If you’re considering hiring a professional lawn care company, you can’t do much better than TruGreen. The company has decades of lawn care experience and offers a wide range of services that cover virtually all of your lawn care needs. But are its services worth it?
This comprehensive TruGreen cost guide covers everything you need to know about one of the best lawn care companies available today. Below you’ll find an in-depth discussion of what you can expect to pay for TruGreen’s annual plans on average, what surprise expenses you may encounter, and how to save some money on the company’s services without sacrificing your lawn’s health. You may find that TruGreen is offers the best lawn treatment for you.
What is TruGreen and How Does it Work?
TruGreen is an all-in-one lawn care service designed to help you grow a thick, luscious lawn without spending time in the dirt yourself. The company offers various services, including basic soil testing, fertilization plans, tree and shrub control, and customized weed control packages. TruGreen has locations in every state except Alaska, making them available throughout most of the country.
TruGreen customers can sign up for one of TruGreen’s premade packages or choose services a la carte as needed. Most people who use TruGreen to cultivate a healthy lawn prefer using the company’s service plans, whereas cherrypicking services is the better option if you’re only interested in specialized options like mosquito control or perimeter pest protection. No matter what you choose, all TruGreen services begin with the company’s healthy lawn analysis before the first application and are backed by TruGreen’s healthy lawn guarantee.
Once you sign up for TruGreen, one of the company’s certified specialists will come to your house approximately once per month to perform whatever services are included in your package. You can choose to pay as you go or prepay for one year to save money. Any extra services you ask for will be billed separately from your yearly plan if you choose to prepay.
TruGreen lawn care does not include mowing or general landscaping at any location.
Pros and Cons of TruGreen
Pros
- Many lawn care options
- Competitive pricing
- Organic/100% natural plans
- Comprehensive pest control services
Cons
- Inconsistent services across locations
- Natural lawn plans are separate from traditional
How Much Does TruGreen Cost?
TruGreen’s services depend on several factors (more on that later), but the following estimates based on a 5,000-square-foot property can help you get a sense of how much you can expect to pay:
- TruMaintenance: $400. Includes soil testing, fertilization, pre-emergent weed control, and targeted herbicide application.
- TruHealth: $475. Includes everything from the TruMaintenance plan and grub prevention treatments.
- TruComplete: $750. Includes everything from the TruHealth plan as well as seeding and core aeration services.
- TruSignature: $1,200. The most expensive TruGreen plan includes everything from the TruComplete and also includes tree and shrub care.
- TruNatural: $700. Only uses all-natural products. Only includes soil testing and fertilization services.
Purchasing services a la carte can save you money if you don’t want all of the lawn care options provided in one of TruGreen’s service plans:
- Soil amendments: $70
- Fertilization: $75
- Lawn aeration and overseeding services: $270
- Perimeter pest control: $110
- Mosquito Defense: $80 per treatment
- Grub control: $100
- Termite protection: $110
- Targeted weed control: $75 per application (includes crabgrass treatments)
- Tree and shrub care: $70
Keep in mind that the above estimates are only approximate since your rate will depend on the size of your lawn and other factors specific to your circumstances. The only way to know how much TruGreen will cost you for sure is to contact the company to obtain a free quote.
Factors That Impact TruGreen Cost
The previous section estimated the cost of TruGreen service for an average 5,000-square-foot property, but other factors can cause the price you pay to vary significantly.
Property Size
How much you pay for TruGreen’s services depends directly on your property size. Larger yards require more pesticides and fertilizer to cover and take longer to service, which means you pay more to cover the costs. Luckily, TruGreen’s prices stay proportional to property size even as yard sizes get bigger, meaning a 10,000-square-foot yard will cost approximately twice as much to service than a 5,000-square-foot yard. Some companies charge significantly more to service larger yards, making TruGreen one of the best options for larger properties.
Your Yard’s Condition
You should expect to pay more if your lawn needs work than if it’s already healthy and only requires maintenance or a little fine-tuning. If your yard is overrun with weeds or has an existing grub problem, your estimate will likely be higher to cover the additional cost of applying more pesticides and herbicides. Some TruGreen customers report that their rates decrease once their lawn problems are under control.
The Plan You Select
If you don’t need all the bells-and-whistles included in the TruSignature plan, you can save quite a bit of money by opting for either the TruHealth or TruMaintenance plan. One of TruGreen’s primary strengths is that it has a plan to suit most homeowners’ needs, making it easy to find a service package that meets your needs and fits your budget.
Extras
Sometimes problems crop up unexpectedly, and while it’s nice that TruGreen can help in some cases, it also means that occasionally you’ll have to cover surprise expenses. Grub problems and insect infestations are the two most common surprises that TruGreen customers may have to deal with, but it’s also fairly common for customers to add other a la carte services like mosquito defense and termite protection. These services will raise your monthly bill whenever you need them but won’t add to your yearly cost if you’re on one of the more affordable plans.
Where You Live
Since TruGreen is a national company, its prices vary substantially depending on where you live. In general, urban and suburban properties pay more than rural ones. However, if you live especially far from your nearest TruGreen, you may have to pay a premium to cover the time it takes for your technician to reach you.
Specific Landscaping Challenges
If you have any unusual circumstances that make servicing your yard more difficult than normal, you may have to pay slightly higher rates for service. These factors include dense shrubbery, tall grass, and less common problems like standing water and poor drainage.
Are TruGreen Services Worth It?
Whether or not TruGreen’s services are worth it for you is largely a personal matter, although there are some general considerations that may help you make that decision.
First, recognizing that TruGreen is often more affordable than other companies that provide similar services is a good indication that its services may be worth it for most people. TruGreen has an excellent track record, and the company’s competitive pricing often makes it a better choice than local lawn care companies.
