How Much Does Lawn Care Cost?
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Lawn care cost varies depending on the type of care that’s needed. Typically, a homeowner will pay between $48 and $206, depending on the size of the yard and other factors. Nationally, the average runs about $124.
Highlights
- Lawn care typically costs between $48 and $206, with a national average of $124.
- The main cost factors in calculating lawn care costs are lawn size and shape, type of service, labor costs, grass length and type, accessibility, service frequency, and geographic location.
- Homeowners may consider lawn care to save time and money, to take advantage of professional expertise, and to enhance a property’s curb appeal.
- Lawn care is a job many homeowners can tackle; however, it may be strenuous and time-consuming, and professionals tend to deliver the best results.
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Curb appeal starts at the curb: A beautiful lawn sets the scene for an appealing home. But keeping the yard looking its best requires an investment of time, money, and effort. Homeowners who are nervous about lawn care costs can take comfort in knowing what to expect ahead of time and look forward to a lush lawn when the work is done. So how much does lawn care cost? According to Angi and HomeAdvisor, prices range anywhere from $48 to $206. The average lawn care cost is about $124 per service.
Lawn mowing can run for $30 to $80 per week. The price fluctuates depending on the size of the yard, the frequency of mowing, and the services included. While some lawn care companies charge by the hour, others charge per service and size, with price breaks often thrown in for regular customers.
The basics begin with mowing, but some homeowners request fertilizing, weeding, mulching, cleaning up the yard, and performing other maintenance, such as aerating and watering. Those lawn care services run a little higher than basic mowing, again depending on yard size and other factors. If the yard features fences, trees, children’s play structures, or other obstacles, the price is likely to go up accordingly.
Factors in Calculating Lawn Care Cost
It’s difficult to pin down an exact lawn care cost because there are so many variables that create a sliding scale of pricing. In general, homeowners can expect to pay between $48 and $206 for lawn maintenance or a national average cost of $124. However, prices vary across the nation, and prices in small rural towns will differ vastly from those in urban metropolises. While city prices might be higher, remote rural areas may invoke a travel charge. Geography can factor into the cost as well. Lawns in wet climates often require more frequent work than lawns in drier regions.
Services such as trimming, dethatching, controlling weeds, removing leaves, watering, and fertilizing will add to the calculation of the cost of lawn care. What may be less obvious is how frequency impacts the cost. Letting the grass grow too tall between mowings can also raise the cost. To combat that issue, many lawn care service companies offer discounts when customers sign long-term contracts: Guaranteed repeat business generates price breaks, sometimes by as much as 25 percent.
Lawn Size
Size can impact lawn care costs in one of two ways. If a lawn care professional charges by the hour, a larger lawn that takes more time will cost more. Hourly rates range from $25 to $60. If the charges are per square foot—which is not as common, but may be done for smaller yards—the same principle applies: bigger costs more. Typical costs start at $0.01 per square foot.
The price for maintenance of acreages is usually calculated at a different rate than for the average-size lawn. Larger properties often see smaller incremental increases because crews have less trimming and other detail work to perform. The average lawn care cost per acre is $150 to $200, with a property of 10 acres or larger priced at around $50 per acre.
| Lawn Size | Cost Range |
| 3,500 square feet | $35 to $210 |
| 5,000 square feet | $50 to $300 |
| 10,000 square feet | $100 to $600 |
| 1 acre | $150 to $200 |
| 2 acres | $300 to $400 |
| 3 acres | $450 to $600 |
| 4 acres | $600 to $800 |
| 5 acres | $750 to $1,000 |
| 10 acres | $1,500 to $2,000 |
| 15 acres | $2,250 to $3,000 |
Lawn Shape
A standard square or rectangular yard is straightforward to mow, meaning costs will be relatively low. However, maintenance for lawns with an irregular shape or with lots of features to mow around will be on the pricier side. For example, play sets or flower beds may take longer to mow around or require different equipment. A lawn care professional will take these features into account when determining a quote.
Service Type
In addition to mowing, there are a variety of maintenance services that homeowners may want to consider. Aeration, weed and leaf removal, and edging are common services that can add to each visit’s overall lawn care cost.
Labor
The bigger the lawn or the more services needed, the more manpower is required—and the higher the final bill will be. Whether a lawn care company charges per hour or per job, the charges will likely be multiplied by the number of crew members it takes to complete the work. Typically the hourly cost for landscaping services is between $25 and $60. This cost is likely to be included in the quote along with materials and other charges.
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Grass Length
Tall grass makes mowing the lawn a more arduous task that takes more time. Different varieties of grass have different growth rates, with cool-season grasses exhibiting more growth in the spring and fall, while warm-season types grow more through the summer. Weather, including temperatures and rainfall amounts, will influence grass growth rates. A general rule of thumb advises to never remove more than one-third of the height of the grass in a single cutting.
