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Best lawn care services of 2024

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TruGreen is our top pick for full-service lawn care due to its variety of service plans and convenient features. We consider Sunday Lawn Care the best subscription lawn care company because of its customizable subscription plans and budget-friendly pricing.

It’s up to you whether you’d like to care for your lawn yourself or have a professional do it. Typically, price is the biggest factor in this decision.

If you’re concerned about the price of a full-service company, a subscription company will suit you. You’ll be responsible for the health of your lawn, which may yield mixed results. Although you’ll pay a higher premium, a full-service company will take care of nearly all aspects of lawn care and have licensed professionals who guarantee their work.

Our team researched, rated and scored the most popular national lawn care companies based on our in-depth methodology.

The top full-service lawn care companies

Here is our list of the top full-service lawn care companies, which we rated using our proprietary review standards:

  • TruGreen
  • Lawn Love
  • Weed Man
  • Lawn Doctor
  • SavATree

Compare top lawn care services

TruGreen, our top pick, services all states except Alaska and Hawaii and offers comprehensive lawn care service plans. We also recommend Lawn Love because it connects you with vetted local lawn care companies through its intuitive online interface.

Sunday Lawn Care is our recommended subscription company because of its tailored approach to bundling the right lawn care products for your needs.

The table below compares our top lawn care companies on several key factors.

Provider Our Rating BBB Rating Full-Service Company? Average Cost Get Started
4.9
A+ Full-service $746 GET ESTIMATE
4.5
A+ Full-service $615 GET ESTIMATE
4.3
B- Full-service $627 GET ESTIMATE
4.2
A+ Full-service $861 GET ESTIMATE
Provider Our Rating BBB Rating Full-Service Company? Average Cost Get Started
4.9
A+ Full-service $746 GET ESTIMATE
4.5
A+ Full-service $615 GET ESTIMATE
4.3
B- Full-service $627 GET ESTIMATE
4.2
A+ Full-service $861 GET ESTIMATE
We calculated the average annual costs for full-service and subscription lawn care companies based on data from our February 2024 survey of 1,000 homeowners who purchased either full-service or subscription lawn care services.

To get more localized cost figures, we requested quotes from the lawn care companies listed below for a 1,521-square-foot, single-family home with a 3,859-square-foot lawn in Hamden, Connecticut. Note that most lawn care companies require a home inspection before providing pricing information. Your lawn care costs may vary based on your location, home and lawn size, and service choices.

Best full-service lawn care companies

We reviewed full-service lawn care companies by analyzing their professional lawn care services, additional procedures, convenience features and customer reviews. Check out our top five recommended providers for full-service lawn care.

TruGreen
4.9

Our thoughts

What we like

TruGreen offers three standard lawn care plans. TruGreen’s online quote tool is intuitive, generating recommended lawn care plans based on issues such as weeds and brown spots. TruGreen also has separate treatment plans for pest control and tree and shrub care.

We like that TruGreen provides pricing online; other lawn care companies we’ve reviewed require an at-home consultation before giving price estimates.

What we don’t like

While secret shopping on TruGreen’s site, we found that the company doesn’t extend its service guarantee for single-service customers. TruGreen stipulates that its guarantee applies only to those who purchased a lawn care plan.

In addition, our research shows that TruGreen’s lawn care plans are pricier than other providers we’ve analyzed.

Services and pricing

TruGreen offers three standard lawn plans that include a variety of services; it also offers service-specific plans. TruGreen provides a tailored lawn assessment before starting a treatment program. Below is a breakdown of each TruGreen plan:

  • TruBasic ($372 annually): This plan includes weed treatment and nutrient applications. According to our quote, TruGreen will apply its weed and nutrient fertilization treatments four times yearly.
  • TruMaintenance ($401 annually): This plan provides the same services as TruBasic and adds two extra service visits.
  • TruComplete ($727 annually): This plan is TruGreen’s most comprehensive lawn care program. It includes weed control, nutrients, preventive grub control treatments, and one lawn aeration and overseeding service. Its aeration and overseeding service costs $259.
  • TruHealth ($474 annually): This plan includes all services listed in TruBasic and adds preventive grub control treatments. This plan features seven treatments.
  • TruNatural ($680 annually): This plan is TruGreen’s eco-friendly treatment program. However, it only provides nutrient treatments in this plan. TruGreen will treat your lawn five times.