Second, TruGreen is available in (almost) every state, making it easy to continue to use the company should you move in the future. This factor is not relevant for many people but is an advantage for anyone looking to move who wants continuity of lawn care wherever they go.
Finally, if you have extensive lawn care experience and the necessary equipment and time to tend to your lawn yourself, TruGreen is probably not worth it. Keep in mind that TruGreen’s extra services like mosquito defense and insect control may play an important role here. However, TruGreen’s primary audience is homeowners who don’t have the time or expertise to take care of their lawns themselves; if that’s not you, you’re probably better off going the DIY route.
Hidden Fees with TruGreen
Thankfully, most customer reviews suggest that there are almost never any hidden fees with TruGreen. People who prepay for one year of service only incur further charges when they request additional services, and anyone who pays as they go receives itemized bills that clearly indicate where their money is going.
Tips to Save Money on TruGreen Cost
If you’re considering using TruGreen for lawn care but are worried about the cost, here are some helpful tips that can reduce the cost of service.
Choose the Plan That’s Right for You
One of the best aspects of TruGreen is that it has a plan that works for most people. However, having several plans to choose from can be paralyzing for some people who might not be sure whether they need the advanced options the more expensive plans offer. Your best bet is to start with one of the cheaper plans and only consider upgrading if you notice your service is lacking.
It’s also easy to add a few one-off services, like grub treatments and tree services, as needed to supplement the TruMaintenance plan, which can help you save money in the long run.
Only Purchase Standalone Services
If you’re not sure you’re ready to shell out the cash for a complete lawn care plan, you might still want to try TruGreen’s add-on services. Getting a little help with early spring fertilization and weed treatments from a professional service like TruGreen can make it easier to maintain your lawn’s health throughout the summer, and it doesn’t cost much. As long as you’re prepared to handle most of your lawn care yourself, you can treat TruGreen like the cavalry and only call the experts in when you really need them.
Final Thoughts
Many people are surprised at how affordable professional lawn care services like TruGreen can be and spend years unnecessarily tending their lawns themselves with mediocre results. Even the introductory plans from TruGreen are enough to help you grow a beautiful, green lawn without lifting a finger, and the more expensive plans will take your entire landscaping to the next level. TruGreen is one of the industry’s most well-respected companies, and its impressive array of lawn services and country-wide service area makes it an excellent choice if you’re looking for help with your lawn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth it to use TruGreen?
While it depends on your specific circumstances, the general answer is “probably.” TruGreen offers top-notch professional lawn care services at affordable prices, making it an excellent choice for many people. The company offers several lawn care packages aimed at providing homeowners with coverage options that fit their needs and budget. If you don’t enjoy spending your weekends fertilizing your lawn or applying weed killers, TruGreen is worth it.
How often do you need TruGreen?
Most people sign up for monthly service visits, although some prefer less-frequent treatments. TruGreen’s lawn care plans generally include treatments every 4–6 weeks, depending on your specific climate and lawn. It is common to have more treatments during the early spring, and late fall since these are the most critical times for maintaining your lawn’s overall health.
Some people use TruGreen without signing up for one of the company’s plans, making their services more sporadic and less predictable. If you choose to purchase standalone services from TruGreen, the scheduling is up to you.
Where is TruGreen offered?
TruGreen is available in 49 states — everywhere except for Alaska. You can find a complete list of TruGreen locations on the company’s website and use the lookup tool to find the nearest TruGreen locations.
How much does it cost to use TruGreen for a year?
The average cost of using TruGreen for one year ranges from $400–$1500. Most of the variation comes from the different plans that TruGreen offers, although the annual cost also depends on where you live, your property size, and what additional services you request. It costs approximately $400 to have the TruMaintenance plan on a 5,000-square-foot property.
What are the benefits of using TruGreen?
The main benefits of using TruGreen are its excellent selection of services and widespread availability. The company most likely has a plan that matches your desired level of lawn care and, if it doesn’t, can work with you to get you the coverage you want by adding additional services a la carte.
TruGreen also has more than 200 locations across the country, making it likely that there’s a branch near you. This makes it easy to get started and easy to continue using TruGreen and retain the same level of lawn maintenance even if you move out of state. You can find the phone number of your local TruGreen service provider on the company’s website.
Today's Homeowner Rating & Methodology
At Today's Homeowner, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader. That’s why we took the time to create an objective rating system and score each lawn company/service according to our methodology.
Our research team dug deep into the fine print of contracts, combed through more than one hundred customer reviews, and thoroughly investigated all of each lawn care service’s services, costs, and products. We’ve done the homework for you by researching nearly all of the lawn care companies on the market so you can have the information you need to make the best choice for your home.
We developed a formula to objectively determine the best lawn care companies and give each a score out of 100 based on the following criteria:
- Plan Options (30): Do they provide a variety of plan options? We looked at the number of plans each company offered and the flexibility of adjusting the plan.
- Services offered (20): How many services are offered in each plan? We looked at the number of lawn care coverages, including weed control, seeding, irrigation, aeration, dethatching, and more.
- Trust (10): What do customers say after their lawn has been serviced? Does this company offer a guarantee? We considered how satisfied customers are post-service if the company does what it says it will, BBB accreditation, and service guarantees.
- Prices (10): How reasonable are the costs of the plan or service in comparison to the industry average? We compared the costs of each company to competitors that offer the same lawn services.
- Unique perks (10): Does the company offer discounts or special services such as organic treatments, pest control, or a mobile app? We looked for perks each company offers that set them apart from the competition.
- Customer Service (10): How is the customer experience when contacting the company? We considered the speed of response, weekend/holiday availability, and ease of communication through phone calls, email, and online chat functions.
- Nationwide availability (10): How many states does the company offer its services? Companies that operate nationally and in all zip codes are favored over those with limited availability.
