Choosing a service
How Much Does Lawn Care Cost in Northern Virginia?
By Patrick Klippen, Owner & CEOB.S. Landscape Horticulture · VDACS certified applicator #141054
Published Updated
Short answer
A typical 8,000 square foot Northern Virginia lawn runs about $65 per fertilization and weed control visit with Simply Turf, and $279 for fall aeration and overseeding. Total cost depends on how many visits are in the program. Compare quotes visit by visit, and ask what turf square footage each one uses.
What is the price actually based on?
Price is based on turf square footage, the grass a technician has to cover. Lot size, house size and address don't set it. A real quote starts with a measurement, and aerial imagery gets close in about two minutes while a walk-through catches slope and access problems.
What each service is priced on.
Most turf work is priced per application, with fertilization and weed control as the core of the program and fall aeration as a separate line.
| Service | What drives the price | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fertilization and weed control (per application) | Turf square footage | About $50 per visit for townhome size lawns (our minimum), $65 for a typical 8,000 sq ft lawn, $60 to $90 for most single family lawns, and about $240 per acre on larger properties. |
| Full season program | Number of applications | Several hundred dollars a year for most lawns, billed per application every six to eight weeks, with no prepayment required. |
| Core aeration and overseeding | Turf size, slope and gate access | $279 flat for lots up to a quarter acre, with Barenbrug Blue Tag certified tall fescue seed included. Larger or steeper lawns are quoted from measured turf area. |
| Mosquito and tick control | Perimeter, wood line and beds | 5 to 6 treatments a season, roughly every three to four weeks from April through September. |
| Compost topdressing | Cubic yards of compost and access | Quoted by the cubic yards the measured area needs. |
What does an 8,000 square foot lawn cost?
At Simply Turf, a typical 8,000 square foot lawn is $65 per fertilization and weed control visit and $279 for core aeration and overseeding. We publish our prices so you can hold any quote against them, ours included. When you compare companies, ask each one the same four questions. How many square feet of turf are they pricing? How many visits are in the quote? Are aeration and seed included? What happens if you stop after one visit?
Type your address and we'll show your lot size and your aeration price right away.
What moves the number up or down.
Turf area sets the base price, and five other factors adjust it. Ask which are in your quote.
- The number of applications, since five visits and eight visits are different products.
- Whether fall aeration and overseeding is bundled in, which is usually the biggest line of the year.
- Whether mosquito and tick control is included.
- Obstacles and slope, such as island beds, playsets, trampolines, and steep banks.
- Gates and access, since a locked gate or narrow side yard changes the equipment and time.
Why the cheapest quote usually isn't the same product.
A much lower price almost always means less work, whether that's fewer visits, a lighter rate per visit, or a less qualified applicator. The first two show up if you ask, but you have to verify the third.
In Virginia, a business applying pesticides for hire must hold a pesticide business license, and applications must be made by or under the supervision of a certified applicator registered with VDACS. Ask for both numbers. Our checklist for choosing a lawn care company covers the rest.
Questions that make two quotes comparable.
Ask every company the same six questions and write down the answers.
- How many visits are in the program, and when does each happen?
- What's in each visit, such as fertilizer, broadleaf weed control, and pre-emergent?
- Is aeration and overseeding included or a separate fall charge?
- Is there a contract, and what does cancelling cost?
- Is retreatment free if weeds come back between visits?
- What's my turf square footage, and how was it measured?
What is worth paying for?
Pay for the fall work, correct timing and a licensed applicator. September aeration and overseeding, slow release fertilization timed to soil temperature, and lime built into the program for our acidic clay soils change a lawn a year from now.
Skip spring seeding that dies in July, heavy summer nitrogen, and blanket grub control on a lawn with no grub history. Our DIY versus hiring a pro comparison is honest about where that line falls. We have no contracts, so you can buy one application and see what you get before committing.
It's $65 per fertilization and weed control visit and $279 for core aeration and overseeding. Mosquito and tick control and compost topdressing are quoted separately. There's no contract.
Turf square footage varies so much that one posted number would be wrong for most yards. Once a company has measured, it should commit to a firm number, and if it won't, make a note of that.
Only indirectly. Driveways, patios, pools, beds and woods all subtract from the turf that gets priced. Ask what turf square footage your quote used, because if nobody can tell you, nobody measured.
It's the only visit with machinery, seed and real labor time instead of a spreader pass. Proper seed rates, slopes and locked gates all add cost, and it's also the job that pays back the most on a lawn here.
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