How to Find a Lawn Service Company

Sometimes it's easier to have a crew come out and mow your lawn than it is to do it yourself. Be careful though when you contract with one. Make sure you're getting the best for your money.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A lawn in need of maintenance
• Phone
• Internet Access
• Notepad and Pen

1. Start out with a simple search on the net for local lawn companies in your area. You might run into a keyword problem, as I've discovered there are a lot more chemical lawn service companies out there using the normal keywords for mowing lawns. I'd suggest doing a search under "lawn service" or "lawn mowing service" and add your city and state to the end of the search string.
2. Once your results are returned, run through the yellowpage listings for companies and see if you can weed out the ones that only do the chemical lawn servicing. Alot of times they'll have websites for viewing as well, try to read through the websites to see if you can find pricing and service packages listed.
3. Select five or six companies to call, and start dialing. Tell them that you are in need of lawn service, your standard mow/edge/weed-eat set up, and you want to know their package details.
4. The company should start off with asking what size lot you have (corner, cul-de-sac, or normal) and then with where you are located. Some will tell you they can't take on any more clients, which is okay. Tell them what your lot size is (it's okay if you don't know for sure, the crew can always adjust after an estimate if you're seriously concerned) and what your major cross streets are.
5. The company should then tell you what they charge on a weekly and bi-weekly set up based off the size of your lot, and what days they can come out so you can pick. If you've got any unique details - pool, trampoline, dogs, etc - make sure you tell them. You want a company that can handle anything you've got, not one that complains and charges extra for something that another company would include in the price.
6. Ask the company how they handle their billing. Do they charge upfront, do they offer discounts for contracts, do they keep credit cards on file or send out paper invoices?
7. Write down all these responses, thank them, and call the next guy. Get quotes from at least three people, and make sure you ask them all the exact same questions. Wont do any good to do a comparison without having answers to the same questions.
8. Remember that in this, you have the power. Don't settle for a company if it doesn't fit all your needs and wants. The lawn service field is extremely competitive, and if you look a little longer, you'll find a company that's cheap, moves what you need moved, and does an excellent job. Happy hunting!!