The Best Lawn Care Services Of 2023

In this article: Top Lawn Care CompaniesLawn Care GuaranteesDIY vs. Professional Lawn CareThe Bottom LineFAQsMethodology

You might think that keeping your grass lush and green year-round will break the bank, but that doesn't have to be the case. Many professional lawn care services provide exceptional lawn treatment plans at affordable prices. 

To help you determine which provider best fulfills your lawn care needs, we at the Guides Home Team have thoroughly researched the best lawn care services. We analyzed customer service calls, interviewed representatives from each company and secret-shopped for quotes to understand scheduling and pricing. This guide breaks down the best lawn care services available, including costs, service options and pros and cons.

Top 5 Lawn Care Companies of 2023 TruGreen

For more than 48 years, TruGreen has provided full-service lawn care across the continental United States. Based in Memphis, Tenn., the company offers EPA-certified products and provides continuing education for its certified specialists. Its technicians also advise homeowners about the best techniques for watering and mowing between treatments to encourage a healthy lawn.

TruGreen Key Details

Services: Fertilizing, weed control, insect control, trees and shrubs services, lime soil amendment, aeration, seeding and overseeding

Pricing: $635–$990 annually

State availability: 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)

Get a free quote from TruGreen by visiting the company website or calling 1-866-817-2287. 

Pros and Cons of TruGreen

+ Has standout quality of service compared to competitors

+ Offers both pest and weed control services

+ Serves 48 states

– Is facing a pending class-action lawsuit related to unlawful robocalls

– Offers limited customer service hours on the weekends

TruGreen is in the midst of a class-action lawsuit that alleges the company made unlawful robocalls to consumers without express permission. While researching TruGreen prices, our team experienced a high volume of calls after our initial contact with the company. The company did not respond when contacted for a response. 

Despite this problem, we still recommend TruGreen due to its wide range of plan options, flexible service schedule, reputable guarantees and excellent customer service. Customers wishing to avoid follow-up sales calls can use the company's online chat tool to get a quote.

Sunday

Founded in 2019, Sunday offers custom-built, do-it-yourself (DIY) lawn care packages. This subscription service is ideal for new homeowners learning to maintain a lawn. It's also great for smaller properties, as Sunday doesn't recommend its packages for yards bigger than 13,500 square feet. Because Sunday is a DIY service, it does not provide professional treatments such as aeration or landscaping. 

Sunday Key Details

Services: Fertilizing, weed control, pest control, soil amendments, seeding and overseeding

Pricing: $220–$330 annually 

State availability: 50 states

Get an instant quote from Sunday with this easy-to-use form. 

Pros and Cons of Sunday

+ Has more affordable pricing than other lawn care services 

+ Includes easy-to-understand instructions with all products 

+ Offers various additional services to customize your lawn care package 

– Doesn't offer professional services 

– Only provides a prorated refund if you're unhappy with the service

Lawnbright

Lawnbright is another DIY lawn care subscription service that offers a stress-free approach to figuring out your lawn's needs. After completing a soil test sent to your home, the company provides a custom lawn care program that includes the best-suited products for you, so you don't have to worry about researching options. This is a more streamlined process compared to competitors but is less customizable. 

Lawnbright Key Details

Services: Fertilizing, treating, weed control, pest control and soil amendment

Pricing: Approximately $330 annually 

State availability: 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)

To start the free quote process with Lawnbright, fill out this short survey or call 1-866-817-2287. 

Pros and Cons of Lawnbright

+ Creates custom packages based on your lawn needs 

+ Sends text alerts for application instructions based on rainfall, growing season, temperatures and other climate factors 

+ Offers a variety of natural lawn care products free of harsh chemicals 

– Doesn't have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating* 

– Doesn't offer professional services, such as core aeration 

*BBB information is accurate as of April 2023. 

Lawn Love

Lawn Love's user-friendly smartphone app matches you with trusted local lawn care services based on your individual needs. To streamline the process, Lawn Love analyzes your property via satellite technology and pulls from regional data to determine your home's ideal lawn treatment plan.

