Get Quotes from Top Lawn Care Companies in Fort Worth, TX

How Long Have You Been in the Lawn Care Business in Fort Worth?

Finding out how long a lawn care company has been in business is a good way to gauge its capability to implement your lawn care program effectively and satisfactorily. Lengthy business histories usually indicate a sustained satisfactory delivery rate and a solid local reputation, and you should always strongly consider hiring lawn care companies that have operated locally for a year or two. Doing this assures you that your lawn care services will be provided by landscapers who are not only knowledgeable about local native and adapted plants but experienced enough to select the best options amongst these plants for your lawn and also properly take care of them. Examples of popular native and adapted plants and grasses in Fort Worth include:

• Prairie verbena
• Indian blanket
• Texas bluebonnet
• Texas paintbrush
• Pink Ladies
• Tievine
• Straggler daisy
• Engelmann daisy
• Common dandelion
• Sunflower
• Partridge pea
• Texas yellow star
• Henbit deadnettle
• Hummingbird bush
• Flame acanthus
• Texas lantana
• Zexmenia
• Mealy blue sage
• Fall aster
• Angel trumpet
• Autumn sage
• Purple coneflower

Another reason to always consider lawn care companies that have built a reputation for satisfactory service delivery is that it significantly reduces your likelihood of falling victim to a home improvement scam. A survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America in 2020 revealed that matters involving misrepresentation of services, subpar service delivery, and nonperformance of work were among the top causes of consumer complaints across the country. Dealing with relatively new and unproven lawn care companies puts you at risk of not only receiving unsatisfactory services but also falling victim to scams by fly-by-night landscapers and lawn care companies.

To this end, always do your research before signing contracts with any lawn care company in the city. Confirm how long they have been in business and request references of past clients they have served locally that can vouch for the quality of their lawn care services. You can also utilize platforms like the Better Business Bureau, Google Review, and Yelp to look up reviews and testimonials on your preferred lawn care companies online.

Do You Hold Any Professional Qualifications Relevant to Lawn Care?

Determining whether your landscapers hold professional qualifications relevant to the scope of services you require is a crucial step in determining their suitability for executing your lawn care program. While landscapers and lawn care specialists in Fort Worth do not typically need locally-issued occupational licenses to operate in the city, these professionals may require state-issued credentials before they can legally provide certain services.

For instance, landscapers and lawn care specialists in Fort Worth must be licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) before they can apply pesticides as part of their services. Failure to do so can result in civil and administrative penalties of up to $25,000 in fines. The following certification options are available for landscapers who want to receive TDA-issued pesticide licenses:

• Commercial applicator: landscapers and lawn care specialists that wish to apply state-limited-use and restricted-use pesticides or regulated herbicides must be certified under this category
• Noncommercial applicator: this certification option is available for landscapers and lawn care specialists who intend to apply only general-use pesticides as part of their services

Interested parties that wish to obtain pesticide licenses from the TDA may either apply online or submit a PA-401 Application for Commercial Pesticide Applicator License or a PA-400N Application for Pesticide Applicator License form, whichever is applicable, to the department at:

These applicants will also have to comply with certain requirements before they can obtain their pesticide licenses, such as:

• Passing a certification examination
• Paying all applicable fees
• Submitting proof of adequate insurance coverage, where applicable
• Providing any additional documentation that the TDA may request at the time of the application

Likewise, landscapers and lawn care specialists in Fort Worth must obtain an irrigation license from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) before providing any services that involve the design, installation, inspection, maintenance, servicing, or repair of irrigation systems. Offering these types of services without appropriate licensing is a Class C misdemeanor that carries fines of up to $500 as well as other statutory and administrative punishments.

Interested parties who wish to obtain irrigation licenses from the TCEQ may apply to the department online via its Occupational Licensing Electronic Application (OLEA) platform. Note that these applicants will be expected to complete a training program offered by the department, pass a licensing exam, and pay any applicable fees before receiving these licenses.