Additional services

TruGreen tailors its service-specific plans to pest control and shrub care. Here is the list of extra services TruGreen offers:

  • Mosquito Defense ($599 annually): This plan includes six mosquito treatments.
  • Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control ($510 annually): This treatment plan includes six flea and tick treatments.
  • Mosquito and Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control ($906 annually): This treatment plan adds flea and tick treatments to the Mosquito Defense program. It includes six service visits.
  • Perimeter Pest Control ($504 annually): This plan treats your home’s surrounding areas to keep insects and small critters away. This plan also includes four treatment visits.
  • Preventative Grub Control ($97 per application): TruGreen provides this treatment as a single service if you don’t want a lawn care plan that includes it.
  • Tree and Shrub Care ($602 annually): The Tree and Shrub Care plan combines insect and mite control with root fertilization and disease control for your home’s trees and shrubs. TruGreen provides seven service visits.
  • Lime Soil Amendment ($73 per application): TruGreen offers lime soil amendments as a single service. This treatment helps balance your lawn’s soil’s potential hydrogen (pH).
  • Potassium Soil Treatment ($73 per application): This lawn treatment provides extra nutrition for your lawn. TruGreen also offers it as a single service.

Customer thoughts

Our research shows that TruGreen customers have mixed views on the company. We found many recent negative reviews on sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It’s important to note that customers generally file complaints on BBB, which explains the large quantity of recent negative reviews.

Although TruGreen holds an A+ rating on BBB, customers rated it 1.1 out of 5 stars. Customers complained about lackluster service quality. To investigate these statements, we surveyed 1,000 homeowners in February 2024 and found that more than 78% of the 198 homeowners who hired TruGreen considered the company’s service quality an 8 out of 10 or higher.

Service guarantee

TruGreen offers its TruGreen Guarantee only for customers with a full lawn care program. The TruGreen Guarantee stipulates that it will reservice your lawn to uphold quality standards in between treatments, free of charge.

Lawn Love
4.5

Our thoughts

What we like

Lawn Love doesn’t fulfill lawn care services itself, unlike the rest of our full-service recommendations. Rather, it sources local lawn care providers near you through its online search tool. Because Lawn Love utilizes local companies, you can access lawn care services other national providers don’t provide, such as landscaping and lawn mowing.

Lawn Love will also immediately reservice your lawn for each service you purchase if you aren’t satisfied with the results. Lawn Love’s service guarantee is more comprehensive than most other providers, who only reservice in-between visits.

What we don’t like

Although not much of a con, Lawn Love doesn’t offer customized lawn care plans besides lawn mowing. We discovered through our secret shopping that you can only purchase single services rather than a lawn treatment plan.

In addition, Lawn Love doesn’t service all states. It excludes Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Services and pricing

Lawn Love offers 15 services, ranging from lawn maintenance to seeding. Lawn Love didn’t disclose pricing when we requested an online quote because its service model centers on matching you with third-party lawn care companies that best fit your needs. The third-party provider will provide pricing once you decide which services you want.

Below is the full list of lawn services Lawn Love provides:

  • Aeration
  • Bush trimming
  • Cleanups
  • Lawn fertilization
  • Lawn mowing
  • Lawn seeding
  • Lawn treatment
  • Leaf removal
  • Tree trimming
  • Weed pulling

Additional services

Lawn Love also offers services outside of traditional lawn care. Here are the extra services it provides:

  • Fence installation or repair
  • Gutter cleaning
  • Pool cleaning
  • Pressure washing
  • Rocks or stone installation

Customer thoughts

Lawn Love has an A+ rating on BBB alongside a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Although several recent poor Trustpilot reviews expressed dismay toward Lawn Love’s overgrown grass fee, most recent reviews on BBB praised the company’s simple booking interface and knowledgeable lawn care experts.

Service guarantee

Lawn Love’s service guarantee stipulates that it will resend the lawn care professional who previously worked on your lawn if you aren’t satisfied with their results. However, this satisfaction guarantee only applies if you contact Lawn Love within 24 hours of the service completion.

In addition, Lawn Love guarantees each subsequent lawn care service you purchase in the future.

Weed Man
4.3

Our thoughts

What we like

Weed Man is one of the few national lawn care companies that offers landscape bed and xeriscape weed control services. These services focus on removing unsightly weeds from your garden or drought-resistant bedding. Weed Man also provides weed-specific treatment options, such as crabgrass and nutsedge treatments.