Lawn Love Key Details

Services: Fertilizing, weed control, pest control, tree and shrub care, lime soil amendment, aeration, seeding and overseeding

Pricing: $420–$600 annually 

State availability: 40 states plus Washington, D.C.*

*Not available in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia or Wyoming.

Pros and Cons of Lawn Love

+ Allows you to find services that match your unique lawn care needs and goals

+ Keeps services local

+ Offers a user-friendly app

– Only operates in 40 states 

– Service availability may be limited based on your location

Lawn Doctor

Lawn Doctor offers many popular treatment options, such as lawn fertilization and grub control. Its services are backed by an excellent guarantee that states if you're not satisfied with the results of an application, the company will either re-apply the treatment for free or refund the total cost of your last application. Lawn Doctor also has a high BBB rating of A+.*

*BBB information accurate as of April 2023. 

Lawn Doctor Key Details

Services: Fertilizing, weed control, pest control, trees and shrubs services, lime soil amendment, aeration, seeding and overseeding

Pricing: $900–$2,000 annually 

State Availability: 40 states*

*Not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont or Wyoming.

Pros and Cons of Lawn Doctor

+ Includes Lawn Doctor Guarantee for complete customer satisfaction 

+ Offers a variety of treatment options

+ Offers pest control solutions, including mosquito treatment

– Only operates in 40 states 

– Some branches have negative reviews due to complaints of unprofessional employees and confusion over plans

Do Lawn Care Companies Have Guarantees?

Many lawn care companies include a guarantee with their services. Guarantees ensure your lawn stays healthy and the treatment you receive matches your lawn care needs. If the guarantee doesn't offer money back for inefficient services, it typically provides reservice for free. Often, guarantees require you to follow proper instructions, maintain watering and ensure your account is up to date. 

Find detailed information about the guarantees for our top lawn maintenance services below.

TruGreen: TruGreen's Healthy Lawn Guarantee® promises reservice at no additional cost if you're not satisfied with your service at any point within 60 days.

Sunday: If you receive a damaged product or are missing part of your order, Sunday will send a replacement for free. The company will also work with you to remedy any issues.

Lawnbright: Lawnbright also re-sends any missing or damaged products at no additional cost. If you're not satisfied with the results of your plan, Lawnbright will help to find a solution. 

Lawn Love: Lawn Love provides a Total Satisfaction Guarantee. If you aren't fully satisfied with your service and notify the company within 24 hours, your connected lawn professional will return and fix things for free.

Lawn Doctor: If you're not satisfied with your service at any point, Lawn Doctor will either have an expert return to re-apply your application or refund the total amount.

DIY vs. Professional Lawn Care

When shopping for lawn care service providers, consider whether you want do-it-yourself or professional lawn care. DIY lawn care is more affordable, but a professional lawn care provider could be a better option, depending on your landscaping needs. Below is a breakdown of both services. 

DIY Lawn Care: Do-it-yourself lawn care is exactly what it sounds like. Typically, the brand will conduct a lawn analysis and send a package of products recommended for your lawn care needs. You then apply the treatments and handle any required watering and lawn mowing yourself. 

Professional Lawn Care: A professional lawn care service is all-inclusive. A professional will analyze your property, create a routine treatment plan and then visit your property according to that plan. This service typically includes mowing, watering and tree services.

Combination Lawn Care: Professional lawn care services also offer combination plans. These allow you to have professionals perform complex services such as lawn aeration or tree services but handle more standard tasks, such as mowing and leaf removal, yourself.

The Bottom Line: Which is the Best Lawn Care Provider for You?

Your lawn requires special attention, which is why selecting the best lawn care service is vital. If you're searching for full-service, comprehensive lawn care, we recommend TruGreen. The company provides a wide variety of service options to match your unique lawn care needs. 

If you'd prefer to choose custom lawn care bundles and handle applications yourself, you should consider Sunday. If you want a company to figure out your lawn needs and simply send you the products, look into Lawnbright. 

We recommend obtaining at least three quotes from lawn care services to compare service options and pricing accurately. Use our tool below to get a head start on receiving quotes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lawn Care

Lawn services typically cost around $150 per treatment, though they vary based on each home's landscaping needs.

