What is the average cost of lawn maintenance

Share this article. Subscribe our blog. Featured Posts How do you dispose of old and bad gasoline? Grass Seed vs. Worse still, do you know the dangers associated with lawn care? Why not leave this task to better trained pros?

The short answer is no! Factoring in: The time needed for the task, Cost of the equipment, The possible dangers of mowing About The Author Gene Caballero. New Orleans, LA. Virginia Beach, VA.

Tampa, FL. Phoenix, AZ. Omaha, NE. Austin, TX. Fresno, CA. Detroit, MI. Miami, FL. San Diego, CA. Las Vegas, NV. Long Beach, CA. Albuquerque, NM.

Memphis, TN. Tucson, AZ. Washington, DC. Los Angeles, CA. Colorado Springs, CO. Nashville, TN. It gets better. We decided to research to get to the bottom of what is a fair hourly rate to pay for lawn mowing services. First of all should you try to negotiate an hourly rate with your lawn care service provider?

GreenPal recently conducted a poll of over 10, lawn care service provider s all over the country about how much they charge for weekly or bi-weekly lawn mowing services. For example , pricing for lawn maintenance services in warmer climates such as Florida or California are more competitive than they are as compares to cooler climates.

Well, think about it. The lawn care business is more stable in climates where the grass needs cutting year-round. Naturally, in an area where grass grows for shorter seasons, lawn care services have to figure out how to make ends meet, during the wintertime. Put another way, lawn mowing services are treated more as a commodity in warmer climates. Put another way, let's say it takes your lawn mowing service 30 minutes to mow your yard by himself.

Now … let's say he has a helper and there are 2 men on the lawn care team? If you want to know the rates for spreading mulch check this out. Based on the feedback from our poll participants. When it comes to regular grass cutting services, a fixed agreed-upon price usually works out better. Why is it you might ask? Well, because sometimes one lawn mowing might take a little longer than other grass cutting visits.

Furthermore, the cost will vary on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and will no doubt become a total nightmare for all parties involved. This can become a source of arguments between you and your lawn maintenance service provider.

Keep in mind: Lawn care rates will often double if the price is based on bi-weekly service rather than weekly. This is because it often takes much longer to cut the grass bi-monthly. If you hire somebody to cut your grass at an hourly rate you can expect several arguments down the road and a source of contention that really just unnecessary for both of you. A good rule of thumb is to figure 1 dollar per minute of grass cutting per man is a fair price to pay for quality lawn mowing services.

Simply stated.. Why does this matter? Because any lawn mowing company you hire is going to need to recover these costs when they are mowing your yard. I n my experience, you shouldn't expect them to be around for very long because they most likely will not be able to cover their overhead while doing a good job on your lawn.

There are many factors that determine these rates including location, frequency of services, and the type of equipment the lawn care company has access to.

In short, it's best to use our poll results to gauge what are you getting a good price on your lawn maintenance services or not. You can always check pricing in your area for free just by signing up for GreenPal to get five quick free grass cutting prices on your lawn. Powered by Froala Editor. At GreenPal, we're helping hundreds of thousands of Americans solve one of the trickiest problems: a reliable, fast, and affordable way to get lawncare taken care of.

Please feel free to say hi on Twitter or connect with me on LinkedIn. Follow me on:. What is a fair hourly rate or lawn care, are you getting ripped off?

Share this article. This process should be used in conjunction with fertilization to maximize the health of your yard. If you have fruit trees, pruning is essential. This keeps them healthy and helps them produce more fruit. Pruning is different from trimming because it focuses only on dead branches on the tree, keeps the tree healthy, and maintains its shape.

The cost varies depending on the size of your yard and the type of pests. Common services to control pests in your yard include tick treatment , earwig treatment , mosquito prevention , and other pests removal. Popular options include concrete and brick. Edging can be made from several materials. The cost you will pay for your edging project will be determined by your type of edging, the length that needs to be edged, and whether or not mulch is included in the price.

There are several ways that your lawn care professional may bill for the maintenance services provided. Below you will see the average cost for lawn maintenance by rate, which is higher than mowing prices because it typically includes one or more maintenance items mentioned in previous sections. The square foot pricing method is almost always reserved for yard sizes that are less than an acre and may be the preferred method for heavily landscaped or wooded yards.

Just like with mowing, more significant lawn care such as seeding, weed control, fertilization, and aeration is typically priced per acre, with many companies performing more than one of these services at a time. Maintenance costs range widely due to the variety of services that may be needed. They may include one or more services, such as seeding with fertilization or aeration. These services are usually performed and billed separately from mowing.

If you have several acres, costs will definitely be higher:. Most professionals offer hourly rates on lawn care maintenance. It is important to note that this price is per person per hour, so if multiple workers are used, the price per hour will go up, but the overall cost will likely be the same since having more people means it will be completed sooner. Very large areas often require multiple workers. Your maintenance company may choose to bill you for the services performed on a specific week or include all of the seasonal items and break it out to a weekly contract price.

