Landscaping businesses provide a range of services to make any outdoor space flourish, from selecting the ideal plants to maintaining a lush lawn. Finding the best landscaping company can be an investment that is worthwhile because no two gardens or yards are alike. A beautiful garden to unwind in is produced by quality landscaping, which can also raise a home’s value.
A well-designed landscape can boost a home’s value by up to 20%, but neglected gardens and haphazard garden layouts can do the opposite. This guide will assist homeowners in choosing the best landscaper to keep gardens and yards in top condition, whether installing a new garden plan or maintaining the current landscape.
- BEST OVERALL: The Grounds Guys
- BEST COMMERCIAL SERVICES: BrightView
- BEST FOR MAINTENANCE: TruGreen
- BEST AGGREGATOR: Angi
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Landscaping Company for You
There are a number of things to take into account before hiring a landscaping company, such as the services offered, scheduling, service area, and pricing. Consider these ideas when looking for the “best landscaper in my area.”
Landscaping vs. Lawn Care
A lawn is regularly tended to and maintained by a lawn-care service. It can lay new sod, fix a broken lawn, and maintain fertilisation and mowing. Even though a lot of lawn-care companies frequently provide landscape maintenance like tree and shrub trimming or seasonal fertilisation, they typically do not provide plant installation or hardscaping.
Companies that specialise in landscaping can provide services ranging from regular lawn maintenance to complete garden renovations. Additionally, landscaping businesses add landscape lighting, install and maintain irrigation systems, and manage pest and disease issues.
The USDA hardiness zone for the areas they serve is known to qualified landscapers. They can select the appropriate plants for the climate by taking into account elements like light availability and soil quality. Land clearing and grading specialists can also incorporate walkways, patios, decks, water features, and even outdoor kitchens into their plans.
Full Service vs. Maintenance
Landscape design and installation, the creation of an entirely new landscape, or a significant alteration to an existing landscape design are all included in full-service landscaping. This can include structural additions like pergolas or decks as well as hardscaping upgrades like paver patios, walkways, and stepping stones.
The maintenance services offered by a landscaping business will take care of any current landscaping. It’s not necessary for them to have created or installed the landscaping. Regular upkeep includes trimming, fertilising, weed and pest control, seasonal yard cleanup and winterization. It also includes lawn maintenance practises like fertilising and mowing.
Commercial vs. Residential
Residential and commercial properties can be serviced by landscaping businesses. However, a landscape contractor might limit their work to installation and upkeep for homes or businesses. Office parks or residential communities where the landscaping is already included in the HOA fees can benefit from commercial landscaping services. Homeowners should confirm that a business expressly provides private residential services. You should be able to find this information by visiting the company’s website or calling them directly.
Service Area and Scheduling
Customers have no incentive to consider hiring a business that might not be located in their area. Even national businesses might not have a branch that is easily accessible from a homeowner’s home. Customers will want to confirm that a company can get to their homes before evaluating any of the services offered by that business.
The majority of landscaping businesses offer phone or email scheduling in advance. Typically, routine maintenance is scheduled on a predetermined schedule based on the season. This guarantees that the lawns, garden beds, shrubs, and trees get the maintenance they require. The frequency of visits may rise during the spring and summer, which are the two times of greatest growth.
The yard and garden as well as the time of year will ultimately dictate how frequently a landscaping service is used. How frequently a landscape company will need to visit depends on a number of variables, including the size of the yard and garden, the presence of an irrigation system, the type of plants, and seasonal tasks.
Services Offered
It may be possible to hire a company for both design and routine maintenance because the majority of landscaping businesses provide both installation and maintenance services. Trimming, pruning, fertilising, pest control, lawn upkeep, and mowing are some common landscaping services.
In addition to hardscaping, which includes pavers and retaining walls, many landscaping professionals also provide irrigation and lighting installation. All of these tasks are carried out by landscape contractors, who can also grade the land and incorporate features like patios and decks. A space can be designed more thoroughly by a landscape architect, who can include anything from fruit trees to waterfalls to outdoor kitchens.
Quotes and Pricing
Customers will want to know the costs up front because landscaping expenses can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The majority of landscaping experts offer free estimates. Although these quotes can be given over the phone or by email, the majority of landscaping companies require a site visit in order to provide an accurate estimate. A landscaper will also offer a thorough cost breakdown for bigger projects to assist clients in choosing the best options for their budget. Depending on the location, hourly rates and material costs can vary, but in general, 80 percent of the landscaping budget is spent on labour.