You can contact the TDA and the TCEQ at (877) 542-2474 and (512) 239-6133, respectively, to get more information or direct queries concerning state-issued credentials for landscapers and lawn care specialists in Fort Worth.

In addition to these state-mandated credentials, many landscapers and lawn care specialists in Fort Worth also obtain professional certifications in fields like organic farming, irrigation, horticulture, and arboriculture from reputable organizations like:

• The Texas Nursery and Landscape Association
• The International Society of Arboriculture
• The Irrigation Association
• The National Association of Landscape Professionals
• The Professional Grounds Management Society
• The Tree Care Industry Association

It should be noted that these certifications are not mandatory. However, it is always a good idea to hire landscapers and lawn care specialists who hold appropriate voluntarily-obtained certifications, as this usually indicates professionalism, competence, and expertise on their part.

Note that you should always verify the credentials of your preferred landscapers and lawn care specialists before they commence any work on your lawn. You can verify state-issued pesticide licenses by contacting the TDA's Licensing Division at (877) 542-2474, via email, or through its Reports and Publications webpage. Similarly, state-issued irrigation licenses can be verified online via the Search Licensing platform that the TCEQ provides for this purpose. Finally, you can verify voluntarily-earned certifications by asking for proof of these certifications and authenticating it with the relevant certifying organization.

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

Professional lawn care companies in Fort Worth typically calculate their charges using one or a combination of the following pricing structures:

• Hourly Rates: with this pricing structure, the lawn care company charges clients for the total amount of time spent working on their lawns. Hourly rates for lawn care services in the city typically range from $25 - $80 per hour.
• Square Footage Rates: with this pricing structure, the lawn care company charges clients for the total lawn area that is worked on. Square footage rates in the city typically range from $2.50 - $10 per square foot
• Flat Rates: with this pricing structure, the lawn care company charges clients a flat fee for each service they offer or several agreed-on services over a specified period. Flat rates for lawn care services in the city can range from $50 - $850 per service

Note that the overall cost of hiring a lawn care company in the city will be influenced by the following factors, such as:

• The nature and scope of required services
• Lawn size
• Current lawn conditions
• The labor intensity of the required services
• Lawn features and obstacles like tree stumps, rocks, and fences
• Your location within the city
• The reputation of your preferred lawn care company

As such, you should consider getting and comparing cost estimates from at least three different lawn care companies before selecting one to hire for your lawn care services. This is an effective strategy to determine the going rates for the lawn care services you need and protect yourself from fraudulent lawn care companies and landscapers.

Lawn care contractors in Fort Worth earn an average wage of $33,910 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 Texas and also in other locations across the United States:

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Is Included in Your Lawn Care Program?

Even though landscapers in Fort Worth generally offer a wide variety of services to interested parties, it is important always to confirm the types of services that will be included in your lawn care program before signing up with any lawn care company in the city. Some of the services commonly included in lawn care programs implemented by landscapers in the city include:

• Artificial turf installation
• Customized weed control
• Hydroseeding
• Irrigation system installation, repair, and maintenance
• Landscape design
• Lawn aeration
• Lawn disease remediation
• Lawn fertilization
• Lawn mowing
• Lawn seeding
• Leaf blowing
• Mulching and composting
• Pest control
• Root care
• Shrub and hedge trimming
• Shrub, flower, and tree planting
• Sodding
• Soil treatment and topsoil care
• Tree trimming and pruning
• Yard cleanup and debris removal

These lawn care services are typically offered through the following packages:

• Basic Lawn Care Package: This lawn care package typically includes services like lawn mowing, shrub and hedge trimming, leaf blowing, and yard cleanup that mostly focus on maintaining the lawn's look and appearance but do not enhance its overall health
• Full-Service Lawn Care and Maintenance Package: This lawn care package typically includes services found in basic lawn care packages as well as added services like customized weed control, lawn disease remediation, and tree pruning, all of which are designed to improve the lawn's appearance and also enhance its overall health

Note that some dishonest lawn care companies may try to lure you with inexpensive lawn care packages that only include the most basic services to persuade you to sign up for their programs, despite knowing that your lawn requires more intensive lawn care services. To avoid these types of situations, always insist on knowing the exact types and scopes of services that will be included in any lawn care package you want to pay for, especially if you plan on signing up for recurring lawn care services. Also, make sure that the lawn care company offers a written contract outlining the scope and pricing of these services, a payment schedule, and any promises or assurances given concerning the lawn care package.