Alongside its weed treatments, Weed Man offers specialized pest control services that other companies don’t. For example, Weed Man lists on its website that it performs mole and armyworm control services.

What we don’t like

Through our secret shopping, we discovered that Weed Man doesn’t provide online pricing for its services. You must call to obtain a quote. Weed Man doesn’t provide tree and shrub control services, which is a common service other lawn care companies offer.

Additionally, Weed Man only services 37 states. It excludes Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

Services and pricing

Weed Man offers 24 total services. Like Lawn Love, Weed Man won’t disclose its pricing unless you call and book an inspection. Below is the list of standard lawn services Weed Man offers:

  • Bermuda grass control
  • Crabgrass control
  • Dallis grass control
  • Fertilization
  • Lawn disease control
  • Mechanical core aeration
  • Moss control
  • Nutsedge control
  • Organic lawn dressing
  • Overseeding
  • Soil pH control
  • Soil revitalizer
  • Vegetation control
  • Weed control

Additional services

Weed Man offers specialized lawn, pest and landscaping services alongside its standard lawn care treatments. Here are the extra services it provides:

  • Armyworm control
  • Chinch bug management
  • Fire ant management
  • Flea and tick control
  • Grub control
  • Landscape bed and xeriscape weed control
  • Mole control services
  • Mosquito control
  • Perimeter pest services
  • Surface insect control

Customer thoughts

Weed Man currently holds a B- rating and a customer rating of 1 out of 5 stars on BBB. However, Weed Man’s BBB profile only has 12 customer reviews. After further digging, we couldn’t find additional customer reviews outside Weed Man’s website.

Most of the complaints we found on BBB centered on lackluster results from Weed Man’s treatments. Still, Weed Man responded to each complaint on the site, indicating that the company aims to achieve customer satisfaction.

Service guarantee

Weed Man offers a limited service guarantee for each treatment you purchase. According to Section 4 of its terms and conditions, Weed Man will reservice your lawn free of charge if you aren’t satisfied with the results. 

However, Weed Man must first determine whether you have followed all recommendations it provided to you after service. If Weed Man determines you haven’t followed its recommendations, its service guarantee is void.

Lawn Doctor
4.2

Our thoughts

What we like

Similar to TruGreen, Lawn Doctor offers annual lawn and pest treatment plans. Its plans range from aeration and seeding to tick control. In addition to its annual plans, Lawn Doctor provides single lawn care and pest control services.

Lawn Doctor also offers a full money-back service guarantee. It will either return and reapply the application at no extra charge or refund the entire cost if you aren’t satisfied with the results.

What we don’t like

Lawn Doctor falls in the same boat as other national lawn care providers regarding pricing. Lawn Doctor won’t display pricing online when you submit a quote. In addition, Lawn Doctor offers fewer specialized lawn and pest services than other providers. For example, Lawn Doctor doesn’t offer lawn disease treatments.

Our research shows that Lawn Doctor only services 40 states. It excludes Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.

Services and pricing

Lawn Doctor has five annual plans and 11 individual lawn and pest treatments. Here is an overview of Lawn Doctor’s annual lawn and pest programs:

  • Fertilization and Weed Plan: Lawn Doctor will treat your lawn six to eight times during the plan term with fertilization and weed control treatments.
  • Aeration and Seeding Plan: Lawn Doctor doesn’t specify online how often it will perform aeration and seeding under this plan. Its aeration procedure involves removing lawn thatch, while its seeding procedure introduces grass seed cultivars to your lawn.
  • Mosquito Control Plan: Lawn Doctor will treat your yard with mosquito repellant five to eight times during the plan term.
  • Tick Control Plan: Lawn Doctor doesn’t specify online the number of treatments it will perform. However, Lawn Doctor will treat areas where ticks commonly appear, such as your home’s landscaping and wood lines.
  • Perimeter Pest Control Plan: Lawn Doctor will apply its treatment around the perimeter of your home’s foundation.

Below is the list of lawn services Lawn Doctor offers:

  • Core aeration
  • Fertilization
  • pH balancing and lime treatment
  • Power seeding
  • Tree and shrub care
  • Weed control

Additional services

Lawn Love offers several pest control services in addition to its standard lawn care treatments. Here are the extra services it provides:

  • Fire ant control
  • Grub control
  • Lawn pest control
  • Mosquito and tick control
  • Perimeter pest control

Customer thoughts

Lawn Doctor holds a solid A+ rating with BBB. However, BBB customers rated Lawn Doctor a low 1.1 out of 5 stars. Its profile has only seven customer reviews, which may not accurately represent Lawn Doctor’s service quality.