You should mow your lawn at least once a week during the peak growing season, late spring and early summer. You can mow your lawn once every other week at other times of the year.

Yes, TruGreen treats crabgrass. The company applies low volumes of herbicide with small spray droplets, the ideal treatment for a weed as problematic and aggressive as crabgrass.

The ideal time to fertilize your lawn is between April and May, though this time frame might change depending on your location. Ensure the ground is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and that it has been watered either by rain or your sprinkler system a few days before applying fertilizer.

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Lawn Care Companies

Our team created a comprehensive ratings system to rank lawn care companies. We researched companies by secret-shopping online and over the phone to compare plans, pricing, payment options and law treatment types.

We then scored lawn care companies in these categories: plan options, service schedule, customer service, guarantees, reputation, longevity and state availability.

Lawn Fertilizer Services To Nourish Your Yard

It's important to fertilize your lawn because grass can remove nutrients from the soil as it grows. Over time, this process leads to depleted dirt and decreased grass growth. Fertilizing a lawn can restore the pH and nutrient makeup of the soil in your yard.

Types of Fertilizer

First, you'll want to select the type of fertilizer you'd prefer for your lawn. Fertilizers are made up of three primary elements: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The amount of each ingredient varies based on fertilizer type. The NPK value of a fertilizer displays the percentage of each element in the mixture. For example, an NPK value of 10-11-12 would contain 10% nitrogen, 11% phosphorus, and 12% potassium.

Common options for fertilizer are as follows:

Quick-release fertilizer: This synthetic variety of fertilizer releases nitrogen into the soil immediately, showing visible results quickly but lasting only two to four weeks. If your lawn needs a quick boost, you may want to use quick-release fertilizer sparingly. But be cautious; too much can burn your lawn.

Slow-release fertilizer: As the name implies, this fertilizer type gradually releases nutrients for a longer-lasting effect of up to eight weeks. Slow-release fertilizer is better for grass and the environment, thanks to its lower nitrogen content and the reduced likelihood of leaching nutrients from the soil over time.

Organic fertilizer: Organic fertilizer is made from natural materials such as compost and kelp. The organic ingredients often take a bit longer to show results but can strengthen the water flow and structure of the soil over time. However, since there is no formalized process for certifying organic fertilizers, you'll want to read the ingredients list carefully and ensure that any synthetic products used comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

Liquid fertilizer: Liquid fertilizers are concentrated formulas that may be sprayed on grass, often using a hose sprayer attachment. These are popular for both professional and DIY applications and used in subscription fertilizer boxes, such as from Sunday or Lawnbright. Liquid fertilizers are absorbed by plants faster, leading to faster results, and may be natural or synthetic.

Granular fertilizer: Granular fertilizers are dry solids applied to the ground and release nutrients as they break down. These are typically more cost-efficient than liquid fertilizers but may take longer to show results.

Time of Year and Frequency

Factors such as where you are located, your grass type, your lawn's health, and the condition of your soil will determine how frequently you should fertilize. Experts agree that fertilizing two to six times per year is ideal, often around mid-spring, Labor Day, and the end of October. However, a soil analysis is the best way to discover what your yard needs.

You'll want to fertilize starting in the late spring if you have warm-season grass such as zoysiagrass, St. Augustine grass, or Bermuda grass. Start when the grass is already growing and continue through the summer months. Cold-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, bentgrass, and fescue grass, should be fertilized during the same window you start mowing in the spring. After the first application of fertilizer, you'll want to pause until after Labor Day. Apply fertilizer through early fall, and then administer the final treatment by the midpoint of the autumn season.

Regardless of grass type, homeowners should stop fertilizing roughly six weeks before the first frost in your region, as fertilizing too close to winter can weaken your grass and soil throughout the cold months.

Spreading Fertilizers

No matter the type of fertilizer you choose, you'll want an even spread of nutrients throughout your lawn. Fertilizers can be spread through several mechanisms:

Rotary spreaders: Also called broadcast spreaders, rotary spreaders are pushed across a lawn to release fertilizer in an overlapping pattern. These are often the best choice for an even, quick fertilizer application for larger lawns.

