If you prefer not to have grass clippings left on your lawn, it's essential to understand what's typically included in the free lawn care quotes you get with your free GreenPal account. Here’s a detailed guide:
Understanding Your Lawn Care Quotes
The free lawn mowing quotes you receive from lawn care companies paying to market their services on the GreenPal network typically include the following services:
Mowing Front and Back Yards
Trimming Grass Around Obstacles (Weed-Eating)
Edging and Blowing Off Surfaces
Their services are billed per cut after each service and are based on the condition that your grass is under 6-10 inches tall.
What About Grass Clippings?
Most lawn care services do not include bagging grass clippings in their standard pricing.
Here’s what you need to do if you prefer your clippings to be bagged and removed:
Ask About Extra Costs: Once you hire a lawn care service, ask them how much extra it would cost to bag your grass clippings. This additional cost can vary depending on the service provider. From observing Lawn Care companies in the community, the bagging of clippings costs 2 to 3 times the original lawnmowing quote you received from them.
Communicate Clearly: Make sure to communicate your preference for bagging grass clippings clearly to the lawn care provider you hire. This ensures they understand your requirements and can provide an accurate quote. Most of the time they will cancel your appointment because most lawn care companies don't offer baggings of your clippings.
Managing Overgrown Lawns
If any portion of your yard is over 6 to 10 inches tall, the lawn service will typically ask for a surcharge for the first mow, typically 2-3x their quoted price. This surcharge helps them get your yard back under control. Remember that the first mowing might not be perfect, and it may take a few mowings to get your lawn and edges looking their best.
Additional Yard Work
If you need more than just mowing, like leaf removal or bed maintenance, here's what to do:
Hire for Regular Mowings First: Get settled with a lawn mowing service for weekly or bi-weekly mowings.
Request Quotes for Extra Work: After the initial mowing, ask your lawn service directly for quotes on your additional yard work, such as:
Leaf removal
Bed maintenance
Shrub pruning
Mulching
Weed control
Gutter cleaning
Seeding
These services typically require an on-site visit from the lawn business you hired for an accurate quote.
Additional Notes
Pricing Adjustments: Front vs. back yard mowing generally does not affect the pricing, as most lawn care companies set their prices based on a minimum trip charge.
Service Commitment: Lawn care companies paying to market their services on GreenPal generally do not offer one-time cuts. They only take on clients committed to weekly or bi-weekly services throughout the lawn mowing season, typically until October or November.
Specialized Services: Services like turf weed control and fertilization require special licensing, which most lawn mowing services do not offer. It’s often best to hire separate specialists for these tasks.