Grass Type
Grass type can have an effect on the cost of lawn care. Not only do different varieties of grass grow at different speeds, but some grasses thrive at different heights. For example, Bermuda grass is healthiest when mowed frequently and kept under 0.5 inches, whereas Kentucky bluegrass can grow as tall as 3 inches before needing to be mowed. The more often grass requires trimming, the more homeowners will pay for lawn care.
| Grass Type | Mowing Height | Mowing Frequency |
| Bermuda | 0.5 to 2 inches | Weekly |
| Centipede | 1 to 1.5 inches | Weekly |
| Fescue | 3 to 4 inches | Bimonthly |
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2 to 3 inches | Bimonthly |
| Ryegrass | 1.5 to 2.5 inches | Bimonthly |
| Zoysia | 1 to 2.5 inches | Weekly |
Accessibility
Fences, trees, children’s play structures, and other obstacles complicate the work to be done, increasing the time needed for mowing the lawn, trimming, and cleanup—and adding to lawn care costs. The time to complete fall and spring leaf removal is compounded by the presence of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs.
Service Frequency
Depending on what services a homeowner needs and what their budget will allow, there are often three options for lawn care service frequency: weekly, monthly, or yearly. Most contracts are billed annually; for example, if the average lawn care cost per month is $400, the homeowner will be charged $4,800 for the year. In regions where there is a significant change in weather for certain parts of the year, it may make sense to get more or less frequent service for a portion of the year. Onetime visits may also make sense in some situations, such as when the house is being put on the market or there has been a storm that has caused significant damage.
| Service Frequency | Annual Cost |
| One time | $75 to $200 |
| Weekly | $3,380 to $7,020 |
| Monthly | $3,600 to $6,000 |
| Yearly | $60 to $150 |
Geographic Location
A homeowner’s geographic location will play a role in how much they pay for lawn care services. This is primarily due to climate: In regions that don’t experience a significant temperature dip in the winter, lawn care may be a year-round need. On the other hand, areas that do see distinct seasonal changes may need additional maintenance, such as leaf removal. For reference, the cost of lawn maintenance in Los Angeles is between $50 and $800 per year, whereas the same service in Milwaukee runs between $30 and $450. Homeowners will also want to keep in mind that prices in urban areas may reflect higher labor costs.
Additional Costs and Considerations
Sometimes, there’s an implied “plus or minus” in front of the charges for services. Extra costs may be incurred for a variety of reasons: travel distance, special equipment or equipment maintenance, additional product needed due to the size of the project, or other exceptions. The size of the property, the terrain (hilly, rocky), and the number of obstructions (trees, playground structures, or other lawn features) will increase lawn care costs. In short, anything requiring extra work will result in an extra charge.
The math works both ways; discounts or coupons may be applied to reduce the standard fee. Many lawn care companies try to encourage new business with coupons and return business with discounts for signing a contract for regularly scheduled maintenance. Prepaying for the season may make it possible to subtract even more from the bottom line.
Additionally, fluctuations in gasoline prices may lead to extra charges, as lawn service companies pass along the cost of doing business.
Travel Expenses
Travel costs are typically included in an hourly rate, but if the home is out of the lawn professional’s vicinity, there could be a travel surcharge. Some companies levy a flat rate travel fee; others charge per mile beyond their service range. In past times of fuel shortages, some companies have added a fuel surtax to cover the cost of travel expenses. To keep costs down, homeowners can search online for “lawn service near me” to ensure they’re within the service range of the company they select.
Equipment Upkeep Costs
The cost of equipment and tools (and their upkeep) is generally rolled into the fees a lawn service company charges. However, it’s a fair assumption that a large or syndicated company with new equipment, company trucks, employee uniforms, and liability insurance is prone to cost more than an independent lawn care professional.
Contracts and Packages
Businesses reward loyalty with discounts. Repeat business guarantees their income, simplifies their scheduling, reduces their need to advertise, and gives them an edge over their competition, so many lawn service companies offer discounts and packages—a money saver for homeowners. Bundling isn’t just for TV and internet service. Packages that add other services to mowing, such as trimming, cleaning up, and fertilizing, may also be offered with incentives and discounts. To use one example, TruGreen lawn care costs are determined by which of five package options a customer chooses, but other companies may offer service plans that are more customizable.
DIY Lawn Care. Simplified.
Bob Vila has partnered with Sunday to get your lawn exactly what it needs to thrive.
