Get Quotes from Top Lawn Care Companies in New York City, NY

How Long Have You Been in the Lawn Care Business in New York City?

The business longevity of the lawn care company that you plan to hire is an important area to consider when looking for lawn care services in NYC. Lawn care companies that have not only been in business for a considerable length of time, preferably no less than two years, but also have a reputation for continued success, usually have well-experienced and capable landscapers in their employ. These landscapers are also typically more conversant with native grasses and garden plants than less experienced landscapers, and better versed in the right ways to properly take care of these plants. Some native NYC grasses and garden plants commonly found in lawns across the city include:

• Smooth white beardtongue
• Joe-Pye weed
• Northern blueflag
• Kentucky bluegrass
• Buffalo grass
• Great blue lobelia
• Smooth blue aster
• Tall fescue
• Wild bergamot
• Swamp milkweed
• Sneezeweed

Another benefit of hiring lawn care companies with a reputation for optimal service delivery is that these companies are less likely to be involved in home improvement scams. 2,610 consumer complaints concerning shoddy service delivery were filed with the New York Attorney General's Office in 2021 alone, with another 1,034 complaints filed specifically for home improvement-related matters. Retaining the services of long-lasting and reputable lawn care companies drastically reduces your chances of falling victim to these scams.

Note that you should always request and check references of past clients from any lawn care company you plan to hire, regardless of how long the company has been in business. You can also look up the company's business history, as well as reviews on their services, online through platforms like the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, and Google Review.

Do You Hold Any Professional Qualifications Relevant to Lawn Care?

One way to ascertain the competence of your lawn care contractors is by finding out if they hold professional qualifications in lawn care fields relevant to your required services. While there are no occupation-specific licensing requirements for landscapers and lawn care contractors that operate in NYC, these professionals are typically expected to comply with certain local and state-level regulatory requirements based on the types of services that they intend to offer. For example, landscapers that wish to apply pesticides on lawns in NYC must be certified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) before doing so.

The DEC offers several certification options to interested parties, which include ornamental and turf pest control categories that authorize certified individuals to use or supervise the use of pesticides and animal repellents on lawns, turf, and interior plants. Landscapers and lawn care contractors that wish to be certified by this department will have to meet certain eligibility criteria, which include:

• Being no less than 17 years old
• Providing proof of acceptable education and pesticide-related training or work experience
• Having a photograph on file with the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
• Passing the department's certification examination
• Paying all stipulated certification fees

Applications for certification with the DEC can be made online via the department's nForm platform. Note that the creation of a user account is required for this process. Inquiries concerning the DEC's certification process for NYC landscapers and lawn care contractors that wish to apply pesticides as part of their services can be directed to the department at (518) 402-8748 or via email.

Similarly, individuals in NYC that wish to provide lawn care services worth more than $200 on any residential property in the city are also required to hold locally issued Home Improvement Contractor Licenses obtained from the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). Applications for these licenses can be made to the DCWP online or by submitting a Basic License Application Form in person at any of the following locations:

Applicants that choose the in-person option are required to contact the DCWP at (212) 436-0441 to schedule an appointment before visiting their preferred location. Note that Home Improvement Contractor Licenses are typically only issued to applicants that meet the department's eligibility requirements. These include:

• Providing proof of home and business addresses
• Providing proof of insurance and bonding
• Passing a licensing examination
• Paying all stipulated fees

Queries concerning the DCWP's home improvement contractor license issuance process and requirements can be directed to 311 or (212) 639-9675 for callers outside NYC.

Finally, in addition to obtaining state or city-mandated licenses and certifications, many professional landscapers and lawn care contractors in NYC also obtain voluntary certifications in fields like arboriculture, organic farming, and other niche areas from organizations like:

• The New York State Nursery and Landscape Association
• The International Society of Arboriculture
• The National Association of Landscape Professionals
• The Horticultural Society of New York
• The Professional Grounds Management Society

Bear in mind that you should always verify claims of voluntary certification made by any lawn care professional you intend to employ by requesting proof of this and validating it with the appropriate organization.

If your lawn care services will involve pesticide application, you can verify whether your landscaper has been properly certified for this via the DEC's NYS Pesticide Administration Database. Likewise, if your required lawn care work will be valued at over $200, confirm that your landscaper holds a valid DCWP-issued home improvement contractor license via the department's Online Services Portal.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Lawn Care Companies in the City?

While people living in highrises in neighborhoods like Manhattan, Long Island City, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Ozone Park, and Flushing need not care about managing a lawn, other New Yorkers require the services of good lawn care professionals.

The cost of lawn care services in NYC is influenced by a number of factors, some of which include:

• The size of your lawn
• The nature and scope of the required services
• Lawn features and obstacles, like steep hills, trees, fences, and rocks
• The type of equipment and tools required for the job
• The labor intensity of the required services
• Your location within the city
• The frequency of the required lawn care services

Professional lawn care contractors in the city typically calculate their fees using one of the following types of pricing structures:

• Per Hour: this is a straightforward pricing structure, where the lawn care contractor sets an hourly rate for every hour that they spend working on your lawn. These rates can be anywhere from $30 - $100 per hour, but can go higher, depending on the nature and scope of the job
• Per Square Foot: this pricing structure involves the lawn care contractor charging clients for every square foot of lawn area that is worked on. Fees under this structure typically range from $4 - $15 per square foot
• Per Visit/Per Project: under this pricing structure, the lawn care contractor charges a flat fee either for each service that they provide or for a variety of agreed-upon services over a specified period. Fees are largely dependent on the nature of the work being done and can cost anywhere from $50 - $1,000 per visit/project

When searching for the right lawn care company to provide you with lawn maintenance and other landscaping services, it is always a good idea to get and compare cost estimates from several companies before making your final hiring choice. Doing this has several benefits, which include:

• It gives you a fair idea of the market rate for your required services
• It helps you avoid being overcharged for services by fraudulent companies
• It helps you spot dishonest lawn care contractors

Lawn care contractors in New York City earn an average wage of $41,470 every year. The list below compares the average wages earned by these contractors per hour against the average hourly wages of lawn care contractors in other parts of New York State and also in other locations across the United States:

What Is Included in Your Lawn Care Program?