Lawn Doctor’s Google Reviews are much higher than its BBB rating. That said, the Google Reviews stem from location-specific Lawn Doctor branches. Customers rated Lawn Doctor 5 out of 5 stars for the Walnut Creek-Concord branch in Northern California. The most recent customer reviews we read praised Lawn Doctor’s expertise and friendly customer service.

Service guarantee

Lawn Doctor provides a 100% satisfaction service guarantee for each treatment it provides. If you’re not satisfied with your most recent treatment, Lawn Doctor will reapply the treatment at no additional charge or refund your money, depending on which you prefer.

SavATree
4.1

Our thoughts

What we like

SavATree is our final full-service lawn care recommendation due to its comprehensive tree and shrub services. SavATree employs arborists who are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture to treat and care for your home’s trees or shrubs.

SavATree is one of the few full-service lawn care companies that analyzes your lawn’s soil. Other providers simply assess your lawn without testing the soil.

What we don’t like

SavATree won’t provide pricing online for its lawn care and tree services. You must request a consultation with the company before it discloses any pricing information. Since it does a soil analysis for your lawn, it makes sense that you must book a consultation for more information.

SavATree services the fewest states (35) of all the lawn service providers we’ve reviewed. Excluded states include Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Services and pricing

SavATree offers a slew of one-time services and lawn care programs. It also offers dedicated programs for tick and deer control — the latter is unique. Here is an overview of SavATree’s lawn and pest programs:

  • Organic Lawn Care: SavATree uses Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) listed products in this treatment program. It also includes watering and lawn mowing services.
  • Integrated Lawn Care: This program fertilizes your lawn through spring, summer and winter. It also includes weed control treatments for common weeds such as crabgrass.
  • Hybrid Lawn Care: The hybrid lawn care program utilizes organic fertilizers with synthetic weed killers to optimize the health of your lawn.
  • All-Nutrient Lawn Care: This program is SavATree’s fertilization-only program. The company will add fertilizer to your lawn during the spring, summer and fall.
  • Organic Tick Control program: This program treats the habitats ticks have created on your property with organic tick repellent.
  • Three Circles of Protection program: SavATree installs ultrasonic sound units around your property to prevent deer from entering. It also applies natural deer repellent across your home.

Below is the list of individual lawn services SavATree offers:

  • Core aeration
  • Seeding
  • Weed control

Additional services

SavATree provides dedicated tree and shrub services in conjunction with its lawn and pest treatments. Here is the list of extra services it provides:

  • Insect and grub control
  • Lawn disease treatment and control
  • Lime, gypsum and sulfur soil amendments
  • Organic care for trees and shrubs
  • Tree cabling and bracing
  • Tree and shrub disease treatment
  • Tree and shrub fertilizing
  • Tree and shrub pruning
  • Tree insect management and treatment
  • Tree removal

Customer thoughts

SavATree holds an A rating on BBB. Like other lawn care providers mentioned in this review, SavATree holds a low BBB customer rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars. Of the 14 available BBB customer reviews we found, most centered on SavATree’s high service costs for trimming and removing trees.

However, SavATree also has customer reviews on its local Google Business Profile. SavATree’s branch in Martinez, California, is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Service guarantee

During our secret shopping, we found little information on SavATree’s service guarantee. It mentions in each treatment category that it is committed to your complete satisfaction. But SavATree does not provide details on what it will do if you aren’t satisfied with a recent treatment or service.

Best lawn care subscription services

If you prefer to have more control over your lawn care without searching for the right products, consider subscription lawn care companies. We’ve analyzed subscription lawn care companies’ plans, products and convenience features. Check out our top two recommended companies for subscription lawn care.

Sunday
4.9

Our thoughts

What we like

Sunday Lawn Care provides an extensive list of a la carte lawn care products alongside tailored product programs. It sends a soil analysis kit with your first order to tailor your future lawn care products based on the test’s results. Sunday also develops pet-safe, organic lawn and pest control products that are OMRI-listed. The company delivers its products to all 50 states.

