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Specialty Contracting · Last reviewed 2026-05-26

Landscaping & Lawn Care — find a local pro, plus pricing & licensing

Mowing, mulch, planting, hardscape, irrigation — the yard you wish you had time for. Below: a plain-English guide to costs in 2026, what to ask before hiring, state-by-state licensing, and the towns where landscaping & lawn care are already listed on Great Local Pros.

weekly mowingmulch deliverytree trimmingirrigationsod installleaf cleanupsnow removalgarden design

What landscaping & lawn care actually do

The most common services landscaping & lawn care are hired for, with typical residential price ranges in 2026.

Weekly lawn mowing

$40-$80 per visit for a quarter-acre yard; bundle pricing common.

Spring / fall cleanup

$200-$500 per visit; leaf removal in heavy-tree areas can be more.

Mulching

$300-$1,000 to mulch typical beds; includes material and labor.

Landscape design

$500-$3,000 for a custom plan from a landscape designer.

Tree trimming

$200-$1,500 per tree depending on size and access.

Tree removal

$300-$2,500 per tree; stump grinding adds $100-$400.

Irrigation install

$2,500-$5,000 for a typical residential system; repair $75-$300 per zone.

Hardscape (patios, walkways)

$15-$45 per square foot depending on material (concrete, paver, flagstone).

Sod install

$1-$2 per square foot installed.

Snow removal (seasonal)

$50-$120 per visit residential; many landscapers offer winter service.

What does a landscaping & lawn care cost in 2026?

National median ranges for the most common residential jobs. Your local pricing will vary by region, season, and access — always get a written quote.

JobTypical price rangeNotes
Weekly mow (quarter-acre)$40 – $80Half-acre $60 – $120.
Spring/fall cleanup$200 – $500Heavy-tree areas can run $700+.
Annual mulching$300 – $1,000Material + labor combined.
Tree removal (medium)$300 – $1,500Large/access-restricted: $1,500 – $3,500.
Irrigation system install$2,500 – $5,000Smart controllers add $200-$400.
Paver patio (200 sq ft)$3,000 – $9,000Flagstone runs higher.
Landscape design + install$3,000 – $15,000Major hardscape + plantings.

Ranges sourced from public industry surveys, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics OES wage data, and homeowner-cost aggregators. Last reviewed 2026-05-26.

Questions to ask a landscaping & lawn care before you hire

Bring this list with you on the call or to the on-site estimate. A reputable pro answers every one of these without hesitation.

  1. Are you insured for property damage and workers' compensation?
  2. Will you handle the debris/yard waste or do I need to?
  3. Are you applying any pesticides or herbicides? Are you state-licensed for that?
  4. Will you give me a written contract, or is this handshake?
  5. What's your policy if equipment damages a sprinkler head or buried cable?
  6. How are you priced — flat rate per visit, hourly, or seasonal contract?
  7. Do you offer winter snow removal as a bundled service?
  8. How long have you been operating in this town specifically?

Want the full checklist plus 25 more questions covering 29 trades? Download the free 58-page consumer guide (PDF) — no email required.

Red flags: common scam patterns in the landscaping & lawn care trade

A short list of warning signs we compiled from public Better Business Bureau complaint patterns and state attorney general consumer-protection bulletins.

  • Door-to-door pitches with cash-only demands.
  • No proof of liability insurance.
  • Promised discount for paying the whole season upfront, then disappearance.
  • Pesticide application without a state license.
  • Damaged property with no accountability or refusal to file claim.
  • 'We were already in the neighborhood' opening line.

If you experience contractor fraud, report it to your state attorney general's consumer-protection office and file a complaint with the licensing board. The FTC also tracks these under reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Towns where landscaping & lawn care are already listed

These pilot cities have verified landscaping & lawn care you can call today.

Why use Great Local Pros to find landscaping & lawn care?

