Get Quotes from Top Lawn Care Companies in San Diego, CA

How Long Have You Been in the Lawn Care Business in San Diego?

Finding out how long the lawn care companies you are considering hiring have been in business is a smart idea when looking for expert lawn care services in San Diego. Home improvements and professional services were among the top ten leading causes of consumer complaints in the San Diego area in 2021. Dealing with a relatively new and somewhat unproven lawn care company increases your likelihood of receiving subpar services or even falling victim to a home improvement scam.

As such, it is always in your best interest to hire lawn care companies that have been in business in the city for at least two years and have also managed to build a solid reputation during this time. Reputable lawn care companies with business longevity typically employ landscapers who are knowledgeable about relevant local landscaping regulations. In addition, these landscapers are also more likely to be familiar with the types of grasses and flowers that can flourish in the city's environment and the best ways to care for these plants. Examples of native plants that are generally favored by San Diego homeowners for their lawns include:

• Protea pink ice
• Salvia
• San Diego sunflower
• Bermuda grass
• Blue fescue
• St. Augustine grass
• Orchids
• Seaside daisy
• California fuchsia
• California monkey flower
• Anacapa island pink morning glory
• Zoysia grass
• Pride of Madeira
• Aloe vera

It is important to note that, irrespective of how long they may have been operating, you should always conduct proper research on the lawn care company you intend to hire before signing any contracts with them. Look up the company online and check for reviews and testimonials on them through websites like Better Business Bureau, Google Review, and Yelp. Also, ask them for references of their previous clients who can attest to their services, and make sure that you check these references.

Do You Hold Any Professional Qualifications Relevant to Lawn Care?

When looking for expert lawn care services in San Diego, after finding out how long your desired lawn care company has been in business, you should also determine whether they have landscapers with the necessary credentials and qualifications for the job. These credentials and qualifications usually include mandatory state-issued licenses as well as voluntarily-gained certifications in specialized fields of lawn care to show their expertise and experience in these areas.

State-issued landscaping-related licenses are typically required based on the nature and scope of services that the landscaper intends to offer. For example, landscapers who offer services outside routine shrub trimming, weeding, and mowing that cost more than $500 are required to obtain either a C-27 - Landscaping Contractor or C-61/D-12 - Synthetic Products Contractor license from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Non-compliance with this licensing requirement is considered a misdemeanor, and violators face statutory and administrative penalties that include up to six months in jail and $15,000 in fines.

CSLB-issued contractor licenses can be obtained by landscapers that are at least 18 years old, have attained up to four years of landscaping work experience, and can meet the following requirements:

• Complete and submit an Application for Original Contractor License form to the board, along with a non-refundable application fee
• Provide acceptable documentation to verify their work experience
• Pass a licensing examination
• Provide proof of acceptable insurance and bond coverage

Similarly, landscapers whose services will include the application of pesticides must obtain a separate state-issued license and certification from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). The DPR's licensing and certification process generally includes:

• Passing a certification examination. Note that a minimum score of 70 percent is typically required
• Paying all applicable fees
• Registering with the San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights, and Measures

Additional information on state-mandated licenses and certifications for San Diego landscapers can be directed to the CSLB and the DPR's Licensing and Certification Office at (800) 321-2752 and (916) 445-4038 respectively.

Many landscapers in the city often go a step further after obtaining mandatory licenses by also getting certified in fields like organic farming and lawn care, arboriculture, and landscape irrigation. Note that these certifications are voluntary and are usually obtained to indicate professionalism and expertise in a particular niche of landscaping and lawn care. Some reputable organizations that offer voluntary certification opportunities to San Diego landscapers include:

• The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA)
• The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
• The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
• The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS)
• The Irrigation Association (IA)

Your chances of receiving expert lawn care services are greatly increased by hiring a landscaper that has complied with all mandatory state licensing and certification requirements and also holds extra certifications in relevant lawn care fields. Note that you should always verify all credentials and qualifications that your intended landscaper claims to hold before signing any contracts with them.