Sunday provides a seamless online quote experience that quizzes you about your lawn care needs. We used Sunday’s online quote tool and found it easy and intuitive. 

Sunday also offers custom pest control subscription plans that tackle common yard pests such as mosquitoes and lawn grubs.

What we don’t like

Our research shows that Sunday has little to no third-party customer reviews available online. The company has customer reviews on its website, although our methodology involves finding reviews on third-party sites such as Trustpilot.

Lawn care subscriptions and pricing

Sunday Lawn Care offers three standard lawn care plans. It offers a pet-specific plan if you mention you have pets during its online quiz. Sunday includes a free soil test kit and a new starter tool kit in the first shipment. Once you return your soil sample, Sunday will send you products based on the soil test results.

Here is a pricing and plan overview of Sunday’s subscription lawn care plans:

  • Basic Care ($120 annually): The Basic Care plan only contains three fertilizer pouches. Sunday will send one pouch in its first shipment and the remaining two after four months.
  • Keep and Protect ($152 annually): The Keep and Protect plan adds a herbicide weed control product alongside three fertilizer pouches. You’ll receive the herbicide and one fertilizer pouch in your first shipment. The remaining fertilizer pouches arrive after four months.
  • Grow and Renew ($183 annually): The Grow and Renew plan includes all items in the Keep and Protect plan plus one grass seed package. Like the plans above, Sunday will send most of your lawn products in the first shipment and the remaining fertilizer products after four months.
  • Lawn and Paws ($203 annually): The Lawn and Paws plan has every product in the Grow and Renew plan plus a package of pet-resistant grass seeds and its Pet Patch product, which is a nutrient blend that can repair areas in your lawn damaged by pet urine.

Pest subscriptions and pricing

Sunday offers tailored pest control products based on the online quiz options you select. In our quote, we listed ants as our biggest issue. Sunday typically sends all the pest products you need in one shipment. Below is an overview of Sunday’s pest plans:

  • Total Home Pest Protection — Small ($79 annually): The small Total Home Pest Protection plan only includes two products: Sunday’s Bug Doom barrier spray and the indoor version.
  • Total Home Pest Protection — Medium ($125 annually): The medium version of this subscription plan adds an extra Bug Doom barrier spray alongside an indoor Bug Doom spray.
  • Total Home Pest Protection — Large ($209 annually): The large version of the Total Home Pest Protection includes two Ant Adios ant bait packages, three Bug Doom barrier sprays and one indoor Bug Doom spray.

Customer thoughts

Sunday Lawn Care holds an A+ rating on BBB. We found a total of four customer reviews for Sunday from third-party review sites: one from BBB and three from Trustpilot. The BBB review mentioned that Sunday’s products didn’t work as advertised. On the other hand, one of the three Trustpilot reviews praised the quality of the company’s lawn care products.

Product guarantee

Sunday Lawn Care offers a product guarantee for all products. However, it will only replace an item if it’s damaged. Sunday allows you to cancel its subscription plans at any time. That said, Sunday won’t refund products included in your plan that have already been processed and shipped.

Our thoughts

What we like

Lawnbright has a similar model to Sunday Lawn Care — it’ll send you tailored product combinations based on your lawn’s specific needs. In addition, Lawnbright customizes the products your lawn needs based on the climate region of your home. When we submitted an online quote, we found that Lawnbright sends one product shipment per season (spring, summer and fall). Lawnbright ships its products to all 50 states.

What we don’t like

Lawnbright doesn’t have any third-party customer reviews on trusted review sites such as BBB. Lawnbright also has a smaller product catalog than other subscription lawn care companies. The company doesn’t have a dedicated pest control or pet-resistant lawn care subscription, although it does sell pet spot repair and pest control products a la carte.

Lawn care subscriptions and pricing

Lawnbright offers three subscription plans, all of which include a free soil test kit and a new starter tool kit within the first shipment. Like Sunday Lawn Care, Lawnbright will tailor the products it sends you to match your lawn’s needs after sending in your soil sample.