Licensing and Insurance
Landscape architects and contractors must be licenced in almost every state. Before applying for a licence, a person typically needs to have 3 years of experience in landscaping. This makes it more likely that the person has local knowledge. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape architecture is additionally needed to become a landscape architect.
Additionally, a landscaping company needs to be bonded and insured. In the event of an accident or injury, a contractor’s liability insurance will defend the business, its personnel, the client, and the client’s property. Being bonded indicates that the business has a line of credit set up to pay for the cost of work in the event that it is unable to complete it on its own.
Some gardeners and landscapers only use business licences to conduct their operations. Although their prices are frequently lower, there is no guarantee that the work will be completed if something goes wrong without the additional security provided by insurance.
Guarantees
A guarantee indicates to the client that the business stands by the quality of its work. Numerous landscaping services provide a guarantee, but each one will have a different set of requirements. For instance, a business might only provide a guarantee for a limited time, like two weeks. Or it might demand that a customer report any problems within a certain window of time. Others might limit the guarantee to customers who sign up for their services annually. In general, a satisfaction guarantee means that the problem will be fixed without charging the customer anything or a refund will be given. The company reserves the right to refuse any guarantee.
Our Top Picks
There are plenty of landscaping businesses. Customers still want to locate a business that can produce high-quality work. These landscaping companies are among the best, in our opinion.
1: The Grounds Guys
Why It Made the Cut:
The Grounds Guys provides a broad range of complete landscaping services and is accessible almost everywhere.
The Grounds Guys provides lawn care, pest control, landscape design and installation, and landscape maintenance in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Customers can conveniently schedule services over the phone or by email even though the company does not currently offer online account management. Customers have two weeks after a service appointment to report any issues or complaints, and the company provides yard status and quality reports following each visit.
Full-scale design, including the addition of garden beds and retaining walls, flower gardens, shrubs, and trees, is included in the company’s list of landscaping services. Additionally, it provides hardscaping, regular yard upkeep, and irrigation installation and repair. During the colder months, snow and ice management services are offered, and the company will even hang holiday lights.
Specs
- Service area: 46 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Phone, email
- Services offered: Landscape design and installation, pest control, snow management, gutters
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 14 days of service
Pros
- Yard status and quality reports delivered to clients
- Wide range of lawn and yard-care services available
- Services available in 46 states and Washington, D.C.
Cons
- No option for online account management
2: BrightView
Why It Made the Cut:
Schools, golf courses, apartment buildings, and residential communities are just a few of the commercial properties in 30 states that BrightView exclusively provides landscaping design and maintenance services to.
For clients looking for services for commercial properties, BrightView is a full-service landscape design, installation, and maintenance company. The company offers a variety of services, including power washing, parking lot cleanup, turf care, water management, and snow and ice removal, though these depend on the location.
Landscape consulting from BrightView is LEED certified, a third-party certification that guarantees environmentally friendly projects and procedures. Design plans for residential communities, including military housing, as well as for buildings such as churches, schools, hospitals, and retail establishments are a specialty of BrightView’s landscape architects. Additionally, BrightView provides specially designed maintenance schedules for these kinds of properties. Interested parties can reach the business by phone or email.
Specs
- Service area: 30 states
- Scheduling: Phone, email
- Services offered: Landscape design and installation, snow and ice removal, water management, turf care
- Guarantee: Warranty varies by project
Pros
- Services available for wide variety of commercial markets
- Maintenance service includes power washing and parking lot cleanup
- LEED-certified landscape consulting
Cons
- Some services may vary by location
3: TruGreen
Why It Made the Cut:
TruGreen is accessible in almost all states, provides a variety of service plans, and has an easy-to-use online scheduling and billing system.
TruGreen provides a range of landscape maintenance services and has locations in 49 states and Washington, D.C. TruGreen offers tree and shrub care, soil amendment, fertilisation, pest and disease treatment, and other services in addition to its primary area of expertise in lawn revitalization and maintenance. TruGreen provides a plan that combines lawn care with tree and shrub maintenance but does not provide full-scale landscape design and installation or lawn mowing. Although TruGreen offers a satisfaction guarantee, it’s not clear which services it covers on the website. Customers who have questions about whether the guarantee will cover the services they are paying for can speak with a TruGreen representative.
Customers of TruGreen can schedule appointments and make payments using their user-friendly website and mobile app. Customers complete a brief online form with the services they require, as well as any particular concerns if tree and shrub care is needed. Customers can find a customised maintenance plan and schedule as well as an immediate estimate for the cost of services using this question-and-answer form. The phone can also be used to schedule services.
Check out our TruGreen review to learn more about this organisation.