You can verify state-issued licenses and certifications online via the Check a License and the List of Licensees webpages provided by the CSLB and the DPR respectively for this purpose. Likewise, you can verify voluntarily-obtained landscaping certifications by requesting proof of this from the landscaper and authenticating the provided documentation with the appropriate certifying organization.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Lawn Care Companies in the City?

Finding out how much your preferred lawn care companies charge for their services and agreeing on these rates is a necessary action to take to when searching for satisfactory lawn care services in San Diego. Landscapers in the city typically use one of three main types of pricing methods when determining their rates:

• Per Hour Method: this is a fairly simple pricing method where the lawn care company bills for each hour that is spent working on the client's lawn. The cost of the lawn care company's services is usually discussed before the work begins and can range from $25 - $75 per hour or more, depending on the specific types and complexity of services that will be rendered
• Per Service Method: with this pricing method, the lawn care company bills the client a flat fee for either a variety of agreed-upon services or for a single service in particular. These flat fees typically range from $50 - $1,000 per service, depending on the type and scope of the requested service
• Per Square Foot Method: under this pricing method, the lawn care company bases its rates on the total square footage of the client's lawn that is worked on. The usual range for these rates is $4 to $12 per square foot

It is important to note that certain factors will significantly impact the actual amount of money you will be required to pay your landscaper for their services. These include:

• Your lawn's size
• The particular types and scope of lawn care services requested
• Your location within the city
• Your preferred lawn care company's local reputation
• Your lawn's current conditions
• The presence of obstacles like fences, steep hills, rocks, and trees
• The kinds of tools and equipment required for the job
• The frequency of the lawn care services
• The labor intensity of the requested services

As such, before selecting any landscapers in the city to work on your lawn, you should always consider requesting and comparing cost estimates for your required services from at least three different lawn care companies. Doing this affords you certain benefits, which are:

• It enables you to get a realistic idea of the going local rates for your required lawn care and maintenance services
• It helps you spot landscapers with inflated charges and rates and serves to keep you safe from dishonest lawn care companies

Lawn care contractors in San Diego earn an average wage of $38,250 every year. The list below compares the average wages earned by these contractors per hour against the average hourly wages of lawn care contractors in other parts of California and also in other locations across the United States:

What Is Included in Your Lawn Care Program?

Professional lawn care companies that operate in the San Diego area typically provide a wide range of lawn care services to interested residents of the city, such as:

• Lawn mowing
• Shrub and tree planting
• Tree trimming
• Tree pruning
• Shrub and hedge trimming
• Lawn fertilization
• Lawn seeding
• Weed control
• Pest control
• Lawn aeration
• Flower services
• Leaf blowing and yard cleanup
• Mulching and composting
• Landscape design
• Retaining wall installation
• Sprinkler system installation and maintenance
• Artificial turf installation

Lawn care services in the city are typically grouped into two categories, namely:

• Basic Lawn Care Programs: basic lawn care programs generally include lawn care services that are designed to improve a lawn's look and aesthetic appeal. However, these services have little to no effect on the lawn's overall health. Services included in these types of programs typically include lawn mowing, leaf blowing, shrub and hedge trimming, tree trimming, leaf blowing, and yard cleanup
• Full-Service Lawn Care Programs: full-service lawn care programs generally include lawn care services that not only improve a lawn's look and aesthetic appeal but also pay attention to and ensure that its overall health is taken care of and maintained. Services included in these types of programs typically include basic lawn care services like lawn mowing and hedge trimming and services like tree pruning, weed control, lawn aeration and fertilization, mulching and composting, and lawn disease remediation.

Note that dishonest lawn care companies may try to entice you by initially offering relatively cheap lawn care programs that will inevitably be insufficient for your long-term lawn care goals, only to try to sell you more services down the line. As such, when making hiring arrangements with lawn care companies in San Diego, always find out the type of lawn care program that will be implemented for your lawn and the types of services that will be included in it before reaching any final agreements with them. Ensure that the nature and scope of these services will be adequate to meet your specific lawn goals and always get a written contract that includes a description of your requested services, their costs, frequency, and any other guarantees made by the lawn care company.

The list below provides cost estimates for lawn care services that are typically included in lawn care programs offered by professional San Diego lawn care companies:

Do You Provide Organic Lawn Care Services?

