How to Select a Lawn Treatment Company

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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More and more people are hiring professionals to take care of their lawns. These companies perform a wide range of services, from monitoring your lawn for pests and diseases to applying fertilizers to encourage grass growth. Homeowners who use a lawn service still have to care for their lawns, but they generally see better results with less effort.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Selection criteria worksheet

Step1

Determine the type of lawn you want. If you want an above-average quality lawn you will have to pay more than if you want an average lawn.

Step2

Call companies and find out what services they provide. Ask your neighbors--especially those with nice lawns--for recommendations.

Step3

Find out how much experience the lawn care companies have with lawns like yours. See if they are willing to listen to you and your lawn problems. Are they flexible about the services they offer, or do they offer a one-size-fits-all approach?

Step4

Ask a representative to visit your problems to determine what you need and how much it will cost. Never accept a plan over the telephone.

Step5

Check if the company is licensed, insured and part of a trade organization. Call the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any written complaints against the company.

Step6

Research the kinds of chemicals the company will apply to your lawn and why. Ask if the company routinely provides advance notice when they are applying chemicals to your lawn.

Step7

Be clear about what role you will have to play in keeping your lawn well maintained. Decide if you are willing to do this.

Step8

Get a written service agreement. Find out if there are any penalties involved if you decide to cancel the agreement. Ask if the service contract automatically renews each year or if you have to call to renew it.

Tips & Warnings

Although choosing a good lawn care company that properly applies fertilizer, and diagnoses problems is important, there are other factors that play a role in producing an attractive lawn. First, the homeowner must properly water and mow the grass. Temperature, precipitation and humidity also play a role.