Here is a pricing and plan overview of Lawnbrights subscription lawn care plans:

  • Maintain ($140 annually): The Maintain subscription plan ships three packages in the spring, summer and fall. The spring package includes natural fertilizer and biostimulants. The summer package includes another batch of biostimulants and a batch of micronutrients. The fall package includes fertilizer and biostimulants.
  • Prevent ($180 annually): The Prevent subscription includes all items in the Maintain plan plus preemergent weed control treatment. Lawnbright ships the products during the same seasons as the Maintain plan. It ships the preemergent treatment with the Spring package.
  • Prevent and Repair ($220 annually): The Prevent and Repair has the same products as the Prevent plan, plus a bag of grass seed to repair any patches in your lawn. Lawnbright includes the grass seed bag in the fall shipment.

Pest subscriptions and pricing

Lawnbright doesn’t offer a pest subscription plan. However, it does offer one pest treatment product: Yard Patrol. This product uses organic cedarwood oil to repel common household insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, grubs, crickets and earwigs.

Customer thoughts

We couldn’t find any third-party customer reviews outside of Lawnbright’s customer ratings on its website. To gain unbiased customer insights on the company, we surveyed 1,000 homeowners and discovered that 80 homeowners used subscription lawn care services. Of them, 33 have used Lawnbright, and 30 of them were completely satisfied with the results Lawnbright’s products provided.

Product guarantee

Lawnbright offers a 60-day guarantee that will adjust your product subscription or refund you a prorated amount if you aren’t satisfied. Lawnbright’s product guarantee is longer than those of other subscription companies.

Making an informed choice: A guide to lawn care services

Before researching lawn care service companies, we suggest asking yourself a few questions:

  • How knowledgeable are you in lawn care?
  • Are you willing and able to do it yourself?
  • Do you have the time to do it yourself?
  • Do you know what lawn care products your lawn needs?
  • How much are you willing to spend to outsource lawn care?
  • Does your lawn currently have a pest infestation?

Depending on your answers, a full-service lawn care company may make more sense than a subscription lawn care service and vice versa. Below, we outline the main things to understand about lawn care.

What types of services do lawn care companies provide?

Full-service and subscription lawn care companies differ widely in the services they provide. Full-service companies tend to have years of experience and knowledge in lawn care, meaning they can produce a healthy lawn quickly and with minimal input from you.

Subscription lawn care companies require you to apply the lawn treatments yourself, giving you extra control over your lawn care while providing you with the necessary products that can make a difference on your lawn.

Below is an overview of the types of services and products that full-service and subscription lawn care companies offer.

Full-service companies

Full-service companies perform a wide range of lawn care services and treatments. It’s important to note that many national lawn care companies don’t perform some maintenance services, such as lawn mowing. Here is a list of the most common lawn care services these companies provide:

  • Aeration: Aeration is the process of perforating your lawn with many holes to allow oxygen, water and nutrients to reach turfgrass roots, which is essential to a healthy lawn, said David Kopsell, professor of horticulture at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.
  • Fertilizing: Fertilizing involves giving your lawn the necessary nutrients. “Fertilize four times per year during peak growth periods,” said Alec Kowalewski, turfgrass specialist and professor of horticulture at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. “Twice in the spring and twice in the fall for cool-season turfgrasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass; and fertilize during the summer months for warm-season turfgrasses such as Bermuda, Zoysia and St. Augustine.
  • Seeding and overseeding: Seeding and overseeding procedures involve spreading lawn seeds throughout your lawn. If your lawn has patchy or bare spots, seeding and overseeding can fix that.
  • Pest control: While it’s not the main focus of their expertise, many lawn care companies offer some form of pest control. Treatments center on repelling or elimination procedures for common household insects, such as mosquitoes and ants.
  • Specialty services: Specialty services typically involve treatments to fix specific issues, such as lawn disease treatments or soil amendment services.
  • Tree and shrub control: Tree and shrub control procedures involve completely removing a tree or shrub from the ground or trimming its foliage. These services can solve your problem if you have dead trees or unruly shrubs.
  • Weed control: Weed control is the application of synthetic or natural herbicides on your lawn to kill weed variants such as crabgrass. Contrary to their appearance, weeds are not part of your lawn, and they rob it of nutrients and water. 

Subscription service companies

Subscription lawn care companies don’t provide any physical lawn care services. They send you products that perform different functions, and you apply them on your lawn or property. Here are the most common products that subscription companies offer:

  • Fertilizer
  • Grass seeds
  • Lawn micronutrients
  • Pest repellant
  • Weed control herbicide

How much do lawn care services cost?

Since every lawn is different, most full-service lawn care companies we reviewed don’t provide general pricing unless you request an at-home assessment. To obtain the average cost of lawn care services, we surveyed 1,000 homeowners who have used the full-service or subscription lawn care companies we included in this article.

