The Best Landscaping Company Options of 2022

Photo: istockphoto.com

From finding the perfect plants to keeping your lawn lush, landscaping companies offer an array of services that will help any outdoor space bloom. No two gardens or yards are alike, so finding the best landscaping company can be an investment that’s well worth the money. Quality landscaping creates a beautiful yard to relax in, and it can increase home value, too.

Good landscape design can increase home value up to 20 percent, but neglected gardens and disjointed garden design can devalue it. Whether installing a new garden plan or maintaining the existing landscape, this guide will help you find the best landscaper to keep your garden and yard in peak condition.

1. BEST OVERALL: The Grounds Guys
2. BEST COMMERCIAL SERVICES: BrightView
3. BEST FOR MAINTENANCE: TruGreen
4. BEST AGGREGATOR: HomeAdvisor

Photo: istockphoto.com

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Landscaping Company for You

Before hiring a landscaping company, there are several factors to consider, including the type of services offered, scheduling, service area, and pricing. Keep these points in mind when searching for “best landscaper in my area.”

Landscaping vs. Lawn Care

A lawn-care service provides regular care and maintenance to a lawn. It can install new sod, repair a damaged lawn, and perform ongoing mowing and fertilization. While many lawn-care services frequently offer landscape maintenance such as tree and shrub trimming or seasonal fertilization, they typically do not offer plant installation or hardscaping.

Landscaping companies can offer everything from a complete garden redesign to simple installation of plants to regular lawn-care maintenance services. Landscaping companies also install and maintain irrigation systems, add landscape lighting, and treat pests and diseases.

Professional landscapers know the USDA hardiness zone for their service areas. They can choose the right plants for the climate, considering factors such as light conditions and soil health. Landscape contractors clear and grade land and can build walkways, patios, decks, water features, or even outdoor kitchens into their design.

Full Service vs. Maintenance

Full-service landscaping will include landscape design and installation, creating an all-new landscape or making significant changes to an existing landscape design. This can consist of hardscaping additions such as paver patios, walkways, stepping stones, and structural additions like pergolas or decks.

A landscaping company’s maintenance services will provide upkeep for existing landscaping. This does not have to be landscaping they have designed or installed. Maintenance includes regular care such as trimming and fertilizing, pest and weed control, seasonal yard cleanup, and winterizing. It also includes lawn care such as mowing and fertilizing.

Commercial vs. Residential

Landscaping companies may service both residential and commercial properties. However, a landscape contractor may focus only on residential or commercial installation and maintenance. Commercial landscaping services can include office parks or residential communities where the landscaping is included in the HOA fees. Homeowners should check that a company explicitly offers private residential services. This information should be available on the company’s website or by calling them directly.

Service Area

There’s no benefit for customers to look into hiring a company that may not serve their area. Even companies with a nationwide presence may not have a branch conveniently located near a homeowner’s property. Before vetting any of a company’s services, customers should establish that the company serves their area.

Scheduling

Most landscaping companies allow for advance scheduling via phone or email. In general, it is typical to arrange routine maintenance on a set schedule, according to the season. This ensures the shrubs, trees, lawn, and garden beds receive the care they need. During the peak growing seasons of spring and summer, the frequency of visits may increase.

How often a landscaping service is used will ultimately be determined by both the yard and garden and the time of year. Factors such as the size of the yard and garden, the presence of an irrigation system, the type of plants, and seasonal tasks affect how often a landscape company will need to visit.

Services Offered

Most landscaping companies offer both installation and maintenance services, so it may be possible to engage a company for both design and regular upkeep. Typical landscaping services include trimming, pruning, fertilizing, pest control, lawn maintenance, and mowing.

Many landscaping professionals also offer irrigation and lighting installation as well as hardscaping, including pavers and retaining walls. Landscape contractors perform all these tasks and can also grade land and build in features like patios and decks. Landscape architects offer a more comprehensive design of a space and can incorporate everything from fruit trees to waterfalls to outdoor kitchens.

Quotes and Pricing

Landscaping costs can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, so customers will want to know the costs up front. Most landscaping professionals will provide estimates free of charge. These estimates may be provided via phone or email, but most landscaping companies will need a site visit to give an accurate quote. In addition, for larger projects, a landscaper will provide a detailed cost breakdown to help customers make the best decisions for their budget. Hourly rates and costs for materials can vary depending on location, but in general, 80 percent of the landscaping budget goes to labor.

