Get Quotes from Top Lawn Care Companies in Houston, TX

How Long Have You Been in the Lawn Care Business in Houston?

Hiring a new lawn care company in Houston can expose you to several risks, including poor service due to inexperience or lack of equipment, as well as a potential home improvement scam. As a result, when looking for a Houston-based lawn care company, it is always important to consider how long the company has been in business. Lawn care companies that have established a reputation over time are less likely to be involved in home improvement scams. With the Texas Attorney General's Office receiving thousands of scam complaints each year, including home improvement scams, homeowners must understand that it is safer to deal with lawn care companies with an established reputation.

More so, lawn care companies that have been in the business for a long time are more experienced and better prepared to handle any problems you may be having with your lawn. These lawn care companies not only hire experienced and knowledgeable landscapers to provide quality services that live up to their reputation, but they also provide adequate work equipment. It should be noted that experienced landscapers are generally more familiar with native grasses and garden plants than less experienced landscapers, and with the proper equipment, these professionals will ensure that the plants are properly cared for. Some native Houston grasses and garden plants commonly found in lawns across the city include:

• Texas Lantana
• Buffalograss
• Black-eyed Susan
• Blue drama
• Curly mesquite
• St. Augustine grass
• Bermuda grass
• Zoysia grass
• Blue plumbago
• Esperanza

While it is critical to always ask how long a lawn care company has been in business before hiring them, you should also check the company's business history, as well as reviews on their services, online via platforms such as the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, and Google Review.

Do You Hold Any Professional Qualifications Relevant to Lawn Care?

Before hiring a lawn care contractor, it is critical to find out if they hold any professional qualifications relevant to the lawn care service you need. This will ensure that you not only hire a qualified lawn care contractor but also someone who is familiar with the local rules and regulations concerning the lawn care services you need. Even though there are no occupation-specific license requirements for lawn care contractors and landscapers in Houston, these professionals are expected to comply with local and state-level regulatory requirements depending on the type of services they will be offering to members of the public. For example, lawn care contractors or landscapers who will be applying restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides as part of their lawn care or landscaping service must hold a commercial pesticide applicator license issued by the Texas Department of Agriculture.

The Texas Department of Agriculture issues different categories of applicator licenses to interested persons and a commercial applicator license is only required by anyone who will be applying pesticides on other people's property for a fee. To complete an application for this license, interested persons must provide personal details such as their full names, social security number or an affidavit of no social security number, and business location. Applications can be completed online or by downloading, completing, and mailing a commercial applicator's license form to:

For online application, applicants can pay the application fee using a credit/debit card or an electronic check and for application by mail, applicants can pay the application fee with a check or money made out to the "Texas Department of Agriculture." Once an application is submitted and the necessary fees have been paid, a Texas Department of Agriculture staff will process the application and fee in the order they are received. Processing time is affected by staff availability and workload. After processing, applicants will be given an Eligibility Letter that will allow them to schedule the necessary exams. Upon completing the exam, the testing center will score each applicant immediately, and the test results will be sent to the Texas Department of Agriculture. Note that only applicants that scored 70% or more are eligible for licensing. Queries concerning the Texas Department of Agriculture's commercial pesticide applicator license can be directed to 1-800-733-9267 or (512) 463-7622. However, if you are trying to verify a professional's license status with the Texas Department of Agriculture, call (877) 542-2474 or (512) 463-747.

In addition to a commercial pesticide applicator license and any other category of license or registration related to lawn care or landscape services issued by the Texas Department of Agriculture, many professional landscapers, and lawn care contractors in Houston also obtain voluntary certifications in fields like arboriculture, organic farming, and other niche areas from organizations like:

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

Always verify any professional qualification claim, including voluntary certification claims, made by any lawn care professional you intend to hire by requesting proof and validating it with the appropriate organization.

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

Houston lawn care contractors consider several factors when determining the cost of their services. These factors include:

• The client's location within the city
• The size of the lawn to be worked on
• The nature and type of lawn treatment the client needs
• The topography and current condition of the lawn
• The type of equipment and tools required for the job
• The labor intensity of the required services
• The time of the year
• The frequency of the required lawn care services

After considering the aforementioned factors, Houston lawn care contractors will also consider the billing structure that is most suitable for the nature and scope of the service they want to render. Houston lawn care contractors can utilize any of the following billing structures to calculate their fees:

• Hourly Structure:this involves the lawn care contractor setting an hourly rate for every hour of work done on the client's lawn. In Houston, these rates can be anywhere between $30 - $80 per hour. However, homeowners should expect hourly rates to rise as the scope of the work expands.
• Per Square Foot: here, the lawn contractor bills a client for every square foot of lawn area that is worked on. Houston lawn care contractors charge between $4 - $12 per square foot
• Per Visit/Per Project: In this case, the lawn care contractor charges a flat rate for each service or for a package of agreed-upon services that will be delivered over time. This rate may vary greatly depending on the nature of the work being performed and can range from $50 to $1,000 per visit/project.

Before hiring a lawn care contractor to provide you with lawn maintenance and other landscaping services, it is critical to obtain and compare quotations from several lawn care companies in the city. By obtaining and comparing quotations from different lawn care companies, you will not only have a fair idea of the market rate for the service you need, but you will also be able to identify dishonest lawn care contractors and potential scammers.

Lawn care contractors in Houston earn an average wage of $32,360 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:

What Is Included in Your Lawn Care Program?