According to our results, you should expect to pay an average of $749 for an annual lawn care program from a full-service lawn care provider. We also obtained cost data from homeowners who purchased a single service from a full-service company — those homeowners spent an average of $190 for a single service.

Who is a full-service lawn care company for?

Full-service lawn care companies best suit individuals who want healthy, green lawns yet have little time, know-how or interest in performing the lawn care themselves, according to Marvin Magusara, lawn expert and cofounder of Retaining Wall Supplies, a company based in Sydney, Australia.

Generally, full-service lawn care companies have the expertise, equipment and products to successfully treat and care for lawns of various shapes, sizes and conditions. In addition, full-service companies can tackle basic pest control issues and tree maintenance.

Over half of our survey respondents (537 of 1,000 homeowners) chose to hire lawn care companies for a single service or seasonal job as opposed to an annual lawn care plan. Of those respondents, 32% stated the main reason for this was the cost of annual plans. However, if price isn’t a concern, and results and convenience are your top priorities, full-service companies are a solid pick.

Who is a lawn care subscription service for?

Subscription companies make sense for individuals “who enjoy working on their lawn but don’t want the hassle of researching and buying products,” said Magusara. “They want hands-on experience but also need guidance and convenience,” he added.

Additionally, subscription lawn care companies are generally more affordable than full-service companies. According to our survey, homeowners paid an average of $474 for an annual subscription plan. If you are on a limited budget and don’t want to spend time searching for the right combination of lawn care products, subscription companies are a suitable choice.

How do you choose the right lawn care company?

Consider the following factors to ensure you choose the right lawn care company.

Service type

Full-service lawn care companies offer extensive treatment options and employ highly trained lawn care technicians to apply these treatments. However, if you prefer caring for your lawn yourself, a lawn care subscription may suit you better. In addition, subscription lawn care companies send you custom product combinations, so you don’t have to determine which products to purchase.

Price

Consider your budget and request multiple quotes from various lawn care companies before choosing one. Also, ensure the company gives you a cost breakdown for each service you purchase. “Make sure you get that in writing so that you know what the work is and what it entails,” said Kody Ketterling, landscaping professional and founder of K-IT Products, a sprinkler system component company based in Magic Valley, Idaho.

Reputation

A lawn care company’s reputation can be the determining factor between hiring them and choosing a different company. Ensure that the company is licensed and insured. Additionally, get a sense of what customers think of the company. Most national full-service brands have local branches that have reviews. Read the reviews of the lawn care company’s branch nearest you.

Service guarantee

The last thing you want is to hire a lawn care provider that performs a lackluster service. Speak with the lawn care company and ask for an explanation of its service guarantee. Find out what aspects of the service it guarantees and what exclusions may apply.

Service frequency

Full-service companies follow different schedules and treatment frequencies, so be sure the company you choose fits your availability. While many companies can service your home without you being present, we recommend walking through your yard with the professional for the first few visits to understand what services they did and how they affect your lawn. Stay away from companies that refuse to disclose how they perform their services.

What do experts say about lawn care?

We asked experts to share their insights on lawn care and the best way to maintain your yard.

What are the key tips for maintaining a healthy lawn?
Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture, turfgrass specialist
Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D.
Oregon State University

“To keep the turfgrass green during the summer, irrigate three to six times per week with 1/4 inches of water per application, totaling 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches per week.

“Mow at least once a week during peak growth periods, and use a mulching mower to recycle grass clippings and return nutrients to the soil.”

David Kopsell, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
David Kopsell, Ph.D.
Illinois State University

“Don’t mow your lawn too short. Cool-season grasses are recommended to be cut no shorter than 2 inches.

“Fertilize with at least one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, each year.”

Cale A. Bigelow, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture and landscape architecture
Cale A. Bigelow, Ph.D.
Purdue University

“Feed your lawn three to four times across the growing season to maintain vigor, density and color. To maintain [turfgrass density] this can be done every six weeks.”

Mike Richardson, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
Mike Richardson, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas

“Healthy turf starts with healthy soil. Homeowners should get a soil test and apply nutrients based on the results and recommendations from the test.

“A good fertility program will help reduce pest problems in the lawn. Over-fertilization is not recommended as that can cause potential problems, especially with diseases.”