Drop spreaders:

Spray spreaders: Many products come with an attachment for your garden hose to dispense liquid fertilizer. These attachments allow you to walk and spray fertilizer either directly onto your lawn or into the soil.

Choosing Lawn And Landscape Care Companies

Many homeowners no longer perform the work themselves when it comes to applying fertilizer and pesticides to their lawns and landscape beds. Lawn and/or landscape companies willing to supply that service are numerous. So how can you be responsible for protecting Delaware's water quality if your lawn and landscape care is handled by a lawn and/or landscape company? The answer is ask questions. Don't just assume that the lawn and/or landscape care company is following the best management practices. You'll want to make sure you choose a good professional company with well-trained employees that follow the latest procedures.

To find a professional lawn and/or landscape company, begin by asking the following questions.

What lawn and landscape care packages are available?

When does the company apply fertilizer to the lawn? To the trees and shrubs?

How much fertilizer does the company apply?

What type of fertilizer does the company use?

Does the company apply lime?

Does the company apply preventive pesticides?

Does the company have a scouting service that looks for common pest problems?

Does the company offer other services such as core cultivation?

Are the lawn and landscape care technicians trained?

Do they attend professional workshops and seminars?

Is the company bonded or insured in case problems arise?

Next, evaluate their answers. Lawn and/or landscape care companies may offer anything from a one-time fertilization to a complete package with visits throughout the growing season. If you subscribe for one fertilizer application, make sure it is done in the fall and that a slow-release fertilizer is used. If you subscribe to a complete package of visits throughout the growing season, ask what will be done at each visit. Spring and fall fertilizations are fine. Summer fertilization is not needed to maintain a healthy lawn. A minimal amount of nitrogen can be beneficial if soluble fertilizer was used in the spring and no nitrogen remains in the soil. But unless you water your lawn all summer (which is certainly not recommended from a water conservation standpoint), summer fertilization places additional stress on an already heat- and drought-stressed turf. A good lawn care company should be responsive to the weather and change scheduled fertilizations based on rainfall and temperature. Summer fertilization can also promote disease and insect problems.

The best time to fertilize trees and shrubs is from late fall to early spring when the trees and shrubs are dormant. Again, Summer fertilization can be stressful.

Depending on the frequency of application, the recommendation is 1/2 to 2 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet, or 5 to 20 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer. Many different forms of fertilizer can be used. (See the NPS Fact Sheet #3 for more details.)

Lime is also important for home lawns. The optimum pH for lawns is 6.0 to 7.0. A soil test (available through Cooperative Extension) will tell you the pH of your soil. In Delaware, our soils tend to become acid; therefore, lime should usually be applied yearly or every other year to raise the pH. If liming is not part of your lawn care contract, you must add lime to the lawn yourself.

Regularly scheduled sprays of preventive pesticides are usually not the best way to control diseases and insects. Pesticide is often wasted when there is no disease or insect present. On the other hand, perennial problems such as sycamore anthracnose, birch leafminer or crab apple scab can only be controlled with a preventive fungicide or insecticide. A professional can evaluate your landscape plants, the weather conditions and local pest populations to decide when sprays are warranted. If your lawn and/or landscape care company offers a scouting program to spot potential problems, you can save money by spraying pesticides only when they are needed.

Core cultivation is an important part of caring for a highly managed lawn. A core cultivator removes plugs of soil and places them on top of the lawn. The cores are then dispersed by rain and normal traffic. Core cultivation, once a year, will help prevent thatch build-up, compaction and the problems these conditions cause.

Your responsibilities don't end with the hiring of a lawn and/or landscape care company. Ask the technicians what chemicals are being applied and make sure they follow the procedures you have discussed.

Lawn and landscape care companies are a wonderful convenience for the busy homeowner. Be sure you carefully evaluate and choose a professional company to get the most for your money and help in keeping Delaware's water supply safe.

Credits: EPA, DNREC, New Castle-Kent-Sussex Conservation Districts, Delaware Nature Society, Delaware Cooperative Extension, University of Delaware.

Susan S. Barton, Extension Specialist

III, Ornamental HorticultureNPS-7

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