to speak with a lawn care company before hiring their services to ensure their plants are safe.
Cost of Hiring One of the Best Lawn Care Services
The cost of lawn care services can vary depending on several factors, including the health of the existing lawn, the type of treatments needed, the lawn's size, and any additional services beyond routine mowing and fertilizing. In addition, geographic location can affect the overall price due to variations in the cost of living and minimum wage.
Expect to pay around $130 for lawn maintenance, with a range from $50 to $210. This is typically the cost per visit, and the majority of services during the growing season (spring and summer) are at least biweekly.
While some lawn care professionals charge a flat service rate for regular service, others charge by the hour. Per lawn care pro, the rate per hour ranges from $25 to $60.
The Advantages of Using One of the Best Lawn Care Services
Professional lawn care companies ensure a lawn is kept on a schedule that maintains its appearance and health. From routine mowing and feeding to aeration and irrigation, a lawn care service provides the specialized care that grass requires.
If a homeowner prefers to do some lawn care, such as mowing, but they aren't sure how and when to fertilize, they can work with a lawn care service for a plan that suits their specific needs. Many homeowners may like to hire a lawn care service seasonally as well.
Some other benefits of using a lawn care service include:
- Treating lawn issues effectively and safely.
- Saving homeowners time and energy.
- Using preventive measures to avoid future lawn problems.
FAQs
Every lawn has different needs. But there are some common questions that many customers have before hiring a new lawn care service.
Q. When should I use a lawn care service?
A lawn care service can be used for routine maintenance, such as fertilizing, weed control, and mowing, with the option of weekly, biweekly, or monthly visits. You may want to hire a lawn care company for seasonal cleanup in the fall or spring. You may also need to hire a lawn care specialist to restore diseased or unhealthy grass.
Q. How much does a lawn care service cost on average?
The average national cost for lawn care services is around $130 per visit.
Q. Does a lawn care service come with its own tools?
Yes. A lawn care service will provide everything needed to do the job.
Q. Do I need to book a lawn care service in advance?
Yes. Customers will need to book services in advance.
Q. Can I pay in advance for a lawn care service?
It depends; every service has a different policy. Some will request a deposit, others bill after service is complete, and some might have a flat rate per month.
Comments
Post a Comment