Best Lawn Care Services
Based on In-Depth Reviews

When judging lawn care providers, we first took into consideration the company’s scope and versatility of services. While most often associated with lawn mowing, most professional lawn care companies provide much more than that. In our reviews, we focused on companies that provide everything a homeowner could need to grow and maintain a healthy, vibrant lawn, including fertilization, aeration, soil amendment, weeding, along with tree trimming and removal when needed.

To start with, many professional lawn care companies will provide a free lawn analysis to determine the soil type (acidic, alkaline, clay, or other types) spot any issues, diseases or pests, and whether the thatch (the layer of plant matter above the soil) is too thick. This is an essential aspect of lawn care, as it gives you an opportunity to have services that are perfectly tailored to your soil’s needs, and we gave points to companies that provide this type of service.

After the analysis is done, a company should be able to provide the right type of fertilization and, if needed, appropriate soil amendment. Adding a soil amendment, or soil conditioner, can correct any imbalances in the soil to promote optimal plant health and growth. Some types of soil amendments include lime, clay, or materials for water retention like bark, among others. Aeration is another service we considered important. This procedure, which involves making small holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to get into the soil, helps the grass grow deeper roots and produces a healthier lawn.

In addition to lawn care, many of the companies on our list provide landscaping services as well. While the two are often confused, landscaping is a more comprehensive offering, which involves the actual planting and design of the space, along with installation and maintenance of fountains, ponds, or even decks and patios.

Another factor we considered was the availability of organic and/or pesticide-free care. With the growing awareness of the risks chemicals and pesticides can pose, including to household pets, many traditional lawn care companies are expanding their scope and offering alternatives tailored for environmentally minded consumers. Organic or “green” products involve fertilizers and pest control methods that are free from chemicals or pesticides. Please note that not all these are safe for pets, even if they’re chemical free.

Finally, we also took into consideration whether a company provides seasonal services, such as snow and ice management, cleaning of gutters, and leaf removal.

When evaluating plans and pricing for lawn care and landscaping companies, we took into consideration introductory prices, whether the companies provided a satisfaction guarantee, and their prices for additional services. When it comes to introductory prices we searched for companies that offered a low introductory price but still provided industry standard services. Although we found many companies that provided introductory prices, there are some that only provide this information upon request.

When considering the best lawn care companies, it was important to us, in terms of ranking, that they offered a satisfaction guarantee. Finally, where located, we provided information regarding prices of their additional services, which might include landscaping, hardscaping, aquatic management, power washing, outdoor lighting, residential holiday lighting services, among others.

To evaluate reputation and customer support, we first look at customer reviews and any complaints at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and consumer review website, Trustpilot.com. On the BBB, we check to see whether it's accredited and, if it is, the letter grade it received. We then document customer service hours, methods (call, email, chat) available to reach them, and whether the company provides a mobile app and/or the option of online account management through their website.