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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Healthy lawns with dense canopies of leaves prevent weeds from growing and can also make your lawn more tolerant to minimal pest pressures.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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%.”
“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.
Top local lawn care companies near you
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.
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