Licensing and Insurance

Almost every state requires landscaping contractors and landscape architects to be licensed. To earn a license, an individual usually needs to have 3 years of experience in landscaping before applying for a license. This helps ensure that the individual has region-specific knowledge. Additionally, becoming a landscape architect requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape architecture.

Landscaping companies should also be bonded and insured. A contractor’s liability insurance will protect the company, its employees, the customer, and the customer’s property in case of accident or injury. Being bonded means the company has a line of credit in place to cover the cost of work if it cannot perform the work itself.

Some landscapers and gardeners operate under a business license only. Their rates are often lower, but without the additional protection of insurance, there are no assurances that the work will be done should something go amiss.

Guarantees

If a company offers a guarantee, it tells the customer that it stands by its work. Many landscaping services offer a guarantee, but they will all have different criteria. For instance, a company may offer a guarantee for a set period only, such as 2 weeks. Or it may require a customer to report any issues within a window of time. Still others may offer the guarantee only for annual subscribers to their services. Broadly speaking, a satisfaction guarantee means that the issue will be rectified at no cost to the customer or a refund will be provided. Any guarantee is always at the company’s discretion.

Our Top Picks

There’s no shortage of landscaping companies. Still, customers want to find a company that can deliver quality work. Here are our top picks for the best landscaping companies.

Photo: groundsguys.com

Why It Made the Cut: The Grounds Guys offers a wide array of full landscaping services with near-nationwide availability.

Available in 46 states and Washington, D.C., The Grounds Guys offers landscape design and installation, landscape maintenance, pest control, and lawn care. Although the company does not currently offer online account management, customers can conveniently schedule services over the phone or by email. The company provides yard status and quality reports after each visit, and customers have 2 weeks after a service appointment to report any concerns or complaints.

The company’s range of landscaping services consists of full-scale design, including adding garden beds and retaining walls, flower gardens, and shrubs and trees. It also offers irrigation installation and repair, hardscaping, and regular yard maintenance. Snow and ice management are available during the cooler months, and the company will even install 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 homeowners
• 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

Photo: brightview.com

Why It Made the Cut: BrightView offers landscaping design and maintenance services exclusively to commercial properties in 30 states, including schools, golf courses, apartment complexes, and residential communities.

BrightView is a full-scale landscape design, installation, and maintenance company for customers seeking services for commercial properties. Although services vary by location, the company’s range of offerings includes power washing, parking lot cleanup, turf care, water management, and snow and ice removal.

BrightView’s landscape consulting is LEED certified, which is a third-party certification that ensures environmentally responsible projects and protocols. BrightView’s landscape architects specialize in design plans for residential communities, including military housing, as well as churches, schools, hospitals, and retail properties. BrightView also offers tailored programs for regular maintenance of these types of properties. Interested parties can contact the company by email or phone.

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

Photo: trugreen.com

Why It Made the Cut: TruGreen has availability in nearly every state, offers a wide range of service plans, and has a user-friendly online scheduling and billing system.

With a presence in 49 states and Washington, D.C., TruGreen offers an array of landscape maintenance services. While TruGreen specializes primarily in lawn revitalization and maintenance, the company also provides tree and shrub care, soil amendment, fertilization, and pest and disease treatment. TruGreen does not offer full-scale landscape design and installation but does offer a plan that bundles lawn care with tree and shrub maintenance. TruGreen offers a satisfaction guarantee, but it only applies to customers on an annual maintenance plan. While this may seem like a disadvantage to customers who want a stand-alone service, it speaks to TruGreen’s confidence in its processes.

TruGreen has a user-friendly website and mobile app where customers can manage appointments and payments. Customers fill out a simple online form that includes the services needed, such as any specific concerns if tree and shrub care is requested. This question-and-answer form assists customers in finding a tailored maintenance plan and schedule along with an instant quote for the cost of services. Services can also be booked over the phone.