Most often, contracts include leaf removal, mowing, fertilizing, and aeration. Rates run extensively higher if you have major projects such as significant tree trimming, but the most common services fall in the average range. During a one-time visit, your professional will likely recommend needed services for that time in the growing season. Monthly service most often includes weekly mowing and different maintenance items based on the season. Because different services will be performed each month, your monthly service cost will be higher some months and lower on others.

Get free estimates from lawn mowing companies near me Get Free Estimates. Many factors determine the final cost of your lawn care. These include the size of the area, your location, grass type, number of fences, how many sidewalks to edge, required maintenance like aeration or fertilization, and number of trees.

Many services provide discounts if neighbors hire the same maintenance service at the same time. Location can be a major factor because it often determines the types of services you need and the frequency. For example, in locations that see all four seasons and are heavily wooded, like the Midwest, you can expect to pay more for leaf cleanup, pruning, etc.

For warmer weather, climates such as the south, you may need to have more frequent mowings that go much longer into the year. If your lawn is in poor health, your starting costs may be higher than if it only needs maintenance. Costs for residential areas differ from costs for commercial properties. While there are many grass varieties, most are broken down into two categories: cool-season and warm-season. Cool-season grasses grow the most during the spring and fall and include popular varieties like ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass.

These varieties are hardy enough to survive frigid temperatures and moderate summers, ideal for northern climates. Their ideal temperatures for growth ranges between 65 and 80 degrees, which is why they grow the most in spring and fall.

Warm-season grasses grow the most during the summer and include widespread varieties like Bermuda grass. Warm grasses grow best when the temperature is above 75 degrees. You mostly find these grasses in the south. These varieties grow during late spring and summer before going dormant in the fall. Each grass type has a different maintenance schedule, some requiring care more frequently or at a specific time of year.

All this impacts your final costs. Keeping your lawn regularly maintained comes with a lot of benefits. The first and most noticeable is the appearance of your yard. When kept in good condition, it can add beauty to the look of your home and even value when it comes time to sell it.

Maintaining it also helps you to have a healthy grass that prevents bare and burnt patches. Keeping your yard weeded and properly mowed lowers your risk of pests since it removes one of their most popular hiding spots.

The frequency of mowing your lawn depends on the weather in your area, the season, and your personal preference. During the prime growing season, you will most likely want to mow your yard weekly, though you may stretch that to ten days if you live in a hot area with lots of sun and prefer longer grass to protect the roots from the heat. Preseason and the end of the growing season see slower growth, so bi-weekly mowing will likely be sufficient.

If a healthy lawn is what you want, then year-round maintenance is vital. Your lawn needs different treatments and maintenance depending on the season to ensure that it is properly prepared for the months when it is at its peak for growing.

Below you will see some of the most common maintenance tasks performed during each season of the year. During the fall season, the goal is to prepare your lawn for hibernation during winter. You will likely need to continue mowing during this season, though you may be able to move from weekly mowings to bi-weekly mowings at this point.

You will want to have all sticks and leaves removed from your yard to allow the lawn to aerate as needed.

Special fertilizers will also be put on by your maintenance specialist to protect your grass through the winter and allow for better recovery in the spring. Many professionals urge you to continue to mow your grass until the point that it ceases to grow. If you live in more temperate or warmer climates, you will not complete your final mowing until as late as December. Aside from that, no maintenance will need to be done during the winter months.

The spring season is the biggest time for preparation for the upcoming growing season. There are several maintenance items you will want to perform to help your lawn bounce back from winter and give it a healthy start to the season. Common maintenance during this time of year includes mowing, fertilization, aeration, and application of crabgrass control. Summer is considered the main growing season for your grass and the time of the year when your it is considered most on display.

During the summer months, it is important to stay on top of mowing, with weekly mowing being ideal. You will also want to make sure that you water your grass frequently during this time of year, making sure to avoid watering at the hottest times of the day.

Compare prices from lawn mowing services near me Compare Quotes. The total cost you pay for lawn maintenance largely depends on the services you choose to have performed. Calculating your cost for lawn care depends on the services you use and the pricing method used by the service provider.

Some services are more often charged by visit, such as mowing and fertilizing. Others are more commonly charged by the hour, like weeding. It is best to calculate the total costs for the year and divide it by 12 to get an average monthly cost. The total cost you pay will be determined by the way the professional charges and the type of ground and landscaping contained in the yard. It depends on the individual. If you have the time and energy to do the mowing yourself, then no, but many people find the convenience worth the cost.

Mowing your grass may make it thicker since the tips of the blades of grass contain hormones designed to restrict horizontal growth.

By trimming these, you remove the tips which can allow it to spread. Yet, the best way to thicken your grass is by adding more seed. Frequent watering and fertilizing keep your grass green in the summer. Also, weeding and adding new grass seed to bald areas improves the overall color of your yard.

No, the sun simply evaporates the water before it penetrates the soil and benefits your grass. Therefore, it is best to water in the early morning or evening.

If you choose to water midday, be sure to run the water longer so it will be able to get to the roots before evaporating. To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours. FIXR provides cost guides, comparisons, and term cheat sheets for hundreds of remodeling, installation and repair projects.

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