This spring, consumers all across Ohio will be trying to figure out not only who is the most qualified lawn care provider, but who is also the best priced one. So in todays article I'll examine the 3 ways people overpay, or underpay, and assure yourself the best lawn care service pricing.

Accurate Square Foot Pricing

No matter what time of year, I am always asked how much do you charge to treat my lawn?  The answer is quite simple and is based on the square footage of your lawn.  The very first thing we do is measure the grass area, to get the most accurate size that does not include tree and shrub beds or gardens, concrete or the rest of the area’s not related to grass. 

Weed Pro uses the most advanced measuring technologies to ensure you get the best possible treatment price. Based on the precise measurement we have a set fee based on the measurement.  Instead of having a 1 size fits all price, we only charge you for the amount of material used based on your lawns square footage.  This way you will get the most for your money. 

DIY Pricing Mistakes - Too Much or Not Enough Fertilizer

When buying bagged fertilizer at the store, you often have to make a decision to buy more bags or fewer bags than you actually need because the bag is designed to treat as specified size lawn.  Even worse you may choose to buy a bag that covers 5,000 square feet, when you lawn is actually 7,000 square feet.  At first glance it may not seem like a big difference, but that 30% difference is critical if you are trying to get results. 

Imagine baking a cake and the recipe calling for 24 ounces of flour, but you only use 17 ounces of flour because that is all you have.  The result is your cake will either not rise or even worse, be quite hard.  Either way, the results of your effort will not work because you did not use the correct amount of ingredients.  Same goes for weed control or grub control, but using the correct amount is not only critical for good control, but essential for environmental practices.

Cutting Out Necessities - Costing You More in the Long Run

As mentioned, the price to have your lawn treated is based on the square footage of the lawn, but there are a few more things to consider. Good lawn care programs will include a price for preventative season long grub and insect control.  Since the goal of getting your lawn treated is to have a beautiful, hassle-free lawn that you can enjoy, preventative grub control is essential to making sure these insects do not disrupt the progress your lawn will make being fertilized.  You might also be considering a few more items listed below…

• Core Aeration- relieves compaction and thickens the turf
• Over Seeding- to improve turf density and bare spots
• Lime or gypsum- to improve the soil pH
• Flea & Tick Control- to protect your lawn, children and pets

Unfortunately some lawn care companies focus more on just selling a service rather than providing you the education to make a thorough buying decision.  Your home and lawn is one of the biggest investments a homeowner makes, so it is important to choose a lawn care company that provides you all the information to make a wise decision. 

Typical Lawn Care Prices

As you can see there are many things to consider when choosing the level of service for your lawn.  Weed Pro takes the time to review your expectation and match them with the services you need to achieve the intended results.  To give you an example, a lawn that is 7,000 sqft  will range according to the number of services you wish to purchase.

• Basic Lawn Care Includes:  5 application of nutrients, 1 pre-emergent crabgrass control, and broadleaf weed control.  Average price per application is $51.00 for a total of $255.00 per season plus tax.
   
• Deluxe Lawn Care Program: 6 applications of nutrients, 1 pre-emergent crabgrass control guaranteed season long, season long guaranteed broadleaf weed control, preventative season long guaranteed grub control, bug barrier surface insect control, vitamin micronutrient application, and free season long touch ups if necessary.  Average price per application $51.00 for a total of $357.00 per season plus tax. 
   
• Core Aeration: Average price is $64.00

There is no doubt that you can purchase material and do it yourself from big box stores, but the quality of the material is inferior and usually does not come in the dosage that you need to get the results that you imagine.  Not to mention, you have to consider the cost of picking up the material and storing it.  When we developed our pricing structure, we knew that our cost would be slightly more than a DIY application, but based on our volume of purchase and efficiencies we do not expect our price to be significantly more than what the true cost of DIY.  Moreover, the cost of doing the application incorrectly is significantly more if you have to re treat or even worse fix a damaged lawn if the DIY application failed.

More Tips when Hiring a Lawn Care Company

Pricing is just one component you as a consumer needs to examine when hiring a lawn care company. That's why Weed Pro has put together the Ultimate Lawn Care Company Hiring Guide so that you can compare lawn care companies and hire the one that is best for you. To get your free copy, simply click on the link below!

Robert Palmer is the founder and owner of Weed Pro Lawn Care. Since opening in 2001, Weed Pro Lawn Care has become one of the nation’s leading lawn care companies. A respected leader in both the local community & industry, Rob has received many industry awards, including receiving one of Lawn & Landscapes 2013 Leadership Awards. Additionally, Rob is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazines and blogs.  Rob on Google+     Rob on LinkedIn     Rob on Twitter