Lawn Health and Issues
The same people who mow lawns are often the perfect people to keep it healthy and fix issues. Homeowners will want to think of a lawn care professional as a “lawn doctor.” Lawns can suffer from a number of problems: grubs, fungus, fertilizer burn, lack of water, chinch bug infestation, heat stress, too much shade, brown patches (possibly from dog waste), or other anomalies. Lawn care professionals can draft a plan to turn a problematic lawn into a lush landscape that’s well suited to its environment and conditions.
Types of Lawn Care Services
One size does not fit all when it comes to lawn care prices. If the lawn is relatively small, it will cost less to mow than an acreage. If the yard is fenced, if there is a large patio or long sidewalk that requires trimming, if the terrain is particularly challenging, or if there is playground equipment or lawn furniture, the added time and effort required to mow will be reflected in the bill.
Similarly, if the yard requires watering or is on a fertilization schedule, homeowners can expect to pay for those services above and beyond mowing. Weed control, pest control, trimming, mulching, and annual leaf cleanup are common add-ons. Homeowners will want to be prepared to pay more for organic treatments if avoiding the use of harmful chemicals is a priority.
Homeowners can consider mowing as the starting point for lawn maintenance costs. Annual or semiannual tasks like leaf removal, aeration, tree trimming, or winterizing go above and beyond the basics. Some homeowners want to take it even further by enhancing their curb appeal with some landscaping projects.
| Service Type | Cost |
| Aeration | $80 to $200 |
| Edging | $700 to $1,700 |
| Fertilizing | $80 to $400 |
| Landscaping | $1,299 to $5,854 |
| Leaf removal | $200 to $500 |
| Mowing | $30 to $80 |
| Pest control | $200 to $300 |
| Seasonal yard cleanup | $100 to $250 |
| Seeding | $439 to $1,661 |
| Tree trimming | $1,000 |
| Watering | $50 to $400 |
| Weeding | $40 to $120 |
| Winterizing | $100 to $400 |
Aeration
Aeration can boost the effectiveness of fertilization as well as the general health of a yard. Typically done in the spring, the process consists of using a tool to poke holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots and promote better growth. All factors considered, the cost of aeration averages between $80 and $200.
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Edging
Many homeowners appreciate a tidy edge that clearly defines planting beds from the lawn, making maintenance easier. Sometimes called landscape curbing, edging uses brick, concrete blocks, natural stone, wood, or even PVC plastic to create an eye-catching divider and help keep weeds and grass out of planting beds. Depending on the number of linear feet to be installed, as well as the type of material, costs can range from $700 to $1,700 to edge a landscape. Once edging has been installed, many homeowners opt to mulch their planting beds. This is an additional cost, typically starting at $100 per square yard.
Fertilizing
Regular fertilization aids in keeping a lawn lush, thick, and green. There are many options: liquid or granules, fast- or slow-release, organic or synthetic. All—in addition to the size of the yard—will impact the cost, but routine fertilization generally averages $80 to $400.
Landscaping
In some cases homeowners may want to reduce the area that needs to be mowed and add some visual interest to their yard with landscaping. Landscaping can increase a home’s value through improved curb appeal with simple low-cost solutions like mulched flower beds and native trees or more complex solutions like walkways and solar landscape lighting. It’s even possible for landscaping to save a homeowner money and energy with some ideas like adding a rain barrel. Most landscapers charge anywhere from $25 to $60 per hour, making the typical landscaping project total somewhere between $1,299 and $5,854.
Leaf Removal
Although it’s perfectly acceptable to grind up some leaves with a mulching mower to fertilize the lawn, large piles of leaves are more commonly raked and bagged. Left in the yard over the winter, piles of leaves can create patchy dead spots or become moldy. Professional leaf removal can cost $200 to $500, depending on how many big trees are dropping leaves onto the lawn.
Mowing
Factors that impact the price of lawn mowing include the type of grass, the size of the yard, the terrain, the frequency of mowing, and any objects (including trees and other plantings) that the crew has to maneuver around. Lawn mowing costs start at $30 and can reach $80 per visit. Homeowners can search online for “lawn mowing service near me” to find out local pricing.
Pest Control
Proper aeration can also enable effective pest control treatments. Brown spots or dead patches in the lawn indicate the possibility of pests. One of the most damaging is white grubs, but chinch bugs, cutworms, sod webworms, and armyworms can also be problematic. Pest control isn’t limited to insects. Moles and voles can destroy a lawn. A visit from one of the best pest control companies, like Orkin or Terminix, typically costs $200 to $300.
Seasonal Yard Cleanup
Spring and fall yard cleanup services look similar. Both collect fallen leaves, remove dead and dying branches, trim back old flowers and shrubs, and tackle bald spots in the lawn. The results are similar as well: a healthy, attractive yard. Spring or fall lawn service generally runs $100 to $