Hyper-local match

We list landscaping & lawn care by the towns they actually serve — not a 60-mile zip-code radius like the national lead-gen platforms.

Zero per-lead fees

Landscaping & Lawn Care on this site aren't paying $30 to $120 per click to reach you. That cost isn't built into their quote.

Independent local shops

Most landscaping & lawn care here are 1 to 5 person businesses based in your town, not national chains routing work to subcontractors.

Built for small towns

Angi, Thumbtack, and HomeAdvisor optimize for big metros. We optimize for the 13,700+ towns under 60,000 population.

Run a landscaping & lawn care business?

Most towns on Great Local Pros don't have anyone listed yet for landscaping & lawn care. Claim your spot and be the first name local searchers find.

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Before you hire — Landscaping & Lawn Care

Five questions to ask any Landscaping & Lawn Care pro — and 53 more pages of advice.

This guide includes a full page on hiring Landscaping & Lawn Care: the right questions, the warranties to insist on, what's a fair price, and the red flags that mean keep looking. Plus 56 more pages covering 28 other local trades.

Every Landscaping & Lawn Care listing on this site is paired with the guide so you can hire with confidence.

  • 25-question master list to bring on every call
  • 20 red flags that mean walk away (one page)
  • One full page on each of the 29 trades
  • What's fair to pay — by trade and by region
  • What to do if the job goes wrong (with court-ready steps)
A free book from your neighbors at
How to Find a Local Pro Who Won't Let You Down
The plain-language guide to hiring the right plumber, electrician, dog walker, tutor — and 26 other small-town trades.
58 pages · 29 trades · First edition · 2026

Frequently asked questions about hiring landscaping & lawn care

How much does landscaping cost per month?
Weekly mowing on a typical quarter-acre lot runs $40-$80 per visit, or roughly $160-$320 per month during mow season. Adding spring/fall cleanup, mulching, and basic shrub care typically brings annual residential landscaping spend to $1,500-$4,000 for a quarter-acre property.
Is my landscaper required to be licensed?
In most U.S. states, basic lawn care is not state-licensed. Two important exceptions: (1) pesticide and herbicide application requires a state license in all 50 states — verify before any chemical treatment, and (2) some states (e.g., Florida) license commercial landscape architects for design work over a certain scope.
What should I ask before hiring a landscaper?
The most important question is liability insurance — landscaping equipment damages property (sprinkler heads, fences, neighbor's car) often enough that this matters. Also ask about debris removal, the specific weekly/bi-weekly cadence, and what triggers a rate change (extreme weather, peak growth).
When should I do spring cleanup?
Wait until daytime temperatures are consistently above 50°F — earlier and you disturb overwintering pollinators in leaf litter, plus most plants haven't shown growth yet. In northern climates that's mid-April; in temperate zones, late March; in southern climates, February.
How much should tree removal cost?
Mid-sized residential tree removal (30-50 ft) typically runs $400-$1,500. Costs spike with access difficulty (close to house, power lines), size (over 60 ft can be $1,500-$3,500), and species (oaks generally cost more than pines). Always verify tree-removal contractors carry both liability and workers' comp.
Are smart sprinkler controllers worth it?
Yes for most homes. WeatherSense (or equivalent) smart controllers adjust watering by local weather, typically reducing water consumption 20-40% versus a fixed-schedule timer. Many municipal water utilities offer rebates.
How do I keep landscaping costs down?
Three biggest levers: (1) negotiate a season contract instead of per-visit pricing, (2) handle mulching yourself (bulk delivery + a few hours of work saves $400-$800), (3) plant native low-water plants instead of conventional ornamentals that need irrigation.
What about lawn-care chemicals — should I avoid them?
Personal choice, but lawn-care pesticide and herbicide use is more regulated than most homeowners realize. Any applicator must be state-licensed; many states require notification and posting. If you prefer organic care, ask your landscaper specifically — many small operators offer organic-only options.
Free guide (PDF)