Tina Cade, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
Tina Cade, Ph.D.
Texas State University

“Lawn care practices vary by region of the country — reference the county extension office or related land grant university resources. These resources will tell you the best time for overseeding and fertilizing as well as turf species that are most or least drought tolerant.”

What are the most common lawn care mistakes to avoid?
Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture, turfgrass specialist
Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D.
Oregon State University

“Perennial ryegrass, fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and St. Augustine should be kept at 2 inches or higher, while Bermuda and Zoysia should be mowed to around 1 inch.

“Avoid fertilizing cool-season turfgrasses such as perennial ryegrass, fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass during the summer months.”

Mike Richardson, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
Mike Richardson, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas

“Overwatering tends to promote disease problems and shallow-rooted turf. The best approach is to only water the lawn when the first signs of drought stress are observed and water the lawn deeply so that the top 12 inches of the soil is wet.”

Karl Danneberger, Ph.D.
Professor of turfgrass science
Karl Danneberger, Ph.D.
Ohio State University

“Mowing too short during the spring and early summer is a common lawn maintenance mistake. Mowing at a low height often results in depletion of the plant’s energy reserves, reducing its overall health.

“Mow frequently enough where no more than 1/3 the leaf blade is removed for each mowing.”

What is the best approach for controlling common lawn pests?
David Kopsell, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
David Kopsell, Ph.D.
Illinois State University

“Healthy lawns with dense canopies of leaves prevent weeds from growing and can also make your lawn more tolerant to minimal pest pressures.”

Karl Danneberger, Ph.D.
Professor of turfgrass science
Karl Danneberger, Ph.D.
Ohio State University

“Treat grubs with one of the newer insecticides. Summer applications should occur earlier to optimize season-long control and tackle other insect pests, such as billbugs, that come out early in early summer.”

Tina Cade, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
Tina Cade, Ph.D.
Texas State University

“Consider groundcover and ornamental shade-loving perennials and shrubs, especially in areas where it is difficult to grow turf.

“Topdress your lawn with compost once or twice annually to introduce organic matter that will introduce beneficial microbes known to mitigate pests and pathogens while increasing the water-holding capacity of the turf.”

Are there any new technologies or products in lawn care that are helpful?
Mike Richardson, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
Mike Richardson, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas

“If a homeowner has an irrigation system, add-ons to the system can save a lot of water and prevent over-watering. The easiest tool is a rain sensor that will turn off the system when it rains and not turn it back on until sufficient drying occurs.

There are also soil sensors that can control when the irrigation comes on and turns off based on the amount of moisture in the soil.”

Cale A. Bigelow, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture and landscape architecture
Cale A. Bigelow, Ph.D.
Purdue University

“Research at Purdue has shown that choosing and planting the right species like one of the newer turf-type tall fescues, can allow you to not need to water in the summer for more than 40 days and still maintain a minimum green coverage of 70%.”

David Kopsell, Ph.D.
Professor of horticulture
David Kopsell, Ph.D.
Illinois State University

“More and more homeowners are using battery-powered lawn mowers and this is a great approach to sustainable lawn management that is more environmentally friendly.”

Final take: Full-service lawn care pros will treat your lawn without your effort, but subscriptions offer a happy medium

Regardless of your schedule, ability or budget, there are lawn care companies that can transform your patchy lawn into one you’re proud of. Full-service lawn care companies offer convenience and specialized services, although some don’t perform lawn maintenance, such as lawn mowing. Subscription companies ship custom lawn care solutions to your door, but you must apply them yourself. 

Our top choice for full-service lawn care is TruGreen because of its comprehensive list of lawn care plans. Sunday Lawn Care is our recommended subscription company because it focuses on customization and affordable pricing.

Before purchasing a lawn subscription or hiring a full-service provider, request three quotes from multiple companies to compare products, services and costs.

Our rating methodology for lawn care companies

We researched full-service and subscription lawn care companies to help you choose the right provider for your lawn and budget. We compared full-service companies based on their service options, reputation, customer service availability and extra perks. Companies that offer specialty treatments, flexible scheduling and convenience perks scored more points. We rated subscription companies based on their plan options, cost and customer service.

We rated both types of companies using our comprehensive methodology. We score providers out of 100 points. Then, we divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.

BBB, Trustpilot and Google Reviews ratings are accurate as of March 2024.

Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.

Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

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