Lawn care companies in NYC offer several types of lawn care services to interested parties in the city, and these include, but are not limited to:

• Lawn mowing
• Lawn fertilization
• Weed control
• Landscape design
• Tree trimming
• Lawn aeration
• Lawn seeding
• Shrub and hedge trimming
• Shrub and tree planting
• Flower services
• Retaining wall installation
• Leaf blowing
• Mulching
• Pest control
• Irrigation system maintenance and repair
• Garden cleanup and debris removal

When making hiring arrangements with lawn care companies in the city, it is important to find exactly what they intend to offer as part of your lawn care program. Note that some lawn care companies pitch relatively inexpensive lawn care programs to potential clients as a way to get them to sign up for their services, knowing fully well that these clients will require more intensive, and often more expensive, services in the future. Demanding to know the exact nature, scope, and cost of your required lawn care program upfront, especially if you are planning to sign up for recurring lawn care services and treatments, helps you avoid misunderstandings with your lawn care company down the line.

Many reputable lawn care companies in NYC typically offer two main types of packages, namely:

• Basic Lawn Care Services: these involve services that are mostly carried out to improve the look of your lawn without improving its overall health. Basic lawn care programs typically include services like lawn mowing, leaf blowing, hedge and shrub trimming, and garden cleanup
• Full-Service Lawn Maintenance: these involve services that not only increase your lawn's aesthetic appeal but also improve its overall health. Full-service lawn care programs typically include services available in basic lawn care programs as well as additional services like lawn aeration and fertilization, tree trimming and pruning, weed control, and lawn disease remediation

Cost estimates of lawn care services commonly included in NYC lawn care programs are provided below:

Do You Provide Organic Lawn Care Services?

Organic lawn care refers to lawn care services that are provided without the use of synthetic substances or chemicals like pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Instead, animal or plant-derived carbon-based substances and naturally occurring materials like potash, compost and leaf mulch, seaweed, bone char, worm castings, and manure, are used to maintain the lawn. The goal of organic lawn care is usually to provide a chemical-free outdoor environment that is safe for children and pets while also reducing the number and volume of chemicals released into the atmosphere.

If you are an environmentally conscious individual, or if you have little children and pets who will be frequently playing in your yard, it is always a good idea to find out if your preferred lawn care company provides organic lawn care services. This way, you can significantly limit the exposure of these children and pets to pesticides and other potentially harmful lawn care chemicals.

Note that organic lawn care services are typically more labor intensive than conventional lawn care services, and thus may cost you more. However, this type of lawn care also has several benefits, such as:

• It is safe for children and pets
• It makes your lawn healthier
• It improves root growth
• There is zero risk of over-application
• It revitalizes your lawn's ecosystem
• It involves the use of biodegradable substances
• It reduces soil and water pollution
• It makes your soil less vulnerable to pests and diseases
• It assists the photosynthesis process
• It saves you money in the long run

Do You Offer a Warranty for Plants Installed?

Plant warranties are an important area to consider when hiring lawn care companies, especially if the services being considered include the installation of plants, flowers, seeds, or sod on your lawn. These warranties are guarantees that the plants will thrive and flourish after they have been installed on your lawn, and you should be wary of lawn care companies that do not offer such warranties.

Note that the specific terms and scope of plant installation warranties typically vary by lawn care companies. Nevertheless, plant warranties offered by many professional lawn care companies in NYC are typically valid for one year and do not cover areas like:

• Damage caused by natural disasters and acts of vandalism
• Damage caused by lack of proper plant care and maintenance on the part of the client
• Damage caused by animals.

Also, given the organic nature of plants and flowers and their need for proper care and maintenance, many lawn care companies provide conditions in their plant warranties that must be adhered to for the warranties to remain valid. These typically include:

• Watering schedules
• Mowing schedules and acceptable mowing heights
• Fertilization requirements

To this end, always find out the specific terms and conditions of any plant warranty that your preferred lawn care company offers and ensure that you comply with these terms to avoid voiding the warranty.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Lawn Care Companies in the City?

Before finalizing hiring arrangements with any lawn care company in NYC, it is crucial that you confirm that the company, as well as all lawn care contractors and landscapers in their employ, are properly insured. Lawn care and maintenance activities can be potentially injurious – lawnmowers alone are estimated to cause more than 70 deaths and 87,600 serious injuries every year. Having these injuries, or any other unforeseen adverse events, occur during your lawn care work can lead to out-of-pocket expenses and other legal liabilities if your lawn care contractors and landscapers are not adequately insured.

Therefore, always request proof of insurance from your lawn care company before signing any contracts with them, authenticate this proof with their insurance provider, and find out if the company's general liability insurance coverage will be adequate for the scope of your required services.

Note that, per state and local regulations, lawn care companies, lawn care contractors, and landscapers in NYC may be required to carry certain types of insurance, based on the nature of services that they offer:

• Lawn care companies are required to carry workers' compensation insurance for all their employees
• Lawn care contractors and landscapers that wish to offer services worth more than $200 to residential clients in the city must post and maintain a $20,000 surety bond or enroll in the city's DCWP Trust Fund

You can contact the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) at 311 or (212) 639-9675 for callers outside NYC to get additional information on mandatory insurance requirements for lawn care companies that operate in the city.