Specs
- Service area: 49 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online, phone, mobile app
- Services offered: Lawn aeration, overseeding, pest control, soil amendment, tree and shrub
- Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee
Pros
- Wide range of service plans available
- Straightforward instant quote, booking, and online payment
- Easy-to-use mobile app available to schedule services
Cons
- Lawn mowing service not offered
- Unclear guarantee information
4: Angi
Why It Made the Cut:
Through a streamlined, user-friendly website, Angi gives users access to local, vetted professional landscapers in every state and Washington, D.C.
A reliable, user-friendly database of regional service providers, including landscape architects, is offered by Angi. Customers must enter their name, phone number, and email in order to browse local services, but once they have done so, they can search for landscape contractors by project and location to find professionals who can handle almost any kind of landscape project.
There are Angi’s employees in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Additionally, Angi screens each professional listed and indicates whether the company passed the screening directly on the professional’s profile page. Along with any pertinent credentials or licences, the page also includes a list of the services that are provided.
Specs
- Service area: 50 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online
- Services offered: Varies by provider
- Guarantee: Varies by provider
Pros
- Potential clients can filter by project and choose from local professionals
- Website is streamlined and user-friendly
Cons
- Name, phone number, and email are required to browse local services
Our Verdict
The Grounds Guys is the top choice for the best landscaping company due to availability and a wide range of services provided, including landscape installation and maintenance. BrightView is a reputable business with green business practises for clients looking for commercial services.
How We Chose the Best Landscaping Companies
We looked into dozens of businesses nationwide to find the best landscaping companies, concentrating on those with a presence in multiple states. For each landscaping business on the final list, pertinent factors such as services provided, scheduling, pricing, account management, and satisfaction guarantees are assessed.
Before You Hire the Best Landscaping Company for You
Customers must be aware of the services they will need, both now and in the future, as well as what to anticipate from various companies, in order to choose the best landscape company. Customers may need a full landscape design plan and installation, in which case they contact a landscape architect or contractor. If they have a low-maintenance garden, homeowners might only need help occasionally.
It might be best for the client to only hire a lawn-care service if the main requirement for landscaping is lawn maintenance. A certified arborist may be preferred if a property has larger trees that require routine maintenance, including trimming or removal.
Cost of Hiring the Best Landscaping Company for You
Services for landscaping can differ depending on a number of variables. The cost will depend on the type of service, such as design, installation, or maintenance, as well as the project’s square footage. It will also take into account any additional services needed, such as ongoing maintenance or hardscaping. To help you establish a reasonable budget before meeting with a landscape contractor, do some research on various landscaping concepts.
Because of the cost of living and the average hourly wage, the location will have an impact on labour costs. Customers should be aware that labour makes up typically 80% of the cost of landscaping. The typical hourly rate for landscapers is $50, though some experts may charge more.
Customers should anticipate paying between $4 and $12 per square foot on average for necessities like installation and maintenance. The price per square foot for garden renovations that include a landscape design can reach $40.
The Advantages of Using One of the Best Landscaping Companies
Professional landscape companies are able to design and maintain your ideal garden. While many people find some enjoyment in gardening or yard work, there are many benefits to hiring a local professional landscaper.
Professional landscaping can save money in the long run despite costing more up front. Water costs can be reduced by using drip irrigation and timed sprinklers, and customers won’t spend money on plants or materials that aren’t appropriate for the area. Paying someone to properly maintain a landscape after a complete makeover will protect your investment in its appearance.
Hiring a landscape professional also has the following advantages:
- High quality, attractive landscaping suited to specific growing conditions.
- Boosted curb appeal.
- Healthy plants and a lush lawn.
- More time for homeowners to enjoy their outdoor spaces.
FAQs
While the landscaping requirements for each home will vary, there are a few common queries that many customers search for when looking for the “best landscapers near me.” These are the responses.
Q. When should I use a landscaping company?
You can hire a professional landscaper for regular upkeep on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. Only seasonal cleanups, typically in the spring for garden preparation and the fall for cleanup and winterization, are preferred by some clients. Some homeowners work with a landscape designer to redesign their current landscaping or develop a brand-new landscape plan. By typing “landscape design near me,” you can locate committed landscape designers.
Q. How much should I budget for landscaping?
Depending on the scope of the project, the cost of landscaping can vary, but as a general rule, you should budget about 10% of the home’s value for landscape design and installation. Customers can anticipate paying between $100 and $200 per month for basic services such as routine landscape maintenance. Costs may rise with extensive cleanings or more visits.
Q. What do landscaping businesses do?
Design, installation, and maintenance of plants, as well as hardscaping like pavers or walkways, are all included in landscaping services.