A lawn care program usually includes a treatment and maintenance schedule that a lawn care company must follow through with to keep a client's lawn in good shape at all times.

Most lawn care companies in Houston offer annual programs to ensure that their client's lawns are looking good all year round. Lawn fertilization, aeration, soil testing and amendments, grub control, seeding, mowing, and dethatching are all common services included in these programs. However, before signing any contract with your preferred lawn care company, it is always in your best interest to discuss what will be included in your lawn care program. Furthermore, you should ensure that the services that the lawn care company will provide are clearly stated in a contract and that the company does not begin work until the contract is signed.

Given that some dishonest lawn care companies are ready to make promises they will never keep to convince you in hiring their services, and others will try to offer you relatively inexpensive lawn care programs as a way to get you to sign up for their services, despite knowing that you will eventually require more intensive and expensive service in the future, it is always critical to find out about the lawn care programs a lawn care company offers before reaching any kind of agreement with them

Many reputable lawn care companies in Houston typically offer two main types of packages, namely:

• Standard Lawn Care Services: these services focus on maintaining the look of a client's lawn with little or no attention to improving the health of the soil, grasses, trees, shrubs, and other plants. Standard lawn care services include lawn mowing, edging, trimming, and grass and leaf blowing.
• Full-Service Lawn Maintenance: these services focus on soil health, turf disease management, and fertilization to improve the look and health of your lawn. Full-service lawn maintenance also includes services such as:
  • Aeration and Lawn Overseeding
  • Mulch Installation
  • Tree Trimming and Pruning
  • Lawn Fertilization
  • Leaf Removal
  • Seasonal Pruning
  • Pre- and Post-Emergent Weed Control
  • Mowing, Edging and Trimming
  • Lawn Disease Remediation

Cost estimates of lawn care services commonly included in Houston lawn care programs are provided below:

Do You Provide Organic Lawn Care Services?

Organic lawn care is the use of only materials derived from plants, animals, minerals, or other natural substances to improve soil fertility and water retention. Organic lawn care is also known to be less harmful to the environment than the use of chemicals. Organic substances, as opposed to synthetic substances or chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides, are less likely to poison the soil and the plants, or cause a buildup of salts that slow plant growth. This is especially important if you have pets or children at home. You can avoid exposing your children and pets to pesticides and other potentially harmful lawn care chemicals by opting for organic lawn care.

Other benefits of using organic lawn care include:

• It makes your soil healthier
• It makes the soil lighter so that air can easily flow to plant roots
• It allows plants to retain water
• There is zero risk of over-application
• It improves root growth
• It reduces soil and water pollution
• It makes your soil less vulnerable to pests and diseases
• It assists the photosynthesis process
• It saves you money in the long run

Most Houston lawn care companies provide organic lawn care services to those who are interested. Nonetheless, before hiring a lawn care company, always ask if they provide organic lawn care services. You should also ask for references from previous clients who have received this type of service in the past. Finally, contact the people who were provided as references to get a first-hand review of the lawn care company's experience and expertise in providing organic lawn care services.

Do You Offer a Warranty for Plants Installed?

Plant warranties are one way to determine whether the lawn care company you want to hire is qualified and experienced to handle your lawn care project. A lack of any kind of plant warranty indicates that the lawn care company has little confidence in their work or their ability to select the right plants for your lawn. As such, before hiring a lawn care company in Houston, you should always confirm if they offer plant warranties.

Reputable landscapers and lawn care providers in Houston offer warranties for plants installed. These warranties are typically assurances that a plant will thrive and flourish after they have been installed on a client's lawn, as well as a guarantee that the plants will be replaced if they do not thrive and flourish within a specified period.

Some Houston landscapers and lawn care providers offer a one-year plant warranty from the date of installation, provided full payment is made upon completion of the project. However, the terms and scope of plant warranties vary from one lawn care company to another. As a result, it is important to discuss the terms and scope of plant warranties with your preferred lawn care company before signing any agreement with them. Note that plant warranties offered by lawn care companies in Houston will not cover areas like:

• Damage caused by lack of proper plant care and maintenance on the part of the client
• Damage caused by animals, including client's pets
• Damage caused by natural disasters and acts of vandalism

Furthermore, because plants and flowers often require proper care and maintenance, many lawn care companies include conditions in their plant warranties that must be followed for the warranties to remain valid. Typical examples include watering schedules, mowing schedules and acceptable mowing height, and fertilization requirements

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

Lawn care contractors in Houston are not required to carry insurance. However, reputable lawn care companies keep an active insurance policy in place to protect their clients from being held liable for work injuries or property damage that occurs while completing their projects. Hiring a lawn care contractor that is insured is necessary because lawn care providers and landscapers are frequently exposed to machines, chemicals, and severe weather conditions that can cause bodily harm or death when doing their job. According to consumer reports, at least 100 people are killed and an estimated 143,000 get seriously injured during landscape and lawn care-related activities every year due to exposure to machines, chemicals, and harsh conditions.

Homeowners can protect themselves from being held liable for potential bodily injuries and deaths that may occur while work is being done on their lawns by making sure the lawn care contractor they eventually hire is properly insured. Homeowners can make sure of this by asking their preferred lawn care contractor for certificates of insurance and contacting the insurance company that issued the certificate to verify the information. Be wary of lawn care contractors who refuse to provide proof of insurance.