The number one question I get asked as a lawn care professional is “What does your lawn care service cost?” The decision is as simple as the lowest dollar amount, right? Given that there are several companies in the Kansas City area competing for your business, the lawn service cost shouldn’t be the only factor that weighs on your decision.
1. How many lawn care treatments will I get?
The number of treatments will most definitely impact the total lawn care service cost. Company A might quote $50.00 per treatment, but only for 5 treatments. Company B might quote $45.00 per treatment, but for 7 treatments, making the total price for the year more expensive.
2. What is the square footage of my lawn?
Every company will set their lawn service costs based on the size of your lawn. For example, my lawn is 5,500 square feet (approximately 1/8th of an acre) in Kansas City. If a company bids it at 7,000 square feet, the price might be higher because the measurement is incorrect. Make sure you know the square footage of your lawn and take the time to ask the company what their measurements were.
3. What additional value does the lawn care company offer?
Additional value is what can set one company apart from the next. This might include free service calls, discounts for prepayments, discounts for new customer referrals, and discounts for new service sign-ups. Other forms of value should be how quickly they respond to phone calls and emails. How considerate and informative the person is that will be doing the work. Remember, it can be worth it to pay a higher lawn care service cost to a company that provides a greater value.
4. Do I have to sign a contract?
A contract will obviously lock you into a full season of treatments. What happens when you discover that the quality of work isn’t as good as you expected? How much is it going to cost you to get out of that contract? Contracts will often lower the lawn service cost.
5. Is this an introductory price?
An introductory price will usually sound too good to be true. Some lawn care companies will only honor that price for a single season. Other companies will even raise the prices during the first season….even if you’ve prepaid for the year.
Based on a 5,000 square foot lawn, most companies’ pricing will range from $38.00 to $50.00 per treatment. Much like when searching out prices on a new car or dishwasher, you usually find that the higher quality items are more expensive. Just because a certain company was more expensive, doesn’t mean they should be ruled out. Often times a cheaper priced company might use cheaper fertilizers, thus resulting in poor quality. Check out the blog post How do you know if you’re hiring the best lawn care company in Kansas City? Knowing these 5 things will help, for more ideas on narrowing down the search field.