No one wants to get the label “Worst House on the Block”. Not maintaining your lawn can place you on the lousy neighbor’s list. Maintaining your home’s curb appeal is an important part of homeownership, and one many residents take seriously.
A beautiful landscape and lawn are hard to come by when you don’t have the time or lawn care equipment to maintain your yard. Plus, not every homeowner knows how to keep their yard perfectly manicured.
Hiring a lawn care service is the perfect solution to your yard care needs. You can set a schedule that works for you and customize the services you want to fit your budget.
Are you interested in hiring someone to maintain your lawn but don’t know where to start? Keep reading for a quick guide on everything to consider when selecting an experienced lawn care provider.
What Does Lawn Care Service Include?
Lawn care service covers a wide variety of services. Services can include mowing the lawn, edging around walkways, driveways, and curbs. As the property owner, you should complete a list of services you’ll need.
Some companies may offer a la carte pricing services. Others may want property owners to commit to a full-service maintenance plan.
Search Google for lawn care near your location. When seeking providers, ask family members and other associates for recommendations. Home services apps are also a good resource for online customers reviews.
Structured Services
Are you seeking structured lawn care services? Structured services are contracting with a company to provide the same service weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Anything outside of the contracted services is considered a la carte or miscellaneous.
Expect to receive a separate fee for add-on services.
Examples of one-time miscellaneous services could include clean-up after a major storm. The client could ask for a lawn touch-up between scheduled services due to a special event at their home.
Maintaining a good relationship with your lawn care maintenance company has benefits. The right company will make suggestions for upkeep.
License and Insurance
As with most contracted services, you want to ensure the company you use is licensed, bonded, and insured. These measures are designed to protect the consumer. Whenever someone is working on your property, you’ll have a level of liability.
Start by verifying with your state any licenses the lawn care service should have and that the licensing is current. Next, interview prospective companies and ask for proof of insurance. Types of insurance include general liability insurance and workers comp.
Also, check to see if the company is bonded. Bonds are added coverage that covers a contracted job beyond the coverage of general liability insurance.
Most small lawn care companies may not have some of this coverage. If you are looking into a larger company that goes beyond weekly lawn cutting, it should be a requirement.
Years of Experience
The number of years a lawn care service has been in business isn’t always necessary, but it will add to your comfort level. You also want to inquire about lawn care equipment. You’ll want to know if they are equipped to do the job.
A company that has been in business for a while has the experience and know-how. They are more equipped to handle emergency services and are more reliable.
Their years of experience can come into play when issues with the yard arise. You’ll want to rely on their expertise when your lawn is experiencing dry spots, shrubbery is dying, plus more lawn care problems.
Size of the Crews
Can you imagine hiring a lawn care service company only to learn it’s a one-man operation? The size of the crews a company has makes a huge difference in terms of time and quality.
Properties with large manicured lawns can take hours to complete. When a crew involves multiple people, each person has a specific task. Approaching lawn care this way allows the team to work efficiently and promptly.
Plus, when a crew member is out, the business can continue to operate. You won’t have to worry about cancellations or delays in service. A crew will arrive on the day of your scheduled appointment.
Set Scheduling
Scheduling is another essential part of lawn care service. You want to hire a company with the ability to arrive on the day they are scheduled to be there. Unpredictable scheduling is an inconvenience to consumers.
Check online customer reviews to see what people are saying about the company’s timeliness.
Seasonal Planting
Property owners who invest in top-of-the-line lawn care services aren’t just looking for someone to mow their grass. They also want a company that offers seasonal services.
These services include clearing flower beds and planting seasonal flowers. The process ensures your landscape is always vibrant and appealing.
Additional Services
As you can see, the lawn care experience encompasses a lot of things. Each company you contact may have a different offering. A full-service company can offer a lot more than a smaller company.
Additional services to consider when comparing care fees include:
- Fertilization
- Irrigation installment
- Landscape design
- Tree pruning/trimming
- Xeriscape
- Special event maintenance
When meeting with a lawn care service, put every question on the table. If the company doesn’t offer a particular service, the representative may know someone who does.
Upgrade Your Landscape
As you can see from our guide, there is more to lawn care services than mowing the lawn on Saturday mornings. You want to hire professionals who have a genuine love for landscapes and will treat your lawn like it’s theirs.
Imperial Landscape and Masonry has years of experience creating beautiful outdoor spaces. We can make any lawn functional and your very own oasis, consisting of lighting, firepits, retaining walls, and stonework.
After we beautify your lawn, we can offer scheduled lawn maintenance.
If you’re in the Cape Cod area, we’d love to hear from you to see what we can offer. Click here to contact us to schedule an appointment.