Specs

• Service area: 49 states and Washington, D.C.
• Scheduling: Phone, online
• Services offered: Mowing, lawn aeration, overseeding, pest control, soil amendment, tree and shrub
• Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee for customers with annual plans

Pros

• Wide range of service plans available
• Straightforward instant quote, booking, and online payment
• Easy-to-use mobile app available to schedule services

Cons

• Satisfaction guarantee only applies to customers with annual plans

Photo: homeadvisor.com

Why It Made the Cut: HomeAdvisor provides access to local, vetted professional landscapers in every state and Washington, D.C., through a streamlined, user-friendly website.

HomeAdvisor provides a trusted, easy-to-use database of local service providers, including landscaping contractors. A customer’s name, phone number, and email are required to browse local services; however, once this information is entered, customers can filter for landscape professionals by project and location, resulting in tailored services for nearly any type of landscape project.

HomeAdvisor’s professionals can be found in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Additionally, HomeAdvisor screens any professional listed and states directly on the professional’s profile page whether or not the company passed the screening. The page also lists what services are offered along with any relevant credentials or licenses.

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

Because of availability and a wide array of services offered, including landscape installation and maintenance, The Grounds Guys is the top pick for the best landscaping company. For customers looking for commercial services, BrightView is a reputable company with environmentally friendly practices.

How We Chose the Best Landscaping Companies

To determine the best landscaping companies, we researched dozens of companies across the U.S., focusing on companies with a multi-state presence. The final list evaluates relevant factors for each landscaping company, including services offered, scheduling, pricing, account management, and satisfaction guarantees.

Before You Hire the Best Landscaping Company for You

To find the best landscape company, customers need to know what services they will require, both immediate and long-term, and what to expect from different companies. Customers may require an entire landscape design plan and installation and therefore seek out a landscape contractor or landscape architect. With a low-maintenance yard in place, homeowners may only require seasonal help.

If the primary need for landscaping is lawn care, it may be in the customer’s best interest to hire a lawn-care service only. If a property has larger trees that need regular upkeep, including trimming or removal, a certified arborist may be preferred

Cost of Hiring the Best Landscaping Company for You

Landscaping services can vary depending on several factors. The type of service, including design, installation, or maintenance, along with the square footage of the project, will affect the cost. Additional services required, such as hardscaping or lighting and ongoing maintenance, will also factor in. Before meeting with a landscape contractor, research different landscape ideas to help set a realistic budget.

The geographic location will affect labor costs because of the cost of living and average hourly wage. Keep in mind that typically 80 percent of landscaping costs are labor. Most landscapers charge an average of $50 per hour, but some professionals can charge more.
Expect to pay on average between $4 and $12 per square foot for essential services, such as installation and maintenance. For yard makeovers that include a landscape design, the cost can go up to $40 per square foot.

The Advantages of Using One of the Best Landscaping Companies

Professional landscape companies can not only create a dream garden, but they can maintain it, too. While many people enjoy some degree of gardening or yard work, hiring a local professional landscaper has many advantages.

Although it may cost more up front, professional landscaping can save money in the long term. Using a drip irrigation system and timed sprinklers will cut back on water bills, and customers won’t waste money on plants or materials that don’t work in the space. If there has been a complete landscape makeover, paying someone to maintain it properly will keep that investment looking good.

Additional benefits of hiring a landscape pro include:

• High quality, attractive landscaping suited to specific growing conditions.
• Boosting curb appeal.
• Maintaining healthy plants and a lush lawn, including pest control.
• Saving time, giving homeowners more time to enjoy their outdoor spaces.

FAQs

Every home will have different landscaping needs, but there are some common questions that many customers have when googling “best landscapers near me.”

Q. When should I use a landscaping company?

A professional landscaper can be hired for routine maintenance weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Some customers prefer to hire landscapers only for seasonal cleanups, typically in the spring for garden prep and the fall for cleanup and winterizing. Some homeowners hire a landscape designer to overhaul existing landscaping or create an entirely new landscape design. You can find dedicated landscape designers by searching for “landscape design near me.”

Q. How much should I budget for landscaping?

The cost of a landscaping project can vary depending on how extensive the work is, but a good rule of thumb is to allot about 10 percent of the home’s value toward a landscape design and installation. Expect to pay between $100 and $200 per month for regular landscape maintenance for basic services. Major cleanups or more frequent visits can increase the cost.

Q. What do landscaping businesses do?

Landscaping services can provide design, installation, and maintenance, including plants and hardscaping, such as pavers or walkways.