Hiring a lawn care company that offers organic lawn care services may be the best option for you if young children or pets frequently play in your lawn or if you have environmental concerns regarding the use of pesticides. Organic lawn care is a type of lawn care that cuts out the use of any pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or other similar synthetic chemicals. Instead, the landscaper uses plant or animal-based carbon-based, substances, organic resources, and naturally-occurring materials like leaf mulch and compost, worm castings, seaweed, potash, manure, and bone char to maintain the lawn and keep it healthy.

By utilizing organic lawn care services for your lawn, you can avoid exposing your kids and pets to harmful lawn care chemicals and provide them with a chemical-free outdoor environment, while also reducing the amount of chemicals emitted into the atmosphere.

It is important to note that organic lawn care is usually more labor-intensive than conventional lawn care, which invariably makes it more expensive as well. However, it also has a number of advantages that outweigh these increased costs, such as:

• Healthier lawns and revitalized lawn ecosystems
• Better root growth
• Improved soil ecology
• Improved grass quality
• Safer environment for kids and pets
• Zero risk of over application
• Reduced soil and water pollution

Do You Offer a Warranty for Plants Installed?

Whether or not you will be given a warranty for services provided is a necessary factor to consider when searching for expert lawn care services in San Diego. This should particularly be taken into account if your required lawn services will include the planting or installation of sod, seedlings, and flowers on your lawn. These warranties are legally enforceable assurances that the seeds, plants, and flowers planted or installed on your lawn by the lawn care company will develop and flourish as intended.

To this end, be wary if the lawn care company you want to hire refuses to or seems reluctant to provide warranties for newly installed plants or any other services they render. Note that the terms, conditions, and areas of coverage provided by plant warranties are usually set by the lawn care company or landscaper that offers them. Nevertheless, plant warranties offered by many San Diego professional lawn care companies are typically valid for up to a year and also have requirements that the lawn owner must follow during this warrantied period, such as:

• Watering schedules for the installed seedlings, plants, or flowers
• The types of fertilizers to the applied
• Acceptable mowing heights and methods

These plant warranties also typically stipulate certain situations under which they will not provide any coverage. These usually include:

• Situations where the plants do not grow or flourish as expected due to the lawn owner's failure to provide adequate care and maintenance
• Situations where natural disasters or acts of vandalism damage the installed plants and flowers
• Situations where children, pets, or other animals damage the installed plants and flowers

Therefore, it is always in your best interest to find out and familiarize yourself with the specific terms and conditions of the plant warranties offered by your preferred lawn care company in order to prevent performing any activities that could void them.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Lawn Care Companies in the City?

Landscapers routinely face on-the-job hazards and dangers like chemical exposure, cuts, lacerations, and hand injuries from sharp tools and work equipment, with more than 12,000 injuries being recorded among lawn care workers across the country in 2020 alone. As such, it is crucial to ensure that any landscapers who will be assigned to work on your lawn are adequately insured when making hiring arrangements with lawn care companies in San Diego. By making sure that only landscapers with the appropriate insurance work on your lawn, you protect yourself from financial or legal obligations if they happen to get hurt on the job. Hiring properly insured landscapers to work on your lawn also protects you from out-of-pocket expenses if these landscapers damage your property while performing their services.

It should be noted that CSLB-licensed landscapers in San Diego are required by state law to maintain surety bonds in the amount of $15,000 for the duration of the licenses' validity as well as workers' compensation insurance for their employees. Likewise, DPR-licensed and certified landscapers are also required to adhere to certain financial responsibility obligations, such as carrying liability insurance with a minimum limit of $5,000 per person or $10,000 per incident for bodily injury, and $5,000 for property damage.

Always confirm your intended landscaper's insurance and bond status before they start work on your property. You can do this by requesting copies of their insurance and bond certificates and validating these documents with the appropriate provider. Also, make sure that the landscaper carries general liability insurance coverage that is up to date and sufficient enough for any potential third-party injuries or property damage during your lawn care work.

You can reach out to the state's Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and its Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) at (800) 321-2752 and (916) 445-4038, respectively to learn more about the mandatory insurance, bond, and other related financial requirements for San Diego landscapers.