Cost estimates for lawn care services that lawn care companies in Fort Worth typically include in their lawn care packages are provided below:

Do You Provide Organic Lawn Care Services?

Organic lawn care refers to lawn care programs that are implemented without pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, and other similar chemicals or substances. Instead, the landscaper uses plant and animal-derived substances like leaf mulch and compost, manure, worm castings, bone char, mycorrhizae, and seaweed, when providing their lawn care and maintenance services.

Organic lawn care is a preferred option for homeowners who desire more environmentally friendly lawns and have concerns about the impacts of pesticides on humans, pets, natural fauna and flora, and the environment. This is because this type of lawn care significantly reduces the amount of chemicals emitted into the atmosphere, resulting in a relatively chemical-free environment and reduced children's exposure to hazardous lawn chemicals.

Note that organic lawn care typically requires an investment of time, labor, and money for optimal results. Nonetheless, switching from conventional lawn care to organic lawn care also affords you several benefits, such as:

• Reduced water and soil pollution
• A chemical-free, safe environment for children and pets
• Healthier lawns and revitalized lawn ecosystems
• Improved root growth
• Zero risk of over-application through the use of biodegradable substances
• Improved soil resistance to pests and diseases
• Long-term cost saving

Do You Offer a Warranty for Plants Installed?

You should always confirm if prospective lawn care companies offer warranties for their services, especially if your lawn care package includes seedling, flower, or sod installation. Professional lawn care companies in Fort Worth do not hesitate to offer warranties, which are legally enforceable assurances that the products and services you pay for will perform as intended. As such, you should be suspicious of any lawn care company that seems reluctant to offer a warranty for their services, as this usually indicates that their services may be subpar.

Note that plant warranties typically have terms and conditions set by the lawn care company. Nonetheless, the plant warranties offered by Fort Worth-based lawn care companies are generally valid for at least one year and usually include instructions that must be followed during this period, such as:

• Appropriate mowing or trimming heights and methods
• Requirements for fertilizer application
• Required plant watering schedules

Additionally, these plant warranties generally specify situations where the coverage they offer will not apply, such as:

• Situations where the installed plant is harmed because the homeowner disregarded the directions and recommendations for plant care and maintenance provided by the lawn care company
• Situations where the installed plant is harmed by animals, kids, natural disasters, or acts of vandalism

Thus, to avoid scenarios and situations that could lead to your warranty being voided, always request a written copy of any warranties you are offered and read them carefully to ensure you understand their terms and conditions.

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

You should always find out if the lawn care company you want to hire is adequately insured, regardless of the nature and scope of your required lawn care services. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 12,040 nonfatal and 202 fatal work-related injuries involving landscapers and lawn care specialists were reported in 2020 alone. You become responsible for any injuries and property damage that may occur during or as a direct result of the implementation of your lawn care program if you utilize the services of an uninsured lawn care company for the job.

Therefore, always ask for proof of insurance before signing any contracts with lawn care companies in Fort Worth, and have this documentation verified by the appropriate insurance company. Additionally, confirm that the lawn care company has a general liability plan that will adequately cover any third-party injuries and property damage that may occur during or as a result of your lawn care project.

Note that Fort Worth landscapers who wish to use state-limited-use pesticides, restricted-use pesticides, or regulated herbicides must have liability insurance with minimum limits of $100,000 for property damage and $100,000 for bodily injury per occurrence or a general aggregate of at least $200,000 for each occurrence.

You can get additional information on the mandatory insurance requirements for Fort Worth-based landscapers and lawn care companies that provide pesticide-related services by contacting the Texas Department of Agriculture at 512) 463-7476 or (800) 835-5832.