Hiring a Yard Clean Up Service
Keeping the inside of your home clean and tidy can be time-consuming enough—but maintaining your lawn and its landscaping can seem like a near-impossible task for many. From weeding and mowing during the summer months to leaf and debris removal during the spring and fall, there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with owning land.
In addition to hiring a yard care service, many busy landowners also choose to employ yard clean-up services to keep their lawns looking their best all year round.
What Does a Yard Clean-Up Service Offer?
Specific services offered by a yard clean-up company can vary, but most offer the same basic options that include some or all of the following.
Leaf/Debris Removal
If you have a lot of trees on your property, you’ll likely be faced with the large task of removing them all towards the end of fall. This can be time-consuming, especially if you don’t have a leaf blower and are relying on an old-fashioned rake and lawn waste bag to get the job done. A yard clean-up service can handle the removal of leaves from your property, as well as other debris (like fallen branches or other yard waste).
Weed Removal
Weeds are a more common problem during the spring and summer months. Not only do weeds detract from the appearance of your yard and the curb appeal of your home, but they can pose a threat to healthy grass and plants on your property.
A yard clean-up service can handle weeding your yard and landscaping beds so they can look their best. This can also be done during the spring months to give you a “clean slate” before you plant any flowers, shrubs, or other seasonal plants on your property.
Tree and Shrub Pruning
Many yard clean-up companies also offer tree- and shrub-pruning services to keep your plants and shrubs healthy. Pruning is typically done during the fall months, but this can vary depending on the types of plants or trees with which you’re working. A yard clean-up company will know how much to prune to keep your shrubs and/or trees healthy and encourage proper regrowth in the following seasons.
Mulch Installation
Adding a new mulch bed or refreshing an existing mulch bed can be a lot of work, which is why many people hire yard clean-up services to have this project taken care of. A new or refreshed mulch bed on your property can also add lovely curb appeal to your home. A professional company will have the tools needed to lay mulch and will save you the hassle of hauling it to your home.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Yard Clean-Up Service
Now that you have a better understanding of what a yard clean-up service entails, is hiring one right for you? If you’re still not sure, it can be helpful to weigh some of the possible pros and cons.
Advantages of Hiring a Yard Clean-Up Service
Perhaps the biggest benefit to hiring a yard clean-up service, as hiring a moving help service, is that it saves you an enormous amount of time and hassle. Depending on the size of your yard, you could easily spend hours of your valuable time each week taking care of your lawn. Combine the sheer amount of time required to maintain a lawn with the back-breaking physical labor that goes into it—and it’s easy to see why hiring a professional could be worth the money.
When you hire a reputable yard clean-up service, you can also rest assured that these are trained and experienced professionals working on your lawn. They’ll have access to some of the best tools, equipment, and other resources to get the job done efficiently and to keep your yard looking great.
Thinking of selling your home in the near future? A poorly maintained lawn can detract from your curb appeal, which may make it harder to sell your place. Many people looking to sell a home will hire yard clean-up services to freshen things up and make sure the home is presentable both inside and out before listing.
Potential Drawbacks of Hiring a Yard Clean-Up Service
As you can probably imagine, one of the biggest potential drawbacks of hiring a lawn clean-up service is the cost. DIYing your yard clean-up won’t cost you a thing (other than maybe the cost of a rake, some yard waste bags, and other basic supplies)—whereas hiring a professional isn’t cheap. Still, it’s important to think about the value of your time and energy when considering whether the cost of hiring a clean-up service is worth it. For many homeowners, it is.
When you hire a yard clean-up service, you’re also trusting the professionals to properly care for your yard and know what they’re doing. If you hire somebody who isn’t knowledgeable about a particular tree or shrub on your property, for example, he or she may end up harming or even killing the plant/tree by over-pruning it. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing an experienced and knowledgeable professional for this type of work.
How Much Does a Yard Clean-Up Service Cost?
If you’re thinking about hiring a yard clean-up service after weighing some of the pros and cons, you may now be wondering how much this type of work is going to cost you. Ultimately, the cost of hiring a yard clean-up service can vary greatly depending on the region where you live and a number of other factors. For example, you’re going to spend more on yard clean-up in the middle of New York City or the Bronx than you would in Seattle or Minneapolis, where the cost of living is lower.
