A Definitive Guide to Lawn Care Services Costs

A Definitive Guide to Lawn Care Services Costs

The cost of maintaining your lawn in Boston varies from one lawn management company to another. Some companies charge premium rates that make proper lawn care an expensive affair, and others charge low rates, which leaves you doubting their service quality.

If you’ve taken a look at lawn care service companies in your area and are feeling overwhelmed with the options, read on. We’ll give you an idea of the rates for standard lawn care services like mowing, tree trimming, aeration, leaf removal, fertilizing, and more.

What is the Average Cost of Lawn Care in Boston?

The cost of lawn care in Boston depends on two vital things — the type of lawn care service you need and the lawn size you want to maintain. For instance, the most basic lawn care service, mowing, costs $30 to 80 for an average-sized lawn. If you have a particularly large lawn with overgrown grass and shrubs, you can expect the price to increase. If your lawn is on the smaller side, your cost will be less.

But lawn care is about more than just mowing. Let’s break down some of the other lawn care services you can get and what the average cost is. The prices listed here are based on the national average and the average rate cards of local lawn maintenance companies in Boston.

Weeding

Weeding costs around $65 to 120 per visit. This lawn maintenance service entails chemically or manually removing weeds like dandelions, crabgrass, pigweed, shepherd's purse, creeping Charlie, and everything unwanted from your lawn.

Aeration

Aeration costs around $0.10 to $0.35 per square foot, which means you’ll spend around $100 - $350 to aerate a lawn measuring approximately 1,000 square feet. When your lawn is aerated, your lawn maintenance company will perforate tiny holes on the lawn, allowing nutrients and water to penetrate the grass' root zone. This is an essential service to maintain a healthy looking lawn.

Seeding

Seeding is arguably the most expensive lawn maintenance service, costing $336 - $1,010 for a lawn that’s 1,000 square feet. However, unlike other repetitive lawn care services, seeding happens once or twice a year, typically during early fall or late spring. So while the cost is high, it’s not something that needs to be done as often as mowing or weeding.

Mulching

Mulching your lawn in Boston lawn costs around $15 - $65 per cubic yard. The price depends on the type of mulch you prefer, with black hardwood mulch being the most costly and straw or hay being the most affordable. Be sure to keep in mind the aesthetics of mulch when picking the right one for your property!

Fertilizing

Fertilizing an average-sized lawn ranges between $20 per hour on the lower side and $30 per hour on the high end. That means fertilizing an average residential lawn, measuring a quarter an acre costs $550 - $1,500.

Tree Trimming

The average price of trimming trees in Boston ranges from around $330 - $450. The rates can reduce or increase depending on the tree's height, branch patterns, set-up costs, amount of foliage, and debris removal. Also, bare in mind that additional costs can be incurred if a main road needs to be shut down or traffic patterns need to be altered with a police detail.

What Determines the Cost of Lawn Care Services in Boston?

From the size of your lawn to the complexity of your lawn care needs, several factors determine the amount you pay to get your lawn fertilized, trimmed, or weeded. The top factors which come into play when calculating costs include the following:

Current Condition of Lawn

The current lawn condition is one of the top factors determining your spend on lawn maintenance. You pay regular rates for a well-aerated, mowed, irrigated, fertilized, and weeded lawn because the labor in caring for such a lawn is relatively low.

On the contrary, you pay more to get a poorly managed lawn in tip-top shape. Service providers spend hours weeding, aerating, irrigating, seeding, mowing, fertilizing, and treating diseases on such lawns. You have to pay for the hours of intensive labor needed to get the neglected lawn looking its best.

Obstacles in the Yard

Old tree stumps, multiple lawn lights, large tree roots, and ornamental trees complicate lawn care. Given that, lawn care companies will charge more to compensate for the time, skill, and effort needed to work on such a site. On the other hand, you can expect to pay regular rates to maintain lawns with fewer obstacles.

Number of Services Needed

Lawn maintenance includes weeding, dethatching, fertilizing, seeding, mowing, sod installation, and winterization. Furthermore, lawn care entails extra services like tree trimming, yard cleanups, mulching, leaf removal, and aeration.

Therefore, the price for lawn care depends on the number of services your lawn requires. For example, if your lawn needs mowing, you will likely pay a lower amount for a single service. However, you’ll spend more to get a package of multiple lawn care services.

Experience Level

Reputable lawn care service providers with state-of-the-art equipment, trained staff, and a wealth of experience charge premium rates for their services. You’re paying more for their expert team and wealth of industry knowledge. 

Conversely, new pros in Boston's lawn maintenance sphere tend to offer lawn care services at a lower rate. They do that to enhance their brand visibility, improve their reputation, and build solid relationships with their customers.

Travel Expenses

Often, lawn care service providers add travel expenses to their hourly rates. But, if your properties are out of the service provider's area of service, the company bills a surcharge for travel expenses. The surcharge could be in the form of a flat rate or an extra cost for every mile traveled out of the service area.

How to Avoid Overspending on Lawn Care Services

As a property owner or homeowner association with several lawns to maintain, getting a fair deal for your lawn care services is a priority. Follow these tips to get the best rate and services to match your needs.

Compare Prices Before Hiring

Since every lawn care company has varying rates, take your time to scout for one that has fair prices. You would want to ask for quotes from several service providers and then narrow down to the one who has the services and prices that match your needs. If your property is professionally managed, be sure to ask your property manager about any lawn services they may provide. Some of the best property management companies offer these services in-house which passes on a greater cost savings, and ease of coordination, to you!

Negotiate Before Hiring

Negotiation should be essential in hiring a lawn care service provider, especially if you want to get a pro to service multiple lawns long-term. Let the experts clearly picture the task, and then request fair rates. You can potentially get a better deal if you have multiple properties you can package together.

Maintain the Lawn

Expensive as it sounds, maintaining your lawn consistently is an excellent way to cut down lawn care expenses over the long term. The professional service keeps the lawn healthy and weed-free, reducing the labor costs you could have spent on weeding, disease control, and curbing pests. More cost upfront leads to less cost over the lifetime of your property.

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