How Much Does It Cost to Maintain and Mow the Lawn?

It takes work to maintain a lawn and keep it looking its best. This is why many homeowners with large lawns or yards hire a lawn service to come in each week or every other week to maintain their lawn. These services include mowing, fertilizing, yard cleanup, and more. Every lawn is different, and needs vary based on location, season, size, and how often you have services done. The average cost of lawn care ranges from $30 to $80 a visit, depending on the size of the lawn and when it was last mowed. Most homeowners spend around $45 a visit for biweekly lawn care, meaning every other week.

Lawn Service Costs

Lawn Mowing Prices

Every company prices out services its own way. Some charge by the size of the lawn, others by the hour. Some adjust the cost based on how often they come, with biweekly costing slightly more than weekly mows: 

Lawn Mowing Prices Per Acre

For large lawns or acreage, costs are usually priced differently than smaller lawns:

Average Mowing Cost Per Square Foot

Mowing costs are sometimes calculated by the square foot, especially for smaller yards. Keep in mind that as your lawn approaches a full acre, your costs may switch to acreage to make the estimates more accurate. On average, the price per square foot is around $0.009 to $0.015 for weekly mowing and $0.015 to $0.020 for biweekly mowing.

Lawn Mowing Rates Per Hour

For tricky properties with fences, trees, children’s play equipment, and other obstacles, your lawn service may charge by the hour rather than by the job. The more obstacles they encounter, the higher the price. Most lawn service professionals who charge by the hour have costs ranging from $40 to $80 an hour, depending on the service. Most people pay around $60 an hour on average.

Monthly Lawn Service Cost

If you contract for a monthly service, you may get lower rates than you would for a one-time service. Keep in mind that monthly service plans are only for weekly or biweekly mows and service. Most companies do not offer plans with three-week or monthly mows. Most monthly service plans are around $200 to $250 a month for a 3,000 to 5,000-square-foot lawn. Costs are higher or lower for differently sized yards.

Lawn Mowing Cost Per Week

Weekly costs are generally calculated based on the property size and type of work being done. On average, most lawns cost around $50 a week, but it could be a little higher if you choose biweekly.

Lawn Care Prices

Mowing is not the only service that lawn care professionals provide, nor is it the only service your lawn may require. You may have a variety of costs added to your basic mowing prices:

Weed Control

If you have weeds in your lawn, you may opt for weed control to eliminate them. This service can be done once or on an ongoing basis, depending on the type and number of weeds.

Aeration

Sometimes your lawn needs to be aerated, a process where holes are poked into the grass to allow oxygen and nutrients down into the soil. This aids seeding and fertilization and helps lawns in poor health.

Fertilization

If your lawn is not healthy or you want it to green up faster in the spring, you can have your lawn fertilized. Costs vary based on the fertilizer type and size of your lawn.

Trimming

Most companies include trimming or edging your lawn in the mowing cost. This gives the edges of your lawn a finished appearance, particularly at sidewalks. Some also provide other landscaping trimming, such as for bushes or shrubs.

Leaf Removal

Most lawn care services provide either a fall or spring cleanup to remove fallen leaves from your property. Costs vary depending on the time of year and how many leaves or trees you have.

Lawn Care Costs Per Acre

Just like with mowing, more significant lawn care such as seeding, weed control, fertilization, and aeration is typically priced per acre, with many companies performing more than one of these services at a time. Lawn care costs range widely due to the variety of services that may be needed, and they may include one or more services, such as seeding with fertilization or aeration. These services are usually done separately from mowing and are also billed separately from mowing.

Lawn Care Maintenance Costs Per Acre

Most lawn care service professionals offer hourly rates on lawn care maintenance. Like mowing, these rates are around $60 an hour per person. Very large lawns require more people working at one time to reduce the total hours needed.

Lawn Care Maintenance Costs Per Square Foot

Lawn care maintenance is not generally calculated by the square foot. Instead, most professionals give ranges for small, medium, and large yards under an acre. However, expect costs to start close to $0.025 a square foot for maintenance, such as fertilization.

Lawn Care Costs Per Month

The exact cost per month of lawn care varies based on location, time of year, and grass type. Your lawn care costs, in addition to mowing, usually start at around $40 but can go much higher depending on the kind of care your lawn requires.

Lawn Care Cost Factors

Many factors determine the final cost of your lawn care. These include not only the size of your lawn but also your location, grass type, number of fences, how many sidewalks to edge, required maintenance like aeration or fertilization, and number of trees. Many services provide discounts if neighbors have their lawns done at the same time.

If your lawn is in poor health, your starting costs may be higher than if your lawn only needs maintenance. Costs for residential areas may differ from costs for commercial properties. 

Climate also plays a role. For example, wet, rainy climates have different needs than dry climates.

Types of Grass

While there are many grass varieties, most are broken down into two categories: cool-season and warm-season. Cool-season grasses grow the most during the spring and fall and include popular varieties like ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Warm-season grasses grow the most during the summer and include widespread varieties like Bermuda grass. Each grass type has a different lawn care schedule, some requiring care more frequently or at a specific time of year. All this impacts your final costs.

Length of the Grass

The longer your grass or the more it grows between mowings, the higher your costs are. If you have a quick-growing grass or it is the time of year when your grass grows quickly, your costs will be higher. This is particularly true if you like to space out your mowing to biweekly mows rather than weekly.

How You Can Keep Your Lawn Healthy Year-round

You may want to pay to keep your lawn healthy year-round, not just in the warmer months. Many professionals offer a spring and fall package. In the spring, your lawn is aerated and fertilized so that it grows back fast after winter. In the fall, special fertilizers are used to protect it through the winter months and help it recover quicker in the spring. Some professionals suggest continuing to mow your grass until it naturally stops growing, which could mean December in some climates.

Enhancement and Improvement Costs

Pest Control

If you have pests in your yard, such as ground bees or other insects and pests, your lawn care provider may offer pest control services as well. These usually cost between $200 - $300 a visit.

Landscape Edging

Many lawn care professionals also offer landscape edging. This may include mulch as well as pavers. Mulch costs start at $100 a square yard, while most paver edging costs between $400 - $700.

Additional Considerations and Costs