In general, however, you should expect to spend around $700 to hire a professional yard clean-up service for several hours of work. Be sure to also consider some of the most common factors that may affect the rate you end up paying.
Hourly or Flat-Rate?
Most yard clean-up companies will charge by-the-hour, but this isn’t always the case, so it’s important to ask. If the service is being charged by-the-hour, make sure to find out if any other costs will be incurred (such as the cost for materials if you’re having a mulch bed installed).
Timing/Notice
The time of year you’re looking to hire a yard clean-up company and how quickly you need the work done may also affect how much you pay. Generally, the demand for yard clean-up is higher during the spring and fall months, so you can expect to spend more during this time.
If you need a quick turn-around on yard clean-up, you can also expect the work to be more expensive. This may be the case, for example, if a tree limb fell on your property during a heavy wind storm and you need it hauled away as soon as possible.
Yard Size/Services Needed
The exact services and the size of your yard that needs to be cleaned up will also have a major impact on the price you pay. Lawn size can play an especially big role in your price if you’re looking to have a service like all-over weeding of leaf-blowing done.
Tips for Choosing the Right Yard Clean-Up Service
As you begin exploring yard clean-up services in your area, you may be overwhelmed by the number of companies available. How can you choose the one that’s best for your exact needs and budget? By following these tips, you can “weed out” the less reputable companies and find the best yard clean-up service in your area.
Seek Out Transparent Pricing
Any reputable yard clean-up company worth your time should be happy to provide you with an on-site quote for the exact services you’re requesting. It is important that the company actually come out to your property to provide you with the quote in order to ensure its accuracy; if the company will only provide you with a non-binding estimate over the phone, it may be time to look elsewhere.
When you receive a quote from a yard clean-up company, make sure to find out exactly what’s included. The written quote should provide a detailed break-down of costs so you can see what you’re paying for. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about costs; a reputable company will be happy to answer them for you.
Consider Availability
If timing is a factor on your yard clean-up job, make sure the company you’re looking at is available when you need them. For example, if you’re planning to list your home for sale next week and need the work completed before them, you’ll want to be sure the clean-up crew is available for a rush job.
If you prefer to be home when the clean-up crew is working on your yard, you’ll also want to check the specific scheduling availability for the company. Many clean-up crews only work regular business hours during the week, whereas others may accept requests for weekend services.
Make Sure Workers Are Vetted
For your protection and peace of mind, make sure the company you end up hiring takes time to carefully vet their workers. This means they should be background checked. If a company cannot assure you that their workers have been vetted, then it’s time to move onto another business.
Get Peace of Mind With a Guarantee
Ideally, you’ll also want to choose a company that offers some sort of satisfaction guarantee on their services. This way, if you’re unhappy with the clean-up work for any reason, you can have the crew come back out and correct any issues or mistakes.
Check Out Reviews and Testimonials
Reading online reviews and testimonials is a great way to learn more about a yard clean-up company’s reputation within the community. Check for third-party reviews (rather than trusting reviews published on a company’s website directly), as these will tend to be the most reputable and honest.
If you’re thinking about hiring a less experienced company that doesn’t have a lot of reviews, don’t hesitate to ask for at least a short list of references that you can contact personally.
Find Out Exactly What’s Included
Some yard clean-up companies may try to lure you in with a low estimate/quote, only to nickel and dime you when it comes time for you to pay. Make sure you know exactly what’s included and what may not be included with your quoted price. For example, if you’re paying for leaf removal, be sure that the leaves will actually be bagged up and removed entirely from your property rather than left in bags on your lawn. Some companies may charge extra for hauling things away, so it’s best to check ahead of time.
Don’t Overlook Insurance Coverage
Liability insurance is a must when hiring any company to work on your property, so ask for proof. Never hire a yard clean-up service that cannot provide you with proof of liability insurance. It’s not worth the risk! Overall, hiring a yard clean-up service can be an excellent way to keep your yard tidy while saving you time and hassle. Just be sure to heed our tips and advice to find the right crew for the job!